Dental Filling.
A dental restoration or dental filling is a dental restorative material used to restore the function, integrity and morphology of missing toothstructure. The structural loss typically results from caries or external trauma.
Types of Filling Materials:
Dental Amalgam.
It is widely used because of the ease of fabricating the plastic
material into rigid direct fillings, completed in single appointment, with
acceptable strength, hardness, corrosion, and toxicity properties. It is more
forgiving of preparation and technique than composite resins used for that
purpose. It is now mainly used for posterior teeth. Although the mercury in
cured amalgam is not available as free mercury, concern of its toxicity has
existed since the invention of amalgam as a dental material. It is banned or
restricted in Norway, Sweden and Finland.
Dental composites.
Also called "white fillings", are a group of restorative materials used in dentistry. It is much more aesthetics.
After tooth preparation, a thin primer or bonding agent is used. Modern photo-polymerised composites are applied and cured in relatively thin layers as determined by their opacity. After some curing, the final surface will be shaped and polished.
A glass ionomer cement (GIC) is one of a class of materials commonly used in dentistry as filling materials and luting cements. These tooth-coloured materials were introduced in 1972 for use as restorative materials for anterior teeth.
As they bond chemically to dental hard tissues and release fluoride for a relatively long period, modern-day applications of GICs have expanded. The desirable properties of glass ionomer cements make them useful materials in the restoration of carious lesions in low-stress areas such as smooth-surface and small anterior proximal cavities in primary teeth. Results from clinical studies also support the use of conventional glass ionomer restorations in primary molars. They need not be put in layer by layer, like in composite fillings.
