Tooth Filings

Fillings, or restorations, are used to restore damaged and lost tooth structure from dental decay. They are used to fill the holes and broken or missing parts of teeth that cavities make. They are also used to replace broken and missing parts of teeth, which may have been lost due to accident or trauma.

Fillings can be made of different types of materials and come in various colors. They can be silver fillings, called amalgams, made primarily from silver and mercury. They can be tooth colored fillings, called composites, made from a plastic like material called resin. They can be white or yellow gold colored or tooth colored fillings, called inlays and onlays. The white and yellow gold restorations are made from an alloy of gold, copper and other metals. The tooth colored inlays and onlays are made of porcelain or composite resin to match and blend in with the natural teeth shade. Broken and chipped teeth can be restored with larger fillings called veneers and crowns which cover larger sections of the tooth structure or even the entire tooth.