Dental Fillings

Most of us are familiar with dental fillings. In fact, getting a filling is one of the most common procedures performed in most dental offices. For many years, the most common material used in fillings was silver amalgam. Although that material is still available in many dental offices, and is in fact quite durable, there are other options available to modern-day dental patients. At Apple Dental, we are pleased to offer our Monroe, LA, patients two types of materials for their dental fillings.

Types of Dental Fillings

We offer the following two different types of material that can be used for dental fillings:

• Composite resins: One of the most popular filling materials used over the past several years is composite resin. There’s a good reason for this – composite fillings can be made to very closely match the shade of your natural teeth, so your fillings will be barely noticeable. Composite resin is also quite strong and durable, which means your fillings should last for many years.
• Gold fillings: Gold has been used as a dental material for many years. The strength and durability of gold makes it an excellent choice for many dental applications. In fact, gold inlays and crowns often last for 20 years or even longer. But, as you might have guessed, gold is more expensive than composite resin and often requires multiple trips to our Monroe, LA, office.

The Procedure Involved in Dental Fillings

No matter what material you choose for your dental filling, the procedure involved in preparing your affected tooth is the same. Your dentist will begin by numbing the area around the tooth, then he will remove any decay present before thoroughly cleaning the tooth surface to prepare it for the filling. Typically, composite fillings can be completed in a single trip to our office, although gold inlays may require more than one visit.