Composite Bonding

Composite bonding is specific type of procedure where a tooth colored filling material is used to help restore a tooth. This tooth colored filling material is made out of composite resin and is bonded to your tooth. It can be used to fix cavities, close spaces, or help restore chipped or cracked teeth. Composite resin is very esthetic and you won’t be able to tell a filling material is even there.

In the past, amalgam or silver colored fillings were used to fill cavities. The downside to these fillings is that they stain the tooth a grey color and they are not very cosmetic. Also, they are not bonded to teeth, which means that undercuts would need to be created to help them stay into place. As a result, healthy tooth structure would need to be removed making amalgam fillings less conservative. A positive with amalgam fillings is that they are more forgiving with moisture. If it becomes extremely difficult to keep a tooth dry during a procedure, an amalgam filling may be used. However, that doesn’t happen often and tooth colored composite fillings are used a majority of the time.