Composite Fillings

Serving Kanata, Stittsville and Ottawa, Ontario

If you are considering tooth coloured fillings, there are two options available to you. The first is porcelain inlays and onlays, and the other is composite fillings. Both are considered tooth coloured, but each is created in a very different process.

Creating Composite Fillings

Composite fillings are made from a compound of dental porcelain, resin, and other non-metal materials which are combined to be painted onto your tooth. Dental composite fillings, also called white fillings, are applied in several layers, each one allowed to become hard, and the final layer is sealed to protect the filling and the tooth underneath from liquids and regular wear.

White fillings are particularly useful because they do not require any additional preparation beyond cleaning out the tooth and the dentin affected by the tooth cavity. It can simply be directly applied to your cleaned tooth in layers.

Simpler than Porcelain Fillings

Because composite fillings require somewhat less preparation than a porcelain inlay or onlay, and because it contains no metal in its composition, Ottawa cosmetic dentist Dr. Ami Barakat often uses composite fillings in less-severe cavities. However, a composite filling may be slightly more subject to wear or damage than a porcelain filling since it is made of several layers of hardened material, instead of a solid piece of porcelain.

Additionally, white composite fillings do not respond to tooth whitening treatments. If your composite filling becomes stained or if you have your teeth whitened after a composite filling has been created to match the old tooth colour, there may be colour variation between the filling and your natural tooth enamel. For this reason, you may want to have your whitening procedure performed before your filling is applied to your tooth.

Repairs and Whitening Composite Fillings

However, white composite fillings are reasonably durable and, if appropriately cared for, should not need to be replaced often. If your composite filling is damaged by a hard food, you may have it repaired by simply layering more composite to replace the lost portion. You may also choose to have tooth bonding applied over your white composite filling to match your newly whitened teeth.

Please contact our Ottawa cosmetic dentist today to schedule your appointment. Dentistry at Main serves patients in the Ottawa, Kanata, and Stittsville areas of Ontario.