Costa Rica Dental Filling

Fillings are used in dentistry to fill the area where there used to be a cavity, to repair cracked or broken teeth or to resurface teeth which have been worn down due to nail biting or tooth grinding. How do fillings work? Two types of teeth restoration exist: direct and indirect. Filling cavities are direct restorations done in a single visit. They substitute the original tooth with a man made component that fills in the gap and gives you once again a complete tooth surface. What are the steps of getting a cavity filled? First, a local anesthetic is applied, then the area surrounding the decayed or damaged area is removed. The new cavity is thoroughly cleaned of bacteria and then the dental filling material chosen to fill the cavity will be placed in it. Then the Costa Rica dental filling will be finished and polished. There are different filling types: gold filling, amalgam filling or composite Costa Rica dental filling. The mercury dental filling is also known as an amalgam filling, or silver dental filling. It has recently been under scrutiny for possible effects that the mercury may have in the body, but so far, the mixture of mercury with silver, tin, zinc and copper has been proven safe and bio-compatible, meaning that these fillings are very unlikely to give you an allergic reaction. Amalgam fillings have been in use for over a century, and of all the available materials it is the most researched and tested method. Durability, ease of use for dentists, resistance to wear and tear and the low cost make mercury Costa Rica dental filling one of the most popular and valued treatment options by both dentists and patients. Because of their strength, an amalgam filling is recommended for restoring molars to the back of the mouth, where high chewing load pressure occurs. The downside of amalgam fillings is their dark gray color, especially towards the front of the mouth that many consider unsightly, and the fact that a greater hole has to be made to accommodate amalgams than the other temporary dental filling material.

Composite dental filling is a mixture of finely ground particles that resemble glass and acrylic resin. This Costa Rica dental filling gives a tooth colored restoration. Their resistance to chewing loads is less than the amalgam, so it is recommended for small to medium sized tooth restorations where there isn't much chewing pressure. However, new studies and developments have continued to produce stronger and stronger composite resins of white fillers, and now it is being used more extensively in the back teeth as well. The hole the dentist will make to accommodate the composite dental filling is smaller than with amalgams, and by using a bond or adhesive in the cavity, a more conservative repair to the tooth can be made. The cost for a composite filling is slightly higher than for amalgams, and the time needed to put it in is longer as well. Composite or white fillings are also used to make cosmetic improvements by reshaping broken or disfigured teeth, and the white color helps the repair blend in with the rest of the teeth. However, this Costa Rica dental filling material can change color or stain. Another filling material is Glass ionomers. Glass ionomers are a mixture of fine glass powders and acrylic acids used to fill cavities if they are on the root surfaces of teeth. The drilling necessary for this filler is also less than for amalgams. These glass ionomers are recommended for areas where there isn't a heavy chewing pressure such as areas between teeth or on the roots, since they have a low resistance to fracture. There are also Resin ionomers, where in addition to the acrylic acids and glass filler, acrylic resin is also added. Either ionomer, dental filling type gets worn down easily and although they mimic the natural color of teeth, they do not have the translucent quality that real enamel has.

If you wish to change your amalgam for lab processed composite filling, a couple of visits to the dentist will be necessary. During the first visit, the dentist will remove the old fillings and take an imprint of the tooth, the dentist will then give you a light cured temporary dental filling and send you home. The next visit your temporary filling will be removed and the prepared composite filling will be bonded to your teeth. Then the margins will be polished, the bite adjusted and you'll now have a permanent and virtually invisible repair to your cavity. In other cases, a full or partial crown may be needed. Other times the composite filling will be placed during the first visit and cured in your mouth during several steps. Always ask your dentist about these and other dental procedures, since this article is meant only as a guide and does not substitute an expert's opinion.