Composite Fillings
Composite fillings repair decay, chips and cracks with a tooth-colored resin, layered, cured and polished until it is hard to tell the tooth was ever filled.
- Visits
- Usually one
- Chair time
- About 10 to 20 minutes longer than a silver filling
- Numbing
- Local anesthetic
- Lifespan
- 5 to 10 years
- Color
- Matched to the surrounding teeth
Every service is quoted up front, before we start. All PPO insurances accepted.
The service
Metal-free, matched and conservative.
A composite filling repairs a decayed or damaged tooth with a resin of acrylic plastic reinforced with powdered glass: the most common alternative to dental amalgam. The shade is mixed to match your surrounding teeth, and the material contains no metal.
Composite allows a more conservative preparation than amalgam, so more of your natural tooth survives the repair. It suits smaller fillings and minor damage, chips, cracks and gaps included. The resin can also release fluoride, which helps protect against further decay, and it wears much like natural tooth.
What happens
In the chair.
Numbing
A local anesthetic numbs the tooth first. You should feel pressure as we work, not pain; tell us right away if you feel anything sharp.
Clearing the decay
The decayed or damaged part of the tooth is removed, and nothing more.
Layering the resin
Composite goes on in thin layers, each hardened with a curing light that bonds it to the tooth.
Shaping and polishing
The filling is sculpted to the tooth's natural contours and polished until it disappears into the smile.
Is it for you
Worth asking about if.
You do not need to match every line. Any one of them is reason enough to ask.
- A cavity in a visible tooth
- A chipped, cracked or gapped front tooth
- An old dark filling you would rather not see when you smile
- You want as much natural tooth preserved as possible
Afterwards
After your filling.
Do not chew, and skip hot drinks, until the numbness has completely worn off; it is easy to bite your cheek or burn your mouth without noticing. Some sensitivity in the first days is normal.
Composite needs no special upkeep beyond brushing, flossing and checkups. Expect 5 to 10 years of service before a filling may need replacing.
Call the office if:
- Your bite feels high once the numbness fades
- Sensitivity sharpens instead of settling
- The filling chips or feels loose
Common questions
Answering your questions.
Will it look like a real tooth?
Yes. The shade is matched to your own teeth, and finished composite is almost identical to natural teeth in color and sheen.
How long does a composite filling last?
5 to 10 years is the expected lifespan.
Does it take longer than a metal filling?
Roughly 10 to 20 minutes longer, because the resin goes on in layers, each cured before the next.
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