Dental Filling
Dental filling is used to treat a small hole, or cavity, in a tooth. To repair a cavity, a dentist removes the decayed tooth tissue and then fills the space with a filling material. This procedure includes the restoration of decayed, broken or cracked teeth. This method, which is applied before the decayed tissue progresses, prevents the tooth from being completely lost.
Caries may only occur in enamel or reach the dentin layer under the enamel. Cavities may also occur at the gum line. The important thing here is that there is not too much tooth damage. Otherwise, the teeth are treated with crowns.
For this type of treatment, amalgam and composite fillings are generally used.
Amalgam fillings are a type of filling obtained by mixing various alloys with mercury. The most important advantage is that it is durable. However, it is an important disadvantage that its color is metallic and the mercury in its content is carcinogenic.
Composite fillings, on the other hand, are preferred fillings due to their aesthetics. It is not as durable as amalgam fillings. However, sufficient durability and quality have been achieved in composite fillings obtained with the developing technology in recent years.
In addition, sometimes gold or onlay porcelain fillings can be applied.
