How Much Are My Fillings Going To Cost?
Whenever you have been diagnosed with a cavity at Community Dental Group, the most common restorative measure prescribed or recommended by your dentist will be a dental filling. In order to restore the tooth and save the remaining structure, the decayed area needs to be removed and then the filling is put in place to complete the procedure. This is still the most conservative method for restoring decay-damaged teeth.
Factors Influencing The Cost Of Fillings
There are basically two different types of fillings that our dentists use – amalgam and composite. However, mercury, silver, tin, and zinc are the most common materials. In addition to the type of material used for the filling, there are a few additional factors that can influence the cost of them with the 3 most common being:
- difficulty associated with the procedure
- geographic location of the dentist
- type of filling being used
It is important to understand these factors when you are concerned about the cost of your fillings but learning about the different materials can also be helpful.
Amalgam Fillings
These are the more traditional metal fillings that dentists have been using for decades and are sometimes referred to as silver fillings due to the color and material content. However, they can also be made using a number of other materials such as mercury, tin, zinc, and other kinds of metals.
Cost: depends on the amount of metal being used to fill the cavity
Pros: cheaper than composite fillings, easy and quick to use, extremely durable
Cons: cold and hot sensitivity lingers after procedure is completed, some metals such as mercury could be potentially harmful
Composite Fillings
This type of filling typically contains non-metal materials such as acrylic, ceramic, glass, and plastic which are less visible as they are designed to match the color of your natural teeth.
Cost: the cost of a ceramic filling is determined by the amount of material used and the time required to complete the procedure. However, composite fillings typically cost more than the amalgam or metal types.
Pros: durable and can last up to 15 years, ideal for the front teeth (natural color of the filling means they will be less noticeable), tooth strength may be improved
Cons: extreme precision required, higher cost than amalgam fillings, length of time to complete procedure, some discoloration is possible due to coffee and tea drinking or smoking
At Community Dental Group, we want you to be aware of how a dental filling procedure works so that you can rest assured that your teeth will be restored properly. For more information regarding teeth filling or any of our other services, we encourage you to contact us at your earliest convenience.