Composite Fillings Jacksonville, NC

Composite fillings offer a modern alternative to the dark silver amalgam fillings used in the past. At our Jacksonville, NC dental office, we use advanced materials designed to closely match the look, feel, and function of your natural teeth.

• The material: Composite resin is a durable, biocompatible mixture of plastics and fine glass particles. Because of this composition, it withstands the daily forces of chewing.
• The aesthetic advantage: We custom-tint the composite resin to match the exact shade of your surrounding tooth. As a result, the final restoration looks virtually invisible.
• The safety factor: Composite material is completely free of mercury and heavy metals. Therefore, it is a safe and reliable choice for your overall health.

A filling does much more than just plug a hole in your tooth. It is a vital part of restorative dentistry. Most importantly, it helps halt bacterial decay and preserve your natural tooth structure.

• Halting decay: First, we remove the decayed tissue and place a tight filling. This prevents the cavity from reaching the sensitive inner nerve of your tooth.
• Structural support: Composite resin bonds directly to the structure of your enamel. As a result, it helps restore the strength of your tooth from the inside out.
• Temperature insulation: Unlike traditional metal fillings, composite resin does not expand or contract with hot or cold foods. Therefore, it helps protect your tooth from micro-fractures and sensitivity.

We always strive to use the most conservative treatment possible, but there are times when a cavity is too large for a standard filling to fix reliably. If the remaining tooth structure is too weak to support a filling, we must look at stronger alternatives to protect your bite.

• The middle ground: Inlays and onlays bridge the gap between a small filling and a full dental crown. In addition, they provide strength without removing unnecessary enamel.
• Custom fit: These restorations are carefully custom-milled to fit perfectly into the damaged grooves of your tooth (an inlay) or over the biting cusps (an onlay).
• Preserving enamel: Using an inlay or onlay allows us to save significantly more of your natural, healthy tooth structure than a traditional full coverage crown would require.

If a tooth has suffered severe decay, a large fracture, or undergone root canal therapy, a standard filling or inlay simply will not provide sufficient structural support. In these cases, a full coverage restoration is absolutely necessary to protect your bite and save the tooth from extraction.

• The ultimate protection: A dental crown acts like a protective helmet for your tooth. It completely encases the tooth above the gumline to absorb chewing forces.
• Single-visit convenience: We use advanced CEREC technology to design and mill your crown in-office. As a result, your permanent porcelain crown in just one office visit.
• No temporaries: This incredible CAD/CAM technology completely eliminates the need for messy impression putty, multiple appointments, and fragile temporary crowns that are prone to falling off.

The remarkable composite resin material we use to fill cavities is not just for treating active tooth decay. Because of its lifelike appearance and versatility, it has become one of our most popular cosmetic dental treatments.

• Artistic application: Through a process called dental bonding, our dentists carefully apply and sculpt the pliable resin over the front surfaces of your visible teeth.
• Cosmetic corrections: For example, we use this material to fix chipped edges, close small gaps, or cover discoloration that does not respond to whitening.
• Immediate results: Dental bonding is fast, effective, and non-invasive. In most cases, it can dramatically improve your smile in just one visit.

We want you to feel informed and comfortable before any restorative treatment. That is why we take time to answer your questions. Here are a few common questions we receive from our patients about cavity repair and composite materials.

Do not wait for a small, easily treatable cavity to turn into a painful dental emergency. Protect your natural teeth with our beautiful, highly durable composite restorations before the damage spreads.

Contact our friendly Jacksonville, NC dentists to schedule your comprehensive exam and let us help you achieve a perfectly healthy, fully functional smile. Call us today at (910) 353-5171 to take the first step toward lasting oral health.