Tooth-Colored Fillings – Lacey, WA

Strong, Natural-Looking
Cavity Fillings

 

If you’re used to getting a clean bill of dental health when you see Dr. Peterson or Dr. Cammack for a dental checkup, then learning that you have a cavity may be disappointing news. However, the news is fairly routine in a dentist’s office. In fact, tooth decay, or dental caries, is among one of the world’s most common health problems. Fortunately, we can repair a cavity so that your tooth is once again strong and completely natural looking. At Peterson & Cammack Family & Cosmetic Dentistry, we use tooth-colored fillings in our Lacey, WA dental office to repair cavities, so there’s not a shred of evidence that you have a filling.

Why Choose Peterson & Cammack Family & Cosmetic Dentistry for Tooth-Colored Fillings?

  • Biocompatible Cavity Fillings
  • We See Patients of All Ages
  • Proudly In-Network with Dental Insurance

Cavity Repair with Tooth-Colored Fillings

Animated smile with a tooth colored filling

A cavity develops when bacteria in your mouth begin to feed on the sugars in foods you eat. These bacteria excrete acids that can begin to dissolve tooth enamel, creating a hole called a cavity. We find cavities either by probing your teeth to locate soft spots, or on a digital X-ray that shows decay between your teeth.

On the other hand, if the cavity has been around for a while, then you may occasionally feel a burst of pain, especially after you have something to eat or drink that is hot, cold or sweet. If this continues to happen, don’t wait until your next scheduled checkup to see the dentist Lacey trusts. Call our dental office, so we can examine the tooth that is bothering you. We’d much rather tell you, “It’s nothing to worry about” than have it be tooth decay that’s allowed to spread deeper in your tooth or to adjacent teeth.

Dental Fillings Procedure

Man smiling at dental team member after receiving tooth colored fillings

Not that many years ago, a tooth with a cavity was routinely repaired with an amalgam filling. Made of a mixture of silver, tin, zinc, copper and mercury, these fillings always leave a dark spot in your otherwise white smile. A tooth-colored filling, on the other hand, is made of composite resin materials that come in a range of natural-looking shades that can be mixed to precisely match the color of your tooth.

Once the appropriate shade is chosen, Dr. Cammack or Dr. Peterson will administer a local anesthetic to numb the area. Then, the portion of your tooth that is decayed will be removed. Yet another advantage of a tooth-colored filling is that less natural tooth structure needs removal, preserving more of your natural tooth’s structure. As conservative dentists, Drs. Peterson and Cammack always prefer to retain as much original tooth structure as possible. Moreover, the composite resin of a tooth-colored filling actually bonds with your remaining tooth structure. So, you not only have a restored tooth that blends naturally with your other teeth, you also have a tooth that is durable and better able to withstand the pressures of chewing and biting.