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Fillings

White Fillings (Composite Resins)

When a tooth has mild decay on one or two surfaces, a composite resin or tooth colored filling is indicated.
 
Advantages of composite resins:

• Safety: Dr. Ruzzo believes  today’s composite resin bonding materials provide safer and superior alternatives that eliminate any reason to use mercury containing amalgam fillings.
  
  
• Stability and strength: White fillings are more stable when exposed to hot and cold liquids and foods, compared to metal fillings that expand and contract. As such, white fillings help preserve the strength of the tooth. Composite resin materials today are very strong and can be used on the back molar teeth.
  
  
• Conservative preparations: less tooth structure needs to be removed as compared with silver amalgams to complete the restoration.
  
  
• Esthetic: The composite resin material is matched to the color of the teeth providing a beautiful result.

Disadvantages of composite resins:

Composite resin material is a porous material and will eventual stain from dark foods and liquids (ie colas, red wine, tobacco, etc.), so they will have to be redone periodically. How often depends upon the patient’s habits and the size and location of the restoration. Smaller, narrower, and shallower restorations last longer than larger, deeper restorations located on the molars.  Generally composites should be redone anywhere from five to fifteen years.