Types of Dental Fillings: How to Choose One Suitable for You?

Tooth decay remains a problem for many American adults and children despite significant advances in dental hygiene and dental care. When left untreated or dealt with incorrectly, tooth decay leads to severe dental problems in adults and children, including abscessed teeth and failing teeth. It is why dentists recommend six-monthly exams and cleanings for adults and children to check for signs of tooth decay and other dental issues.

Children have long overtaken adults and have become prone to cavities in their teeth because of improper oral hygiene practices and their reliance on sugary and starchy foods and beverages. If your kid complains about a toothache giving you a feeling of something amiss in their mouths, you benefit by taking them to the pediatric dentist near you to evaluate their teeth and check whether they need dental fillings for cavities. The visit to the children’s dentist may surprise you when they provide information that your kid indeed has a cavity in their tooth that needs filling immediately. The recommendation may also confuse you on which type of filling material is best suited for your child. However, a discussion with the dentist will ease your fears about different types of dental fillings to help get your child the best dental filler for their teeth.

Varieties of Dental Fillings

With nearly 70 percent of Americans having cavities in their teeth, the market for dental fillers has expanded significantly. Currently, you can find dental fillers made from gold, silver amalgam, composite resin, ceramic, and glass ionomer.

The different types of dental fillers are all suitable for filling cavities. However, some types of filters are better suited for specific situations. As you need dental fillings near you for your kid, you help yourself by relying on the advice of the pediatric dentist to determine the best filler suited for your child’s needs.

The kid’s dentist also helps you decide which type of filler is best suited for your child after considering factors like the location of the cavity, the extent of the decay, the cost of the dental filler, and your insurance coverage. Please continue reading to learn more about which type of filling material is best suited for your child’s needs.

• Gold Fillings: Non-corrosive gold fillings are incredibly durable and last for 15 years or longer with proper dental hygiene. However, gold fillings are more expensive than silver amalgam and require multiple visits to the dentist to fit them correctly.
• Silver Amalgam Fillings: Durability is also the motto of silver amalgam fillings because they too last for a decade or more. However, silver fillings are not aesthetically pleasing and are likely to expand and contract, causing a tooth to crack compared to other types of dental fillings. Silver amalgam fillings also contain mercury which may cause concerns because mercury is a neurotoxin.
• Composite Resin: Composite fillings are aesthetically pleasing and can be closely matched to the color of your child’s teeth. Unfortunately, they are more expensive than silver amalgam fillings and need replacements every 5 to 7 years.
• Ceramic Fillings: Porcelain helps make ceramic fillings an aesthetically pleasing option with incredible durability. Here again, the cost of ceramic fillings may deter you, especially if they are needed for your child’s cavity.
• Glass Ionomer: Durability is not a feature of glass ionomer fillings because they often last for fewer than five years. However, they are an excellent choice for children with developing teeth. Glass ionomer fillings release fluoride helpful for preventing tooth decay.

Which Filling Material Would You Choose for Your Child?

Dental fillings Houston will likely recommend silver amalgam or composite resin fillings for your kid, depending on the location of the cavity as best suited. The FDA clears silver amalgam fillings as safe and harmless despite the presence of mercury in them. Therefore if your child has a hole on a molar, you find it beneficial to choose silver amalgam fillings for their teeth.

However, if your kid has a hole in the front teeth, do not try to save money by requesting silver fillings but accept the dentist’s proposal to fill the cavity using composite resin fillers. When you accept the dentist’s suggestion, you help your child deal with the cavity in their tooth without impacting their smile. Therefore whenever you choose dental fillings either for yourself or children, you must adhere to your dentist’s suggestion for best results.

If you need dental fillers for your child’s teeth, do not delay the treatment or waste time but schedule an appointment with Molar Bear Pediatric Dentistry to restore the tooth immediately.