Ricardo De Ala, DMD and his staff offer several forms of teeth restorations, including dental fillings. While we can provide patients with fillings made of dental amalgam, Dr. De Ala will suggest placing fillings made of composite resin. While amalgam may have its advantages in durability, we prefer to use composite fillings for its aesthetic and hypoallergenic nature.
Beauty
The beauty of your smile plays a role in your self-esteem, so having a beautiful smile is important. Unfortunately, the dark silver color of amalgam fillings is easy to notice within an otherwise bright smile.
Composite fillings blend into the smile more effectively, creating a cosmetically desirable situation. Composite resin is the same white color as naturally healthy teeth, so most people do not notice these fillings as easily as amalgam. From the cosmetic standpoint, composite fillings are the better restoration.
Body Safety
For most people, dental amalgam is a perfectly safe filling. However, some patients will have a rare allergy to the metals used to make dental amalgam, making its use in restorations impossible for these patients.
By contrast, composite resin is completely hypoallergenic. There are no known allergic reactions to receiving a tooth-colored filling. If you know that you are allergic to amalgam fillings or are concerned that you might be, a composite filling may be a preferable solution for you.
Strength
The main reason people opt for amalgam fillings instead of composite is the strength of the metallic material. In smiles where existing oral conditions add extra stress to the teeth, such as teeth grinding or jaw clenching, amalgam is much less likely to break or wear out. Amalgam fillings also tend to not need replacement as often as composite fillings.
However, when longevity, cosmetic benefits, and effectiveness are all taken into consideration, many patients can still benefit from composite fillings. Amalgam fillings can be placed in the molars, where their visibility is low and their effectiveness is high, and composite fillings in the front teeth, where they can blend in more effectively.
Contact Us Today
De Ala Dental Care provides composite fillings and other dental restorations to patients in the Ardenwood and Mission San Jose neighborhoods of Fremont, Union City, Hayward, and the surrounding communities. Call us today to find out how Dr. De Ala can restore your smile!