Tooth-colored Fillings

At Family Dental Care, our goal is to help our patients achieve smiles that are not only healthy, but also beautiful. For patients in need of a dental filling, Dr. Danny O’Keefe offers tooth-colored fillings at his Flowood, MS, practice. After cleaning and disinfecting the tooth, Dr. O’Keefe will carefully match the composite material to the tooth, resulting in natural-looking restoration. 

Why Are Fillings Necessary?

Your mouth is full of bacteria, some of which are helpful or neutral, while some are harmful to your health. Usually, saliva and brushing remove most of the plaque. But if plaque remains, it produces acid that damages tooth enamel, gradually causing cavities. Cavities can even affect those who brush and floss regularly, and they are especially common between the teeth.

If you have a cavity, Dr. O'Keefe can help you to restore both the health and appearance of your smile with tooth-colored fillings.

A dental filling is used to fill the void that results following the removal of decayed tissue. It protects the tooth from further decay and prevents structural damage to the tooth. While silver amalgam has been the preferred filling material for decades, many dentists now use tooth-colored resin not only because it looks more natural, but because it is a better fit for your tooth in virtually every respect. 

Benefits of Tooth-colored Fillings

Tooth-colored fillings provide far better aesthetics than silver amalgam, in addition to several other important health benefits:

  • Metal fillings expand and contract when exposed to heat and cold, which can cause small fractures in your teeth over time. Tooth-colored resin fillings, on the other hand, fluctuate at virtually the same rate as dental tissue.
  • Tooth-colored resin fillings require less removal of healthy dental tissue.
  • Tooth-colored resin bonds more securely to dental tissue than silver amalgam.
  • Silver amalgam contains trace amounts of mercury, a toxic element. To date, experts have not found any evidence that the mercury in amalgam fillings poses a danger to your health, but many patients find that they are more comfortable with mercury-free tooth-colored fillings. 

If you have silver amalgam fillings, you may want to replace them with tooth-colored fillings, both for the cosmetic benefit as well as reducing the risk of tooth damage from the silver fillings. Dr. O’Keefe can discuss this option with you at an office visit.

tooth-colored filling
(Tooth-colored fillings are a better fit for your teeth in every respect.)

Procedure

Dr. O’Keefe will first numb the affected area with a local anesthetic. Then he will remove the decayed dental tissue with a special cleaning device. Next, he will isolate the tooth to keep it dry as he applies the tooth-colored composite material to replace the removed tissue. Dr. O’Keefe uses a special light to cure the material so that it is properly bonded to the tooth. Afterward, he makes any necessary refinements to the bonding material to ensure that your bite is comfortable and balanced. This procedure is usually completed in one office visit.

Schedule an Appointment Today

If you have a cavity, Dr. O'Keefe can help you to restore both the health and appearance of your smile with tooth-colored fillings. If you are experiencing symptoms of a cavity, or if you need to establish ongoing care with an excellent dentist, contact us today.

Dr. Danny O'Keefe

Family Dental Care

At Family Dental Care in Flowood, MS, Dr. Danny O'Keefe and his experienced team provide patients from throughout the greater Jackson area with superior general, cosmetic, and restorative dental care. Our office is equipped with modern dental technology and we offer complete sedation services to enhance patient comfort. Dr. O'Keefe is affiliated with:

  • The American Dental Association
  • The Mississippi Dental Association
  • The Academy of General Dentistry
  • The American Dental Society of Anesthesiology

To schedule an appointment, please fill out our online form or call (601) 936-2526.

Contact Us Today

"This office has the most professional dentists and dental staff. They treat you like family every time you're there. I've been a patient for over 15 years and I don't plan on leaving anytime soon." Rita O., Current Patient

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