Fillings used to be anything but subtle. Every time you opened your mouth, the people around you saw a flash of silver and knew you'd 
had a cavity. Today, tooth-colored fillings from Dr. Angela Toy of Newberg, Oregon's Arbor Hills Dental offers an effective, discreet alternative to silver amalgam fillings!
Tooth-colored fillings look just like natural enamel
Tooth-colored fillings are tinted to match common tooth shades to ensure that your smile, not your dental work, is the first thing that people notice about you. The fillings are made of composite resin, a durable material created from powdered glass and plastic.
The advantages of tooth-colored fillings
Tooth-colored fillings offer several important advantages, including:
- Less Destruction of Healthy Tooth Structure: Before the filling is placed in your tooth, your Newberg dentist must remove the decayed area and a portion of the healthy structure surrounding the cavity. The step is crucial but can also slightly weaken teeth. Tooth-colored fillings only require removal of a small amount of healthy structure, which helps your treated tooth remain strong.
- Stronger Teeth: Exposing composite resin to a curing light bonds the material to your tooth and strengthens it.
- Lower Risk of Cracks: Like any metal, silver amalgam expands and contracts when exposed to hot and cold temperatures. Eventually, constant expansion and contraction may cause a crack in your tooth. Cracks increase your risk of cavities, inflammations, and infections in your tooth pulp. Luckily, composite resin doesn't react to temperature changes, which can help reduce your risk of cracks.
- No Discoloration: Silver amalgam fillings may darken your teeth if you've had them for a while. However, discoloration isn't an issue with tooth-colored fillings. In fact, the color of your filling won't change no matter how long you've had it.
Do you think you may have a cavity? Call your Newberg, OR, dentist, Dr. Angela Toy of Arbor Hills Dental, at (503) 538-2143 to schedule an appointment today!