What should you know about tooth-colored fillings?
A filling restores a tooth that has been damaged by decay or a small chip. We remove the damaged portion of the tooth and fill the space with a tooth-colored composite resin that bonds directly to the surrounding enamel and dentin.
Composite fillings are the standard of care today. They are mercury-free, blend seamlessly with the natural tooth color, and bond chemically to the tooth in a way that older silver amalgam fillings could not. We can also replace old amalgam fillings with composite if you prefer.
Most fillings are placed in a single visit and you can eat normally as soon as the local anesthetic wears off.
When might you need tooth-colored fillings?
Patients usually come in for tooth-colored fillings because of one of the following: tooth pain when you bite or chew, sensitivity to hot, cold, or sweet, a visible dark spot or hole, floss catching or fraying on a tooth, a small chip from biting something hard, and an old amalgam filling you want replaced. Only an exam can confirm what your mouth needs, so use this list as a guide rather than a diagnosis, and call the office if one or more of these sounds familiar.
A new pain when biting on a specific tooth is one of the earliest signs of a cavity that has reached deeper layers.
Sharp temperature or sweet sensitivity that lingers after the trigger is gone often points to active decay.
A dark stain, a rough edge, or a small visible hole are all signs that decay has broken through the enamel.
Floss that catches or shreds on a particular tooth often signals a hidden cavity at the contact point between teeth.
A minor chip can usually be repaired beautifully with a bonded composite filling — no crown needed.
We can replace silver fillings with tooth-colored composite for both cosmetic and structural reasons.
What happens at a tooth-colored fillings visit?
A typical tooth-colored fillings visit at McLaren Dental Associates follows 6 steps, from diagnosis to bite check and polish. Your own plan may differ depending on what the exam shows, and the team explains each stage, along with any cost, before treatment begins, so there are no surprises.
- 01Diagnosis
We confirm the cavity with x-rays and intra-oral camera images, and review the findings with you on the chairside screen.
- 02Comfortable numbing
We apply a topical anesthetic to the gum first, then administer local anesthetic so the tooth and surrounding area are completely numb.
- 03Decay removal
Your doctor removes only the decayed portion of the tooth, preserving as much healthy structure as possible. This is usually a quick, vibration-free process with modern instruments.
- 04Bonding and shading
A bonding agent prepares the tooth, then we layer in a composite shaded to match your natural tooth color.
- 05Curing and shaping
A blue curing light hardens the composite in seconds. Your doctor then shapes the filling so it looks and bites correctly.
- 06Bite check and polish
We verify your bite, polish the filling to a natural finish, and you are done — typically in 45 to 60 minutes total.
Why choose McLaren Dental Associates for tooth-colored fillings?
Patients choose McLaren Dental Associates for tooth-colored fillings because of conservative removal, mercury-free, all the time, aesthetic shade matching, and single visit, no temporaries. The same team handles your exam, treatment, and follow-up in one Midland office, and recommendations stay conservative, so you are never pushed toward more treatment than your teeth need.
We use magnification and modern instruments to remove only the decayed tooth structure. Healthy tooth stays.
We have not placed silver amalgam fillings in years. Every filling we do is a tooth-colored bonded composite.
Multiple shades of composite are layered to match the natural variation in your tooth — visible only to a trained eye.
A typical filling is done in one appointment, including the local anesthetic. You leave with a permanent restoration.
What do patients ask about tooth-colored fillings?
The 5 questions below are the ones patients ask most often about tooth-colored fillings, with straightforward answers from the McLaren Dental Associates team. If your question is not covered here, call (989) 631-7880 during office hours and a team member will answer it or set up a time to talk with the dentist.
Sources
- Dental cavities — MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia
- Tooth Decay — MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine
- Tooth Decay — National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
- Dental Health — MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine