Composite fillings are primarily a resin which has been "filled" with other inorganic materials. This compound makes a composite filling more resistant to wear, color adjustable, and easier to polish. The advantages of choosing a composite filling include a more natural appearance, frequently a strengthening of the filled tooth, and a bonding of the filling to the tooth creating a better seal. This bonding also means that the filling can often be made smaller than a comparable silver filling since silver requires certain size criteria be met to resist breaking or falling out. The disadvantages are that composite fillings themselves are weaker and may last a shorter period than a silver filling. In addition, a composite filling may cost about 25 % more than the same silver filling.

Composite fillings are primarily a resin which has been "filled" with other inorganic materials. This compound makes a composite filling more resistant to wear, color adjustable, and easier to polish. The advantages of choosing a composite filling include a more natural appearance, frequently a strengthening of the filled tooth, and a bonding of the filling to the tooth creating a better seal. This bonding also means that the filling can often be made smaller than a comparable silver filling since silver requires certain size criteria be met to resist breaking or falling out. The disadvantages are that composite fillings themselves are weaker and may last a shorter period than a silver filling. In addition, a composite filling may cost about 25 % more than the same silver filling.

Composites suffer from what is called dissolution. They will actually dissolve slowly over time in your mouth regardless of whether you eat on them directly or not. In addition, they can discolor over time acquiring a yellowish tinge. Composite fillings also may get pitted leaving pinholes on the surface, which may pick up discoloring and stain permanently. Because composite has the largest coefficient of thermal expansion, after being repeated exposed to cold foods such as ice cream, cold beverages which cause the composite filling to shrink more than the tooth and then to hot foods, including coffee, tea, soups, and heated foods which cause the composites to expand more than the tooth, the bonded joint between the filling and the tooth will breakdown and allow fluid, food and bacteria to get in and form recurrent decay.

Why Replace my Filling when it is still in place and it doesn't hurt?

Constant pressure from chewing, grinding or clenching can cause dental fillings, or restorations, to wear away, chip or crack. Although you may not be able to tell that your filling is wearing down or feel any discomfort, we can identify weaknesses in your restorations during a regular check-up.

If the seal between the tooth enamel and the restoration breaks down, food particles and decay-causing bacteria can work their way under the restoration. You then run the risk of developing additional decay in that tooth. Decay that is left untreated can progress to infect the dental pulp causing an abscess and the need for root canal treatment or extraction.

Advantages of Composite Fillings:

• Same color as the tooth.

• Less cutting of the tooth is required so remaining tooth is stronger.

• Strong adhesion irrespective of the shape of the cavity once the decay has been removed.

• Strong bonding to the enamel, the composite is bonded so strongly that the enamel would be more likely to break away from the underlying dentine than the filling.

• Reduces the chance of the tooth breaking. When the filling sets it contracts pulling the walls of the tooth together.

• Can eat on it immediately. Composites are at full strength as soon as the curing light is removed.