Mercury Free Practice
Orchard Scotts Dental is a mercury-free practice. Old mercury fillings are replaced with aesthetic white fillings that not only look good, they last just as well if not longer.
Aesthetic Composite Fillings & Bonding
Composite (white) fillings are mercury-free, plastic material matching natural tooth color used to replace missing parts of a tooth. Since they bond to the tooth, composite fillings restore most of the original strength and natural appearance of the tooth.
They are a mixture of resin and finely ground glass like particles that produce a tooth-colored restoration. Composite fillings provide good durability and resistance to fracture in small-to-mid size restorations that need to withstand moderate chewing pressure. As less tooth structure is removed when the dentist prepares the tooth, a smaller filling is needed than that of an amalgam.
Composites can also be "bonded" or adhesively held in a cavity, often allowing the dentist to make a more conservative repair to the tooth. It usually takes longer to place a composite filling.
Bonding is a process in which a resin material is applied to a tooth's surface, sculpted to an ideal shape, hardened, and then polished for an ideal smile. This procedure can usually be accomplished in a single visit.
Bonding is often performed in order to fill in gaps or change the color of your teeth. It typically only entails one office visit, and the results may last for several years.
Bonding is more susceptible to staining or chipping than other forms of restoration such as veneers. When teeth are chipped or slightly decayed, bonded composite resins may be the material of choice. Bonding also is used as a tooth-colored filling for small cavities and broken or chipped surfaces.
For larger restorations, bonding may not be suitable and veneers, onlays or crowns may be needed.
Inlay/Onlays
No more silver mercury fillings! No more metal, we strive to provide the finest and safest options for our patients.
Large silver mercury fillings have a tendency to crack the teeth as they are harder than tooth structure and acts like a wedge everytime you bite or chew. The crack or fracture on the teeth may require them to be extracted. Remember, mercury is used in thermometer because it expands and contracts. Imagine what that can do to your teeth over time.
Ceramic type inlays and onlays are actual inserts of glass or porcelain that are bonded or fused to the tooth with minimal removal of healthy tooth structure.
Onlay covers the weak surfaces of the teeth and reduces the risk of the teeth fracturing. As onlays do not require the full reduction of the outer structure of the teeth like crowns, we can better preserve the integrity of the teeth longer.
Onlays are indicated for:
- Large cavities where aesthetic fillings or bonding is not suitable.
- Chipped or fractured structure of the teeth.
- Close gaps between posterior chewing teeth that trap food particles.
- Strengthen root canal treated teeth by covering its weak surfaces.
- Replace unsightly silver mercury fillings.
- Use in replacing loss tooth structure through grinding and clenching.
We can now have a whiter and healthier smile with this very strong ceramic material.
