A Safer Alternative for Fillings

Categories: Health

a safer alternative for fillingsScotts Valley and Santa Cruz, CA

A recent growing movement is steering patients away from amalgam fillings. Old metal fillings contain mercury, and studies have linked many health-related conditions to these silver fillings. If you have some of these silver fillings, they release mercury vapors every time you bite or chew, which can enter your bloodstream and travel throughout your body.

Instead, dentists are offering porcelain inlays and onlays as a safer alternative. Plus, it is cost effective and looks natural since it is tooth-colored.

Inlays and onlays are different from fillings in that they either fit into or onto a portion of the tooth, usually as a result of decay or a large filling that was removed. Inlays and onlays are also handcrafted to provide a precise fit and are permanently bonded to the tooth. This restoration is an ideal method of repairing a tooth and saving it from extraction.

The reason why an inlay or onlay may be necessary, instead of a filling, is to restore a tooth that is too far gone beyond what a filling can repair, yet not in need of a dental crown.

To begin the procedure, the dentist will take impressions of your mouth and bite, which are later used to make models of your mouth. The dental lab will use these models to make your inlay or onlay. Then, the damaged portion of the tooth and any old filling material (if present) are removed, ensuring only healthy tooth structure remains. You will have a temporary filling in place until your inlay or onlay returns from the lab.

Once the inlay or onlay is crafted, it will be permanently cemented into place. The dentist will ensure it fits properly and that your bite is even. The results will leave you with a beautiful, functional smile.

Following your procedure, you can eat, drink, and carry on as usual. Just be sure to continue a healthy regimen of dental hygiene by brushing and flossing daily, as well as going to the dentist twice a year for cleanings and checkups.

To schedule an appointment, contact Ebrahimian Integrative Dentistry today at (831) 438-4411. We welcome patients of Los Gatos, Santa Cruz, and Scotts Valley, California.