Amalgam Filling? Composite (White) Filling? New Generation New Technique Anatomical Filling
Amalgam or composite filling, which is better? Prof. Dr. Birkan Taha Özkan explains in detail the aesthetic and functional anatomical filling techniques he applies in his clinic in Mersin Yenişehir. The right choice guide for dental fillings is here!
When your tooth decays or breaks, the first question you encounter is usually:
“Should I have an amalgam filling or a white filling?”
When choosing between these two filling materials, it is necessary to look not only at their color, but also at their durability, biological compatibility with the gum, allergic reaction, aesthetics, anatomical compatibility with other teeth, functionality and long-term results. However, there is another point to consider here: Beyond using high-quality filling materials, the technique your dentist uses to apply the filling material and the craftsmanship used when making the filling are at least as important as the material itself.
What is an Amalgam Filling?
Amalgam fillings are a type of filling that has been used for years and consists of metal alloys (a mixture of silver, tin, copper and mercury). It has been preferred especially in the back teeth due to its durability. However, today its use has decreased considerably due to aesthetic concerns, mercury release, risk of metal allergy and environmental factors.
Advantages:
- It is durable, resistant to chewing forces.
- It is fast to apply and low cost.
Disadvantages:
- It is gray in color and unaesthetic.
- It mechanically adheres to the tooth structure and can damage the tooth.
- It can expand and contract with heat, which can lead to cracks in the tooth.
- Some people may experience sensitivity due to its mercury content.
- If amalgam fillings that have become deformed and distorted over the years are not replaced, there is a possibility of causing tongue cancer or oral cancer.
What is a Composite (White) Filling?
Composite fillings are known as aesthetic fillings that are resin-based and contain glass particles. It perfectly matches the color of the tooth, that’s why it is called “white filling or laser filling”. Contrary to popular belief, blue light is used instead of laser light (red light) to harden the filling in composite filling. Composite filling color has colors and tones suitable for the tooth according to the filling material quality. This is important in choosing the most suitable filling material for the color and tone of the tooth. However, what is important here is not only the color, but also the application of a technique that can give the anatomy of the natural tooth.
Advantages:
- It is aesthetic, has a natural tooth appearance.
- It chemically bonds to the structure of the tooth.
- It can be applied in stages, provides a more controlled shaping.
- It can be applied with less material loss in the tooth.
Disadvantages:
- The application time is a little longer.
- It can cause cold-hot sensitivity,
- It can cause gum problems,
- It can cause the filling to fall or break during chewing.
- If the filling is not applied to the tooth with the right technique, with a sufficient amount of filling material suitable for the anatomy of the tooth, it can break quickly and even the main tooth can break and cause sensitivity.
Therefore, if you want to have a white filling, it is very important for your dentist to have sufficient knowledge and manual skills about “aesthetic filling”.
Color is Not Only Important in White Tooth Filling: Anatomical Harmony Determines the Quality of the Treatment
Dental fillings are no longer just a question of “white or gray?”. At this point in dentistry, we are in a period where the filling is evaluated not only in terms of aesthetics but also in terms of function, durability and compatibility with the natural anatomy. Because a filling should not only cover the decay; it should also be able to mimic the function, shape and biological harmony of the natural tooth. This can be achieved with the new generation new technique Anatomical Filling.
“If you cannot understand that a filling has been made by looking at a tooth, that filling has been made well.”
Unfortunately, many of our patients apply to us with fillings that break in a short time, cause discomfort during chewing, cause food residue to escape, and even cause tooth loss by leaking again under the decay. The most basic reason for this is that the filling is seen as only “cleaning the decay and closing that area” and is not restored in accordance with the nature of the tooth.
This is where anatomical harmony comes into play.
I Apply Anatomical Fillings at My Clinic in Mersin Yenişehir
I do not see white filling applications in my clinic as an ordinary “cleaning the decay – putting the material” process. It is possible for teeth to regain their natural tooth appearance after decay. Each dental filling has its main natural tooth morphology (outer appearance), the way it accepts the chewing load, the sensitive points that need to take the chewing load and its harmony with the neighboring teeth. Thanks to the Anatomical Filling, which contains high handicraft, the chewing efficiency in digestion and the comfort that prevents food residue escape, aesthetic appearance, harmony, pleasure and long-term durability can be provided to the tooth. This is why I use the Anatomical Filling Technique.
What is Anatomical Filling?
An anatomical filling is a filling application that is made in exact accordance with the natural form of the tooth. In this technique, the indentations and protrusions, tubercles (chewing peaks), grooves and contact points of the filling, color and tone harmony are rebuilt in the same way as the natural tooth. Thus, a result that is as close as possible to the natural tooth in terms of both aesthetics and function is achieved.
Fillings made with this technique:
- Prevent excessive pressure formation during chewing.
- Provides compatible contact points with neighboring teeth.
- Does not create pressure on adjacent adjacent teeth and provides chewing comfort
- Prevents food residue escape and prevents gingivitis and gum disease
- Prevents food accumulation and re-cavities.
- Since the color and tone harmony is made exactly with the neighboring main teeth, it is not aesthetically noticeable from the outside.
- Increases cutting and grinding and increases biting efficiency in the tooth
- Prevents bad breath due to effective chewing and grinding
- Prevents tartar and plaque formation and tooth discoloration since it ensures effective chewing
- Protects the jaw joint and jaw bone since it ensures regular grinding
- Allows double-sided chewing, which is healthy
- Anatomical filling also provides one-to-one support for maintaining facial symmetry
New Generation New Technique Anatomical Filling
While filling is being made, I would like to talk about a special technique, even if composite filling or amalgam filling is made. The name of this filling technique is Anatomical Filling. The Anatomical Filling technique aims to give the filling the shape of the main tooth with its aesthetics and external appearance, to prevent food residue escape, to maximize cutting, tearing and grinding in chewing efficiency, to maximize mechanical digestion with the biting efficiency obtained from the tooth, to increase the strength of the filling and to prevent the filling from decaying again.
I plan the construction of the anatomical filling very precisely step by step.
Anatomical Filling Application Stages
Stage 1 :Detailed examination: I perform a clinical examination and detailed radiographic analysis. The current structure of the tooth, the degree of decay, the level of contact with the adjacent tooth, the need for contact with the opposing tooth, the need for mini screw use in addition to the filling, the presence of hidden decay reaching under the gum, the bite load balance analysis of the filling to be made and the need for a coating after the filling are evaluated in detail.
Stage 2:Local anesthesia: Local (regional) anesthesia is applied to ensure that the procedure is completely painless. In individuals with a high pain threshold and patients with a low level of decay, the anatomical filling technique can be performed without the need for local anesthesia.
Stage 3 :Decay Cleaning and Tooth Shaping: The damaged tissue is cleaned with precision. When performing an anatomical filling, the priority is to clean the tooth decay or remove the previous filling. While cleaning the decay or removing the previous filling, I work to ensure the strength of the tooth by preserving the tooth enamel-dentin structure as much as possible and without damaging the nerve structure of the tooth. I also perform a 3D scan of the decay inside the tooth and ensure that the decay under the filling is completely cleaned, which is very important. While the teeth are cleaned of decay, I professionally shape the tooth structure left after the decay in order to prevent the filling from falling out and to ensure the filling’s retention for long-term use.
Stage 4: Anatomical Metal Frame System Application: When we move on to the filling stage, I use a special anatomical metal frame system to ensure the contact point of my filling with the adjacent tooth and to prevent food residue from escaping. After placing an anatomical metal frame around the tooth, I place a triangular wedge between the frame and the adjacent tooth to ensure the proper fit of the filling to the tooth. With this anatomical metal frame contact system, I ensure that the adjacent teeth and the newly made fillings support each other and fight shoulder to shoulder.
Stage 5: Isolation and Etching: At this stage, providing saliva, blood and moisture isolation is very important and provides long-term durability to the anatomical filling. Then, I provide the infrastructure for the attachment of the filling to the tooth by acid etching the surfaces of the tooth that come into contact with the filling. With the acid etching process, I try to prevent the filling from falling out, strengthen the connection between the filling and the tooth, and minimize the possibility of re-decay of the new filling.
Stage 6: Bonding Agent (Bond) Application and Layering Method: First, I move on to the Layering Method, which is the layer-by-layer placement of our filling. In the first stage, I ensure that the filling is connected to the tooth and the filling layers are connected to each other by means of the Bond applied on the tooth. In the first stage of filling placement, I use a fluid composite between the metal frame and the tooth, ensuring that my fluid filling reaches critical areas at risk of decay, thus ensuring tooth-filling integrity. I place the filling step by step with the layering method and polymerize (harden) each layer with blue light. The layering method is used to divide the floors of a 100-story skyscraper building.
Stage 7: Anatomical Shaping in Filling Craft: After placing the top surface layer in the filling, the handcraft performance increases before the filling polymerizes, and at this stage, I give the filling a special anatomical tooth anatomical shape with 6 special hand tools. After this anatomical shape is given, the anatomical filling starts to take the first main original tooth shape, then I polymerize and harden it with blue light. At this stage, I provide the key-lock relationship with the opposing tooth by giving the filling an anatomical shape with specially designed burs and hand tools. With this new anatomical filling shape, I provide a zipper-type sealing between the teeth that will allow effective chewing. Thanks to the Anatomical Filling, patients are saved from food residue escape, they make a sealing closure with the back teeth that will even tear paper, and they gain the ability to cut, tear and grind effectively. At the same time, as a result of giving the Anatomical Filling a special design anatomical shape, we ensure that the chewing load balance is distributed evenly throughout the mouth during chewing in order to provide tooth, jaw and jaw joint balance.
Anatomical Filling, where knowledge, craftsmanship and design come into being in the tooth, has the final appearance.
Advantages of Anatomical Filling
- It imitates the natural chewing function of the tooth exactly.
- The shape of the tooth does not deteriorate,
- The shape of the tooth does not deteriorate, it is not noticeable from the outside.
- Compatible contact points are formed with neighboring teeth, food getting stuck in between is prevented.
- The risk of re-cavity is reduced.
- It is perfectly compatible with the gum.
- It provides color tone harmony with neighboring teeth.
💬 In short…
Just being “white or gray-black” does not make a filling aesthetic. Real aesthetics consists of the combination of shape, anatomy, function and naturalness. Not Just a Filling, a Craft
Remember; a filling does not only close the gap, it also directly affects your chewing function. A filling that is not done correctly can be the main reason for years of headaches, jaw joint disorders and digestive problems. That’s why filling is actually a craft.
I do every filling in my clinic anatomically because the natural form of a tooth is vital not only for aesthetics but also for healthy chewing and correct closure. The light transmittance, enamel resemblance and natural appearance of the white filling; giving the correct shape and adjusting the filling size to millimeters are just as important.
This is not just a filling; it is a detail that will change your chewing, a small but effective touch that will affect your quality of life.If you care about your functional needs as much as your aesthetic concerns, I would like to see you at my clinic in Mersin Yenişehir.You can make an appointment to meet the solutions that are specially planned for you, that bring aesthetics and function together.