A Tooth’s Location and Purpose Determines the Recommended Filling Material

Posted .

Here at Country Club Dental, our dentist commonly uses fillings to repair small to medium-sized cavities. The tooth’s location in the mouth and its prevalence in your smile will determine the filling material that your dentist will recommend.

Porcelain fillings are a good choice for teeth that are visible in your smile. The porcelain material can be shaded to match the color of the surrounding tooth enamel. Porcelain fillings are made in a laboratory and then fitted during a follow-up appointment.

Composite fillings are made from a resin material that can be color matched and placed in a single procedure.

The biting surfaces of your back teeth often do a lot of chewing and grinding. This makes durable materials, like gold and silver, a good choice for fillings in these areas. Just like porcelain fillings, gold inlays and onlays need to be custom made in a dental lab before being cemented into your cavity at a brief follow-up appointment.

Amalgam fillings are also very durable. However, because amalgam is dark, it is rarely used to fill a cavity that is visible in your smile.

If you suspect that a cavity has formed on one of your teeth, you should not delay in calling Country Club Dental at 209-466-1043 to schedule an appointment.