Unfortunately not everything improves with age, and that is definitely the case with some dental treatments. If it has been decades since you had restorative treatment completed, like a filling or a crown, you may have become unhappy with the comfort-level or the look of that dated dental work. If you would love to have a smile that doesn’t shine with metallic fillings or crowns, it’s time to see your dentist for alternatives. Modern, metal-free restorations are much less noticeable and often far more comfortable than their counterparts.
Why Go Metal-Free
Most dental work can now be completed without the use of metal, which is great news for those suffering with metal allergies, anyone concerned with the use of metal amalgam (particularly expectant mothers), or just people concerned with the appearance of their smiles. If you don’t want a mouth full of metal, there are viable alternatives.
Fillings and Crowns Without the Shine
Metal-free fillings generally rely on composite resin, which is a material that bonds well with teeth, offering sturdy restorative treatment. It’s also made to match your teeth’s natural shade, meaning most people won’t even detect you’ve had dental work done.
In fact, that is why this resin is often used in cosmetic treatment as well, to help correct teeth that are disproportionally small or misshapen.
Modern dental crowns are often made of porcelain, because it is incredibly strong as well as customizable. A ceramicist can help make a crown that matches your other teeth in size, shape and even contouring. And the resulting crown will be 90 percent as strong as your natural teeth, meaning it should remain beautiful for many years, with proper oral hygiene. A dental crown can be used to cover and protect a tooth made fragile from a cavity, trauma, chip or other decay. But crowns can also be used as replacement teeth, thanks to restorative treatments like dental bridges or dental implants.
