After a recent appointment, I was told that I need some fillings. I want to learn more about white fillings because I have a lot of silver fillings already and I like the idea of them blending in with my natural teeth. Although, I was wondering about the strength of white fillings. Will they be strong enough for eating with over time? I enjoy popcorn and nuts and I’ve heard that you have to be careful with some cosmetic dentistry treatments, like dental bonding. I’ve heard that white fillings use bonding, so that is why I’m wondering if they will be strong enough.
- Dennis in Nebraska
Dennis,
The main determining factor is the location of the dental bonding. If you are referring to dental bonding on the biting edge or your tooth, then you may need to be a bit careful with biting. This also holds true for whatever type of filling you get. It isn’t the strength of the material you need to be concerned with, it’s the strength of the bonding.
That said, having a filling on one of your back teeth is different. White fillings are strong enough for back teeth and hold up well. They also look much nicer. The way composite fillings work is that they bond to the tooth and it actually makes the tooth stronger than silver amalgam fillings. So as long as the filling isn’t on a biting edge, there shouldn’t be a need to alter your eating habits.
So when a cavity is filled with composite, it will actually be stronger than if it was filled with silver amalgam and it is mercury-free.
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