Ridgefield Dentistry

Fillings

We understand - cavities happen! We use the best dental materials available to help create a healthy, natural-looking replacement for tooth structure.

Purpose of Fillings:

Used to prevent the spread of tooth decay or correct any cosmetic damage, a filling is just one of the ways our dentists preserve your health. Before placement, any decay must be drilled out. We offer local anesthesia to ensure maximum comfort for our patients. There are two different types of fillings: amalgam (otherwise known as silver fillings) and composite resin, the color of which is customized to match your natural teeth.

Composite Resin

Since the color of a composite resin filling can be customized, it is the most esthetically pleasing option. Composite resin is ideal for repairing chipped teeth, filling in a tooth gap, correcting dental discoloration, protecting any exposed tooth root from gum recession, or changing the shape of teeth. Composite resin is often used for cavity fillings because they do not require as much removal of tooth structure as is needed for amalgam fillings since they are bonded to the tooth structure.

Amalgam

Made up of silver, copper, mercury, and tin, amalgam fillings are a durable and economical option for our patients. Commonly used for filling molar cavities, amalgam fillings can withstand biting pressure and can be fully administered in a single visit. Despite the mercury content, these silver fillings are perfectly safe.