Composite Dental Fillings Los Angeles CA

Composite fillings offer a conservative, minimally invasive way to repair cavities, chips, or cracks, preserving more of your natural tooth compared to crowns. Made from a high-quality blend of resin and fine glass particles, these fillings are custom-matched to the color and translucency of your teeth, creating a natural-looking smile. This procedure requires skill to achieve both reliable function and an appealing appearance that blends seamlessly with your tooth. Composite resin fillings are the latest alternative to traditional metal fillings.

Dental Fillings

Dental fillings are biocompatible materials used by dentists to repair tooth cavities. Dentists clean the cavity of any debris or infection, then fill the empty space with a filling material to protect it from future infection and restore the tooth’s surface to full working order. There are several dental filling materials available.

For years, metal fillings made of mercury mixed with silver and other metals were the primary choice. However, in recent years, other materials, including composite resin, have become more popular because they are durable and closely match your natural tooth color, making them difficult to see. At Brentwood Dental Care, we primarily prefer composite fillings because they can be carefully sculpted to create a tooth that looks and feels totally natural.

Signs You May Need a Filling

• Increased sensitivity to hot and cold foods
• A persistent toothache
• Visible holes or pits in the tooth
• Discoloration of the tooth
• Chronic bad breath or a bad taste in the mouth

Types of Dental Fillings We Offer

Brentwood Dental Center uses composite resin fillings, or tooth-colored fillings, rather than metal or amalgam fillings, which may contain harmful ingredients such as mercury. Our composite fillings are made of a high-quality plastic resin mixed with powdered glass for durability, strength, and the beautiful, translucent appearance of a natural tooth.

Dental Bonding and Composite Fillings

The same resin used for composite fillings can also be used for dental bonding, a process in which thin layers of the resin are applied to a tooth to build it up or reshape it. As each layer of resin is applied and shaped, it is cured with a special light to harden. Much the same process is used for composite fillings. Once the final layer of the filling is placed in the tooth and cured, it is bonded to the tooth’s surface.

Benefits of Getting a Dental Filling

Dental fillings treat existing tooth decay and reduce the risk of it recurring and causing future damage. A filling can also:

• Preserve the natural structure of a damaged tooth.
• Strengthen a weak tooth.
• Restore chewing function, especially in molars.
• Improve the appearance of the teeth.
• Make teeth easier to clean following dental treatment.

Composite resin fillings are among the most effective tools in the dental arsenal for treating cavities and preventing future tooth decay. They are minimally invasive and can usually be done in one visit with little or no pain.

Tooth-Colored vs. Traditional Fillings

For decades, traditional fillings, commonly known as amalgam or “silver” fillings, were the benchmark for repairing dental cavities. This material is an alloy of several metals, including silver, tin, copper, and about 50% elemental mercury, which binds the components together. Traditional can withstand the significant chewing forces exerted on back molars and typically lasts 10 to 15 years or longer, making it a reliable and budget-friendly choice. However, its major drawback is its noticeable silver color, which makes it aesthetically unappealing for visible teeth. Furthermore, the placement process often requires removing more healthy tooth structure to create the necessary mechanical “key” shape to hold the filling in place, and some patients have concerns about the low level of mercury vapor released over time.

In contrast, composite fillings, also called tooth-colored fillings, have become the preferred option in modern dentistry, primarily for their superior aesthetic qualities. These fillings are made from a mixture of plastic resin and fine glass or quartz particles, allowing us to customize them to precisely match the color of your surrounding natural tooth enamel, making them virtually invisible. Beyond cosmetics, composite materials offer a more conservative and minimally invasive approach to restoration. They chemically bond directly to the tooth structure, which helps to support the remaining natural tooth and requires less drilling and removal of healthy enamel during the preparation process.

Dr. Goto has years of experience placing composite fillings, which require expertise in layering the resin, light-curing, and perfectly shaping each layer. At your dental appointment, Dr. Goto will determine whether a tooth-colored filling is right for you.

If you need dental fillings for your cavities or damaged teeth and are interested in the natural look and effective protection of tooth-colored dental fillings, please contact our office today at Brentwood Dental Center Phone Number (310) 820-6696 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Togo.