Tooth-colored fillings are a part of restorative dental services. Also called as white fillings, these dental fillings are matched with the natural color of your teeth so well that nobody could tell the difference.

The metal filling methods to treat the cavities and tooth ailments are gone. Today most patients ask dentists for white fillings because they want their teeth to look natural when they laugh, talk and smile.

Modern tooth-colored fillings made of durable composite resin or porcelain can be bonded to teeth for a stronger which in turn gives a natural look. A tooth colored filling is a mixture of a tooth-colored resin with clear glass particles that give it strength. They come in many shades to match the natural teeth color and require less removal of healthy tooth structure than silver fillings. Tooth-colored fillings offer several advantages over traditional silver (amalgam) fillings.

Tooth-colored fillings are prescribed for patients who have mild to moderate tooth damage. The damage can be from tooth decay or from trauma.

Advantages of tooth-colored fillings:

• Safe, reliable, durable and long-lasting
• Closely matches the natural tooth color
• Offer an aesthetic alternative to "silver" (dental amalgam) fillings
• Tooth/composite bond actually supports the remaining tooth structure
• Less healthy part of a tooth to be removed to hold the filling in place
• Requires only one visit, during which the tooth is prepared and restored
• If damaged they can be repaired.

When recommending a particular filling material for your teeth are the current condition of the teeth, the size of the area to be restored, the location of the teeth involved and the forces (chewing, shearing, grinding, etc.) are taken into account.

The procedures are simple and quick. The affected tooth is first cleared out of all decay, and the area is cleaned. Then the ingredients for the filling are mixed and placed directly into the cavity or desired area where the material hardens.

The structure left to support the filling material is also considered, as filling finds its limitation to fix an extensively damaged tooth, in such a case crowns and onlays are used.