Having A Beautiful White Smile: 3 Tips To Choosing The Right Color And Shade For Ceramic Dental Fillings
Just because you have a cavity, it doesn't mean that the aesthetics of your smile will be forever compromised. Instead of opting for amalgam or even gold dental fillings, you can choose to get ceramic dental fillings instead. Ceramic dental fillings can be customized to mimic the color and shade of your natural teeth. These fillings may require more than one visit to the dentist and tend to be less durable in comparison to other alternatives, but they preserve the integrity and aesthetic of your smile. Consider the following 3 tips when customizing the color and shade of the ceramic dental filling you need.
The Color and Shade of the Tooth It Will Be Applied To
Most dentists recommend customizing the color and shade of the ceramic dental filling to match the natural color of the tooth where the filling will be applied on. This is usually the best option—especially if all of your natural teeth are pretty much the same color and shade. Matching the color and shade of the ceramic dental filling to its corresponding teeth can help the filling blend in and conceal itself, so that it becomes unnoticeable. This can be a really important issue for those who are concerned with the aesthetics of their smile.
With that said, you might want to consider customizing the color and shade of the dental filling to something brighter or whiter depending on how much dental filling needs to be applied and the natural color and hue of the tooth where the filling will be applied compared to the natural color and hue of surrounding teeth. If the tooth where the filling will be applied is already a bit darker or discolored compared to neighboring teeth, you might want to match the color and shade of the ceramic dental fillings to neighboring teeth instead so that your teeth are all the same color.
Whether You Are Interested in Whitening Your Teeth at a Later Time
Ceramic dental fillings cannot be bleached or whitened. If you choose to undergo professional teeth whitening treatments at a later time, only the surfaces of your natural teeth will be bleached and whitened. This can be a huge problem for those who have ceramic dental fillings, as the inconsistencies between the color of the fillings and their natural teeth color can cause the fillings to stand out like a sore thumb. If you are interested in whitening your teeth at a later time, consider choosing a whiter or brighter shade of ceramic.
If possible, you should even consider whitening your teeth first and then getting the cavities filled afterwards. This will allow your dentist to better customize the shade and color of the dental fillings to match the results you'll get after each professional teeth whitening treatment.
The Visibility and Location of the Filling
Getting the color and shade of the ceramic dental fillings to be precise can take quite a lot of time and money on your part. Before you determine whether you really need a precise shade or color, consider whether the dental filling will even be noticeable when you smile or when you talk. If it is located in a discrete and inconspicuous area, you could save a lot of money by using a standard filling color or shade.
If you're getting more than one of your teeth filled, you can use the same ceramic dental filling color for each tooth to save money as well. Color precision and accuracy is not necessary.
Conclusion
Ceramic dental fillings are becoming more and more popular, as people pay more attention and focus to how their smile looks. You can easily conceal that you've had a cavity filled by using a ceramic dental filling that matches your natural teeth color and shade. For more information on dental fillings, talk to a doctor at a dental office such as Plymouth Valley Dental Group.