Tooth Colored Fillings, White Fillings, Porcelain Fillings

Springfield, Holyoke, Longmeadow, and Wilbraham, MA

If you would like to improve your smile at the same time as you repair your teeth, our highly-qualified dentists can offer you two types of tooth-colored fillings. White fillings are just as strong and durable as gray metal fillings and they look so natural that nobody will know you have any fillings. You can choose to have white composite fillings or porcelain dental inlays or onlays which offer additional benefits.

White Composite Fillings

White composite is a putty-like material that your dentist will apply directly to your tooth in a procedure similar to that for metal amalgam fillings. However, there are big differences between white composite and amalgam. The composite material is metal-free and is bonded to the tooth, which makes it part of the tooth and it will never come loose or fall out.

In contrast, metal fillings can loosen over the years and fall out. They can also fracture the tooth because they expand and contract with hot and cold substances put into the mouth. The amalgam consists of about 50 percent mercury, a known toxin whose uses have been greatly curtailed in recent years. Mercury was used in thermometers for so long exactly because it expands and contracts easily with temperatures. Metal fillings cost less than white fillings however, and some people ask for them.

Other Advantages of White Composite Fillings

• Being bonded to the tooth, they prevent bacteria from spreading in between the tooth and the filling, as can happen with amalgam fillings;
• The composite material comes in many shades of white, so your filling will be matched to the color of your tooth enamel;
• No healthy tooth structure needs to be removed as it does for metal fillings (which are not bonded, but are packed tightly into the cavity and held in place by the shape of the cavity);
• Your smile will keep its even white color and healthy appearance.

Replacing Metal Fillings

Tooth-colored fillings can replace your metal fillings if you would like to do that. This can be a standalone procedure or planned as part of a smile makeover. If it is part of a smile makeover, we suggest that you have teeth whitening done first. Then your cosmetic dentist can match your white fillings to the color of your newly whitened natural teeth.

White fillings are a reliable and safe way to repair any damaged teeth and maintain the integrity of your smile. If you are not sure what type of tooth filling you should have, you can discuss it and ask your questions in a free cosmetic consultation with one of our dentists.

Please call or email our porcelain fillings dentists today. We have cosmetic dentistry offices in Wilbraham, West Springfield, and Longmeadow, Massachusetts, and we hope to meet with you soon.