Dental Fillings Overview
Although I find myself placing composite fillings 99% of the time, but always review all of the options with patients before deciding on what type of filling material will be placed in their tooth. As a dentist I do not endorse products of one company versus the other, but I find peace of mind using products of reputable manufacturers. Dental fillings must survive in the extreme conditions of the mouth. The human mouth is a perfect environment to test any material to its limits. It is mostly neutral in pH (due to neutralizing effect of saliva), but depending on the food content it can have rapid upward or downward spike in pH. The same thing can happen with temperature swings of up 60 degrees Celsius (from ice cold to coffee hot). Any type of filling material has to endure normal chewing forces and also abnormal para functional grinding which can put up to 20 times more pressure on the teeth compared to normal chewing forces.
