Dental Fillings

What may be small dental fillings to you are meticulous works of pride to us. Our dentists have received special training to perfectly create dental fillings. First, perfect means your dental filling blends in so completely that you can’t tell it’s there. Second, It means the dental filling is perfectly shaped and no food gets caught between your teeth. Third, we sculpt each filling to feel smooth to your tongue. Finally, each dental filling placed in our offices is made of clinically tested, high-quality, durable material. We do it right so we only have to do it once.

Dental fillings can be made of many different materials. The most common dental filling is composite, which is a liquid plastic that hardens when exposed to a special UV light. Composite dental fillings come in dozens of varieties with variable quality. Our dentists only use the highest grade bio-compatible materials. Furthermore, we require clinical studies to thoroughly support the material’s strength and durability. Our dentists want your dental fillings—and your teeth—to last as long as possible.

Even when placed by the most experienced dentist in San Francisco, large composite dental fillings rarely last forever. Composites remain ideal for small cracks and cavities. However, for larger repairs composite fillings become just temporary solutions. Even the best quality composites are much weaker than enamel. As a result, large composite fillings wear down over time as you chew and grind your teeth. Porcelain has the same strength, wear rate, and thermal expansion properties as natural enamel.

Metal, silver, mercury, and amalgam dental fillings are all the same thing. If your filling looks like metal or sliver, then about half of it contains mercury. Mercury is toxic and, according to the CDC, there is no “safe” level of exposure. For this reason alone, our dentists don’t place metal dental fillings. In contrast, we specialize in safe mercury filling removal. In addition, metal fillings are much denser and harder than enamel. As a result, they tend to crack the tooth and its neighbors over time. Furthermore, the first mercury filling was placed in 1819! At Soothing Dental, our dentists prefer modern material to something that predates Morse Code. And finally, metal fillings don’t look that great; we work hard to create beautiful (and non-toxic) smiles!

Read More About Dental Fillings:

• Dental Fillings FAQ