I have found that many people in need of direct dental restorations or dental fillings want to know more about the fillings that are tooth-colored and natural looking.  Dental fillings are used to treat cavities after the decayed portion of a tooth is removed or to repair cracked or broken teeth.  People often wonder why anything but a natural-colored filling, or composite, would be used in modern dentistry since it is not noticeable.  However, there are both advantages and disadvantages to this type of filling.

Tooth-colored, composite resin fillings are the most common natural-colored fillings and are aesthetically pleasing.  The shade and color is matched to your natural tooth color, making them virtually unnoticeable.  They are more versatile.  Since tooth-colored composites bond to the tooth structure, they can be used to repair chipped or broken teeth as well.  The bonding can even add support to the tooth.  Less tooth structure is removed when using a composite filling, which preserves more of the natural tooth.

There are drawbacks to having a tooth-colored composite as well.  Composite fillings last only an average of five years as opposed to the ten or fifteen for silver or gold fillings.  When getting a composite filling, your chair time will be longer than with any other filling.  Composite fillings are also known to chip more and be more expensive than some of the other options.

Talk with your dentist about what type of direct dental restoration would be best for you.