Tooth Fillings, Hellertown PA

Your teeth are important. They allow you to eat, smile, and talk with confidence. To keep them healthy, you may have to have parts of a tooth removed. Lucky for you, Hellertown, PA dentist, Dr. Hunsicker-Morrissey at Hellertown Dental Group has a solution that will fill the void so that you can keep your teeth healthy and bright with tooth fillings.

Our dentists are up-to-date with the latest dental knowledge and technology. They are members of different dental organizations such as American Dental Association and Pennsylvania Dental Association.

What are tooth fillings?

Tooth decay eats away your tooth. As bacteria and plaque destroy tooth material, a void is left. A dental filling is what your Hellertown, PA dentist will insert into the void to keep your tooth structurally sound. This, of course, happens after they remove the decay from the area. Fillings are used to shore up broken or cracked teeth as well.

What is the process?

The first step is to remove any decayed material in the area. This is where the whole issue started. Once the decayed portion has been removed, there will be a void in the tooth. If the void is not filled, the structural integrity of the tooth is compromised, and the likelihood that decay will resurface in the area is heightened. Your Hellertown, PA dentist, Dr. Hunsicker-Morrissey, will clean and prepare the area, place a dental filling, and polish it to a shine. Your tooth is now ready to resume doing its job in your mouth.

What materials does Hellertown Dental use?

The most common material that is used for tooth fillings is silver amalgam. Hellertown Dental Group does not use amalgam. Instead, we offer two choices that are more aesthetically pleasing: porcelain and composite resin fillings. Each has its own benefits. You Hellertown, PA dentist at Hellertown Dental Group will help you decide which option will suit your needs.

• Porcelain – Ceramic porcelain tooth fillings (inlays or onlays) have the ability to last up to 15 years with proper care and hygiene. The look of the porcelain fillings far exceeds the look of silver tooth fillings. They are able to resist staining more easily than resin as well. The one downside is that these types of tooth fillings can be pricey. Your Hellertown, PA dentist, Dr. Hunsicker-Morrissey, will explain the specifics of this type of filling and help you decide if it is the right choice for you.
• Composite Resin – Composite resin tooth fillings are made of a tooth-colored material that is used to fill open areas in your tooth where decay has been removed. This material has several awesome benefits over silver amalgam. One of those is appearance. Tooth fillings will look much better than the silver metallic color of amalgam. The resin also fully bonds to the tooth. This adds to the support that the filling provides. This material is very versatile as well and can be used to correct chips and cracks in the tooth. Another health-related benefit is that the preparation of the tooth is less invasive with composite resin tooth fillings. Less material will need to be removed, and more of your original tooth will remain.