Why Are Tooth Colored Fillings Better Than the Ones I have?

    /24-7PressRelease/ - ATLANTA, GA, December 22, 2007 - You may still have old silver amalgam, metal colored fillings. Many people do. You may be wondering why you should go to the trouble of having them replaced, especially if they are in the back of your mouth. The benefits of replacing your old fillings with tooth colored fillings go far beyond looks.

Before we get into the more serious details of how tooth colored fillings can save your teeth and possibly your health, let's talk about how they affect your appearance. Silver amalgam fillings start out bright and shiny, and your may be small. Over time, however, they tarnish and darken. They can eventually stain your teeth. Even if they are in the back of your mouth people see them when you talk and laugh. What they typically see are not bright, shiny bits of metal in the back of your mouth, but glimpses of dark spots that look like rotten, decayed teeth.

Even if you don't care about how your fillings look, you should be concerned about the damage they can do to your teeth. Metal colored filling contain mercury. Mercury expands and contacts with even slight temperature changes, so those fillings expand when you eat hot foods, and contract when you eat ice cream or drink cold beverages.

When your filling contracts, it can let food particles in leading to decay under the filling.
When it expands, it can crack your tooth. A small fracture may go unnoticed for a long time, until there is significant decay deep inside your tooth. Silver amalgam fillings can also make your tooth sensitive to hot and cold substance causing pain in your tooth. This sensitivity can be indistinguishable from the pain caused by tooth damage and decay, causing you to delay having your tooth checked out.

Tooth colored fillings and porcelain inlays and onlays have the opposite effect. They actually strengthen your tooth. They do not expand and contract, so they won't crack your tooth, won't let food particles in, and won't fall out. They look, feel, and act just like your natural tooth

Tooth colored fillings are a beautiful dental solution which preserves the health of your teeth rather than damaging them. Getting your old fillings replaced also gives you the chance to discover and put an end to any damage that your old fillings are causing.

Tooth colored filling are mercury free, so they pose no health risks. Mercury poisoning and mercury allergies can cause severe health problems. Studies regarding the health impact of fillings containing mercury are still inconclusive, but have raised a serious and important controversy over the safety of silver amalgam fillings. Switching to tooth colored filling protects you from any potential mercury risk.

Discover what a difference metal-free fillings from Art of the Smile can make in your smile and your confidence. Contact Dr. Tekin at Art of the Smile in Atlanta, Georgia today for your personalized cosmetic dentistry consultation.

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