Nano filling destroys bacteria and strengthens teeth. Light seal: a fashionable innovation or a rational solution

In dentistry, a filling is a specific material that is used to fill a cavity in an affected tooth in order to isolate its sensitive tissues and protect it from microbes. Today there are different types of dental fillings, each of which has certain properties, characteristics and purpose.

What types of dental fillings are there?

The main difference between all types of fillings is the material from which they are made.

Cement

A cement filling consists of powder and liquid, which, under the influence of a chemical reaction, are converted into a quickly thickening mass.

The main disadvantage of this type is that it hardens too quickly, which limits the time for installing a filling and creating dental relief.

In addition, such a filling becomes as strong as possible only after 2 hours, during which eating is prohibited.

At the same time, cement fillings are the most affordable.

Plastic

This type of filling was very popular and was often used due to its quick installation and low cost. The main material is plastic, which is introduced into the tooth cavity and hardens. Over time, it was discovered that plastic is toxic, wears out very quickly, changes color, does not tolerate mechanical stress and can cause allergic reactions. This was the reason for stopping its use.

Amalgam or metal

These materials consist of a solution of metals, silver and mercury. Can be silver, copper and gold. Fillings made from them are very strong, hard and extremely resistant to mechanical stress and the influence of saliva.

But there are also disadvantages that have caused the extremely rare use of amalgams:

unsightly appearance (absolutely unsuitable for fillings on the front teeth);
very slow hardening;
decrease in volume over time (shrinkage);
high probability around the filling (several years after installation);
partial staining of the tooth with metals included in the alloy;
the occurrence of burning, metallic taste, requiring replacement of the filling.

In addition, the installation of such fillings today is complicated by the lack of equipment specifically designed for this in dental offices.

Composite

The durability and strength of fillings are influenced not only by the quality of materials and the professionalism of the doctor, but also by some individual structural features and the quality of nutrition, and the presence of bad habits in the patient.

Types of dental fillings and their costs

The cost of different ones depends on the degree of damage and structural features of the tooth, the manufacturer of the material and the clinic where the installation is carried out.

On average, their cost is:

about 500 rubles - cement;
about 1000-1500 rubles - glass ionomers;
about 1,500 rubles - metal (in public clinics - free);
about 2000-4500 rubles - light-hardening;
about 2700 are composite.

Teeth are normal Dental treatment Which filling is better to choose for teeth, price-quality ratio

Dental filling is a classic treatment in dentistry. Fillings are used only for small carious cavities, but if the tooth is severely damaged, dental inlays are used. Which filling is best for a tooth? Let's try to understand this difficult issue by studying information about the types and properties of various types of filling materials.

Quality criteria

In order to figure out which fillings are best to use, it is necessary to determine the main criteria for their quality:

High manipulative qualities.
Minimum solubility.
Reliability, long service life.
Low thermal conductivity.
Tight fit to the walls of the tooth cavity.
Constancy of volume and shape of the material.
Radiopacity.
Abrasion resistance.
Chemical resistance.
Environmental Safety.

You also need to know that they are divided into temporary and permanent, and also depending on the material from which they are made.

Temporary filling

This is what a temporary filling looks like photo

(diagnostic) is used by dentists to determine the type and characteristics of the course of diseases. A simple example: you came to see the dentist with a bad tooth. It seems to you that this is ordinary caries.

But the disease can affect not only the enamel, but also the pulp. In order to determine the depth of the lesion, the dentist installs a temporary filling. And if your tooth hurts under the filling, this is a sign of pulpitis. In this case, the doctor will remove the tissue affected by the carious process.

In addition, a temporary filling holds medication that may be needed for treatment. In this case, the filling material acts as a sealant, preventing infection, saliva and pieces of food from entering the cavity, ensuring the effective effect of the medicine on the affected areas of the tooth tissue.

The main requirements for such fillings are:

Easy to install and remove material.
Fast hardening.
Reliable fixation and tightness of the drug.
Biocompatibility with dental tissues and mucous membranes.

Permanent fillings

A permanent filling has a different purpose. Firstly, it must hermetically seal the cavity in the tooth for many years, protecting it from infection. Secondly, the filling material must provide the tooth with its functionality. That is why when choosing, the doctor takes into account the type and purpose of the tooth (biting, chewing).

You also need to consider where the tooth is located. If this is a front tooth, then the aesthetic qualities of the material are important: it must match the enamel in color and structure. If we are talking about a chewing tooth, aesthetics does not play such an important role.

Types of permanent fillings

Almagama filling

Today, at a dentist’s appointment, you can choose a filling to suit your taste and budget, because the choice of materials is varied. A specialist will advise you and help you make the right choice. To get a little insight into the types of permanent fillings, let’s take a closer look at their types and qualities.

So, the materials from which permanent fillings can be made are:

Amalgam – an alloy of mercury, silver, tin, zinc, copper. Silver gives resistance to corrosion, copper - strength, tin accelerates the hardening of the filling, zinc makes it ductile.

Advantages:

plastic,
reliability,
high strength,
moisture resistance,
abrasion resistance,
antiseptic properties.

Flaws:

if the manufacturing technology is violated, you can be poisoned by mercury,
the color of the enamel may change,
the material shrinks when it hardens.

Amalgam is now rarely used, and improved versions of this material have begun to appear. They are non-toxic, durable and white in color.

Important : amalgam tends to expand after hardening, the doctor must take this into account so that the tooth does not crack after installation. Most often, this material is used for chewing teeth, as well as for crowns.

Polymer fillings divided into composite and unfilled (made of plastic, based on acrylic or epoxy resins).

Plastic – A budget option, but it has a lot of disadvantages:

high toxicity,
quickly deforms, wears out,
Secondary caries often forms underneath them.

Composite materials are considered the most reliable and inexpensive. They contain plastic and quartz powder, which provides hardness to the filling. Most often used light-curing composites(they are often called photopolymer). The substance hardens under the influence of a special lamp, which allows the dentist to restore the tooth without haste.

Important: In order for the product to last a long time, the doctor must thoroughly polish and grind the material. If this polishing is repeated every six months, the filling will last as long as possible.

Another feature of installing this type of filling is the use of a special glue that securely fixes the material in the tooth cavity.

Advantages:

reliability,
low price,
a wide palette of colors, which makes it possible to choose the color of the filling that is as similar as possible to the color of the enamel,
service life – minimum 5 years.

But there are also some disadvantages:

Filling teeth with light fillings

Due to the composition of the material, shrinkage of up to 5% can occur, so it is recommended to use such fillings for sealing small cavities,
with significant shrinkage, deformation may occur, which may result in a fracture of the tooth wall,
the material does not harden completely (only 70%).

3. Chemically cured composites were developed to replace cementitious materials. They have one difference from cements: porcelain acts as a filler. These materials are divided into:

containing acrylic,
on epoxy resin,
light-curing ().

4. Cements are not often used now, but they have a place in dentistry. For example, cement fillings are often used in pediatric dentistry, since such materials contain fluoride (10-15%), which protects the tooth from re-infection.

Under the influence of temperatures, the expansion coefficient of the material is as close as possible to the properties of dental tissues. This minimizes the chance of the tooth wall cracking.

But cements have some disadvantages:

not very attractive appearance,
low strength,
high possibility of abrasion.

5. - an expensive pleasure that requires not only financial investments, but also time for production. This type of filling has one undeniable advantage - high aesthetic qualities. Ceramics are as similar in color and structure as natural tooth enamel. This type of material also has other advantages:

high strength,
resistance to temperature changes,
does not stain the tooth.

The installation takes place over several visits to the dentist, since it takes some time to make the filling itself.

6. Compomers are materials that combine the advantages of composites (high aesthetics, ease of use), as well as the advantages of glass ionomers (biocompatibility, fluorine content).

Compomers can be used for almost any cavity.

How to decide on the type of filling

Having studied the basic information about the types of fillings, it will be easier for you to make a choice. There are basic requirements for the material, after reading which you can make the right choice and determine whether the dentist performed the treatment efficiently:

The surface of a filled tooth cannot be perfectly smooth, since a real tooth has irregularities and tubercles that ensure effective chewing of food.
The tooth cavity must be completely filled with filling material without air gaps through which infection can penetrate.
If the filling is located on top, it should not come into contact with neighboring teeth.
A good filling does not hang from the tooth, creating conditions for plaque to accumulate.
To avoid premature wear, the dentist covers the filling with a special material that fills any remaining microvoids.
Please note that if the doctor has selected the material correctly, you should not feel pain after installation. Otherwise, the dentist did his work in bad faith.

Prices

Prices may vary significantly between clinics, but the approximate cost is as follows:

a cement filling will cost you only 300-700 rubles,
light ones cost about 1300-2500 rubles,
chemically curing composites – 600-800 rubles,
compomers - 650-1000 rubles.

Please note that all prices are approximate; the final cost will depend both on the status of the clinic and the amount and type of material used to fill your tooth.

– the most popular dental service. Usually the clinic works with a certain material. But some use different types and offer the patient to choose the most suitable one. In this case, the patient needs to know in advance in a specific case.

All fillings in dentistry are divided into 2 main groups: temporary and permanent. The first ones are installed during long-term therapy (treatment of pulpitis, periodontitis, cysts at the root apex). The second is to restore the crown part of the tooth. Their service life is from 2 to 10 years.

Additional Information! When using temporary compounds, doctors rarely ask the patient which fillings to choose. They are guided by medical indications. But the situation is different with permanent ones: not only the clinical picture is taken into account, but also the personal preferences and financial capabilities of the patient.

Plastic fillings are used as temporary fillings.

Several types of filling materials are used in dental practice.

Plastic

The main advantage is low cost and ease of use. They prefer not to use plastic compounds due to numerous disadvantages:

unaesthetic: the material does not accurately restore the color and anatomical shape of the tooth, it quickly stains and darkens;
low adhesion - grip;
high shrinkage;
toxicity - over 90% develop secondary caries, pulpitis;
short service life - on average 2 years.

Metal

They are an alloy of a base metal (most often gold, silver), mercury and auxiliary components. Such fillings - amalgams - are super strong. The service life often exceeds 10 years. They are also cheap.

But amalgams are almost never used today due to:

Cement

In domestic dentistry, the tooth crown was restored in most cases with cement compounds until the early 2000s. Today this filling material has not lost popularity due to:

relatively low cost;
sufficient strength - lasts 3 - 5 years;
tight adhesion to the walls of the tooth;
the presence of fluoride in the composition prevents further development of caries.

Important! Cement-based materials are preferred for the treatment of hard-to-reach units (“eights”) and primary teeth.

Cement fillings are often placed in figure eights.

Most often, fillings are made from (GIC). It is as close as possible to the color of enamel, highly durable, non-toxic, and moisture resistant. There are also silicate and phosphate cement compositions. Their area of application is prosthetics. Materials are used to attach crowns.

Chemically cured composites

Composites have become a breakthrough in dentistry. These fillings better allow you to restore the anatomical shape of the tooth; they are plastic, durable, and are not susceptible to dyes.

The materials consist of a polymer matrix, a filler (silicon dioxide, glass ceramics), and silane - a binding element.

Chemically cured composites are:

Acrylic oxide. Resistant to mechanical loads, durable. However toxic. They are not placed on non-pulpless units, as inflammation often occurs.
Epoxy. The composition includes epoxy resin. They adhere well to the walls, are quite plastic, and low toxic. However, they are prone to darkening and often split.

Light-curing composites

Similar to previous materials. But they harden not as a result of internal chemical processes, but under the influence of the rays of a polymerization lamp. Curing time is from 20 to 40 seconds.

Today, light-curing or photopolymer fillings are the most versatile. Most clinics prefer to supply them for the following reasons:

Important! Light-curing composites are not used when restoring hard-to-reach units, such as figure eights. In this area it is impossible to correctly direct the rays of a halogen lamp.

Compomers

They combine the qualities of cement and composite fillings. They have good adhesion and strength. The composition includes benzoin and amine peroxides, monomer, resins, polyacrylic acid. To prevent caries, fluoride is included.

Like composites, there are chemical and... However, compomers last less. They are also expensive. They are used for the restoration of incisors and canines.

Tabs

Installing inlays does not refer to fillings, but to microprosthetics. However, they also restore teeth destroyed by caries.

Inlays are made from impressions in the laboratory.

Additional Information! Most often, inlays are used to treat extensive destruction affecting several adjacent units. They are made of ceramic or porcelain. They are made from impressions in the laboratory.

Today, inlays are the most durable material used for fillings. They evenly distribute the load, are non-toxic, and highly aesthetic.

What filling materials are used for baby teeth?

Treatment of baby teeth has its own characteristics. Thus, children are strictly prohibited from having amalgam or plastic fillings installed. Children's crowns are restored using three materials:

Cement compositions. They prefer GIC. Particularly useful for progressive or recurrent caries and insufficient hygiene. Sometimes they note the fragility of the composition, but since the “milkmen” will be replaced in a couple of years, this factor does not play a role.
Photocurable composites. They can be used only if a number of conditions are met: the absence of extensive carious damage, good hygiene, and high-quality cavity treatment. They prefer not to use them for the following reasons:

3. Color compomer. These fillings are used most often due to:

ease of operation: high plasticity, quick installation;
the ability to accumulate fluoride from pastes and food, and then release it to tissues;
good grip;
safe chemical composition;
the child can choose the color - this factor helps to establish contact with the doctor, children enjoy caring for multi-colored teeth;
The dye in the composition makes it easy to determine when the filling has begun to wear off.

Price factor

An important point when choosing a filling is cost. Sometimes this parameter becomes key.

Approximate price for filling materials in Moscow clinics:

In dental practice, plastic, metal, composite, compomer fillings and inlays are used. Photopolymer materials are considered a universal option. They are used in every clinic. Despite the fairly high cost, patients prefer them due to their high strength, aesthetics and ease of care.

Filling is the most common dental service. The technique is actively developing, which is why every year appearnew types of dental fillings. Today, the most modern technologies and materials are used in this area of dentistry. Some of them deserve special attention.

What is a dental filling?

This term usually means medical material used to fill voids in teeth. The filling protects sensitive tissues and prevents harmful bacteria from entering the damaged cavity, restoring chewing function. Fillings are also important for the appearance of our smile, even though they are invisible most of the time.

All kinds of dental fillings are installed in the following cases:

After endodontic treatment of caries, pulpitis and other oral diseases.
To prevent the development of caries in children.
When erasing chewing teeth (molars) in case of a violation of their mineralization.
To make the structure more durable and prevent the destruction of tooth remnants, a filling can be placed under the crown.
After mechanical damage to the molars, in the case of the anterior incisors and canines, restoration is usually resorted to.
To protect the tooth during long-term intracanal treatment.
To give the correct shape to the molars in order to evenly distribute the load when chewing.

There are different types of dental fillings. Their classification depends on the filling material and the period of wear.

Types of fillings depending on the period of wear

A wide variety of designs are available to patients. They differ from each other not only in the materials used, but also in the terms of wearing. Depending on this, products can be divided into temporary and permanent.

Temporary fillings

The inlay is used to protect cleaned root canals during long-term treatment, which is carried out in stages. Most often it is used for microprosthetics, because the production of plastic fillings and ceramic inlays takes time.

Such fillings are placed in the treatment of diseases of the oral cavity, which are characterized by inflammation and the development of harmful organisms in soft and hard tissues. The dentist pours an antiseptic composition into the tooth canal, and to prevent it from getting into the mouth, the canal is closed with material for temporary filling of teeth.

For temporary filling, a special composition is used, which is called dentin paste. It is resistant to saliva and can cope well with the mechanical stress of chewing food for some time. The product does not look very natural, but in this case it does not matter.

The structure is installed for 3–4 days. In rare cases, it may remain for several weeks. The material simply won’t last longer.

Permanent fillings

The service life of such tabs is calculated in years. Today materials have appeared that are excellent perform their functions even for decades.

There are much more requirements for a permanent filling:

The material must be chemically resistant to liquids, mechanical stress and the acid-base environment of the oral cavity.
A minimum percentage of drying shrinkage and sufficient plasticity to create a shape are required.
The composition should not change color or stain the fabrics around it.
The material for fillings must be completely safe.

In modern realities, an unremarkable appearance can be added to these conditions. Still, the tab also performs an aesthetic function, although this is not always particularly important.

For the manufacture of long-term fillings, various compositions are used. Some of them are already slowly leaving circulation, while others are just conquering this area.

Types of fillings depending on the material

If you understand the topic in as much detail as possible, you can identify dozens of unique names. But some compositions differ only in the ratio of components, so it is more common to divide them into groups.

Amalgam

The filling consists of an alloy of mercury, silver, tin and zinc. This medical metal is absolutely safe for human health, and products made from it have the following positive qualities:

Metal inlays are both durable and flexible, so it is better to place such fillings on chewing teeth. The material is easy to give the desired shape, and the load on the jaw will be distributed evenly.
The material has a uniform texture. In order for the surface of the filling to be smooth, it does not even need to be polished.
The metal is not subject to abrasion. For this reason The service life of a tooth filling reaches ten years and more.
Despite the mercury in the composition, the alloy is completely safe. Even if you seal the entire row, the amount of harmful metal will still not exceed the permissible limit.

The photo shows amalgam fillings on teeth

Such inserts are not used very often. This is all because of their contrasting appearance: when you yawn or laugh, they immediately catch your eye.

Plastic

These fillings are made from a polymer called acrylic. It is usually used in prosthetics due to its similarity to natural enamel and relatively low price. This is where the benefits end.

The photo shows a plastic seal

Often products are used as a temporary measure if there is simply not enough money for a more advanced option. In all other respects, plastic fillings do not perform at their best. The material wears off quickly. On molars it lasts only a few months.

Acrylic has a porous texture. After installation, deposits accumulate on the plastic, which then serve as a breeding ground for bacteria. Not only the filling suffers from them, but also the tooth.

This feature of the plastic also affects the appearance of the filling. Even if it “behaves” excellently throughout its entire service life, you still won’t be able to wear it all the time. Filling material tends to turn yellow, which will be noticeable to everyone around you when you laugh.

Ceramic

This filling is a bit like a crown, but it is more commonly known as a dental inlay. The material has several advantages over other options:

He looks very natural because completely replicates the color and texture of natural enamel. Because of this feature, even incisors and fangs are filled in this way.
In terms of strength, ceramics can be compared to the protective layer of our enamel. With injuries to the jaw area, the material is much more likely to fall out rather than break.
The material is not subject to shrinkage and abrasion when chewing. Therefore, such fillings are excellent for restoring chewing function and the appearance of molars.

The photo shows a ceramic tab

The main disadvantage of a ceramic filling is its price. Moreover, the material itself is quite inexpensive; you will have to pay more for the doctor’s work. It takes quite a long time to make such a filling on a tooth, and it also requires experience and professionalism.

Photopolymer

This can include several compositional compositions at once. What they all have in common is that the material is placed into the root canal in liquid form and hardens inside. Polymerization of such substances occurs under the influence of ultraviolet radiation.

Due to their good strength, light fillings can be placed on chewing teeth. At first they undergo shrinkage. The composites that make up the product closely replicate the appearance of teeth. They are invisible in photos and in real life. After hardening, the material has a very dense texture, which protects against the accumulation of deposits and the development of bacteria.

The photo shows a light seal

For now composite filling is most actively used in dentistry. With a large number of advantages, it also has a reasonable price. Therefore, not only dentists, but also patients themselves often choose this option.

Glass ionomer

Glass ionomer and composite fillings can be combined into one group. Dentists call both materials cements due to the fact that they harden after the root canal is closed.

Glass ionomer cement is characterized by the presence of fluorine in its composition. Thanks to this, the possibility of developing caries and other dentin damage after treatment is virtually eliminated.

This material is especially popular in pediatric dentistry. Sometimes chewing teeth are filled with them even without root canal expansion, simply to stop the development of caries. For the same purpose, glass ionomer products are sometimes placed under a dental bridge or porcelain crown.

Pictured are glass ionomer fillings

Cement fillings on teeth are not particularly durable. They serve on average for several years and may break due to strong mechanical stress.

In all cases, product production consists of the following steps:

Removal of damaged tissue.
Expansion of root canals.
Installation of the seal itself.

Most often, filling is used as part of the treatment of caries, so in the vast majority of cases it begins with the elimination of this disease. Using a drill, the specialist removes all tooth tissue where the disease has already penetrated.

If we are talking about deep caries, the roots are also removed. Otherwise, inflammation and development of pulpitis is possible. Such consequences are typical for all types of dental fillings, so it will not be possible to preserve the nerve endings.

After depulping, the specialist slightly expands the tooth cavity. In this case, even healthy tissues are removed. The work is carried out using a drill and is simply necessary to make filling the tooth easier and faster.

Usually at this time the specialist does not yet know exactly what types of dental fillings he will use. Even if a choice has been made, it can be changed depending on the situation.

It happens that at the beginning of treatment the patient decides to have a light filling. Then it becomes clear that this is impossible, because most of the enamel is damaged, and a ceramic inlay will look much better. Be prepared for such unexpected changes.

Ceramic and plastic fillings are not placed immediately. It takes time to make them.

How much does a filling cost?

In Moscow, prices for the simplest products start at 400 rubles. Composite fillings can cost up to 2 thousand rubles apiece. Ceramic inlays are the most expensive, since they are more related to microprosthetics. The price of the product depends not even on the material, but on the complexity of the shape of the filling and the time spent on manufacturing. The more complex the work, the higher the cost.

In public clinics, fillings are performed free of charge. Only the most affordable cement materials are used. If you want a higher quality product, you will have to pay extra.

Everyone will have to deal with a filling at least once, so this information will be useful to everyone. If you don’t know what dental fillings are, you simply won’t be able to choose the best option for yourself.

Filling is the final stage of many types of dental treatment. In order for the dentition to maintain its aesthetic appearance for as long as possible, and for filling materials to not lose their functionality throughout their entire service life, the choice of filling must be approached very responsibly.

Modern dentistry uses a huge number of types of materials to make fillings. How to choose the right filling? What qualities should a filling material have? How long do certain types of fillings last? How is the dental filling procedure performed? All these questions can be answered comprehensively by reading the information provided in the article.

What should you pay attention to when choosing fillings?

The choice of filling material is an extremely important moment. Many patients are confused by the large number of types of fillings. In order to choose the right filling material, you need to take into account a number of indicators:

environmental friendliness and safety for patient health;
wear resistance;
color retention throughout its service life;
fast hardening;
high strength;
tightness, ease of grinding, ductility.

Along with this, an important factor when choosing a material for a dental filling is its manufacturer. It is believed that German, Israeli and European manufacturers produce a high-quality product that meets all safety requirements. In addition, such seals are highly reliable and have a long shelf life. The only disadvantage of a foreign product is its higher price compared to domestic analogues.

Temporary and permanent fillings

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Depending on the purpose, all dental fillings are divided into 2 types: temporary and permanent. The first type of product can be used for temporary isolation of the tooth cavity in which the drug is placed. They are usually based on medicinal additives. Temporary fillings are also used in cases where the doctor is not sure that pulpitis will not develop after treatment. This type of filling is called diagnostic.

Temporary products, unlike permanent ones, are made from less durable materials designed for a short service life. Due to their fragile structure, such fillings are easily removed from the tooth cavity. For their production, artificial dentin is most often used. This material is also used to isolate the arsenic paste placed in the tooth cavity, which is designed to kill the tooth pulp.

The process of installing a permanent filling is longer and more scrupulous. These products last for many years, so only durable and wear-resistant materials are used for their manufacture, and installation must comply with all accepted rules. Thanks to permanent fillings, the following is ensured:

hermetically sealed tooth hole resulting from treatment;
protection of the dental unit from pathogenic microorganisms entering its cavity;
preservation of the chewing function of the tooth;
aesthetic appearance of the dentition.

The choice of filling materials for permanent use should be approached more responsibly. Depending on the location of the tooth being filled, different types of fillings are used.

Types of filling materials, their advantages and disadvantages

There is an extensive classification of materials used during filling. Fillings are made of cement, plastic, amalgam, ceramics, light polymer, as well as chemically cured composite materials (we recommend reading:). They differ in composition, appearance, service life, installation method and cost. To answer the questions “Which product is better to install?” and “Which filling lasts the longest?” you need to know the distinctive characteristics of each type of filling material.

Cement

The cement composite is made from powder and liquid concentrated acid; when they are combined, a paste-like mass is formed, which hardens quite quickly. Composites can be phosphate-containing or silicate-containing. The advantages of cement filling material include:

low cost;
the process of installing a cement filling does not require the use of special tools;
The procedure for preparing the material and its use is carried out quickly and does not require high qualifications and experience of the doctor.

In addition to its advantages, this filling material has significant disadvantages. Among them are:

inability to maintain the original shape and volume for a long time;
complete hardening of the cement takes quite a long time;
low level of resistance to mechanical stress, as a result of which the composition quickly loses its original integrity;
the likelihood of caries recurrence;
If a cement filling is installed incorrectly, there is a high risk of tooth damage;
cement has a fairly high toxicity and a low level of biocompatibility with the patient’s body.

Despite a large number of shortcomings, the popularity of cement fillings does not lose ground. Preference for this type of filling materials is usually given to patients with limited financial resources.

Plastic

In most cases, plastic fillings are made based on acrylic acid compounds. Their advantages include:

Along with its advantages, this type of material has many serious disadvantages. These include:

rapid deformation;
a tendency to change the original color is inherent in products made from acrylic oxide and carbondent;
susceptibility to accumulation of food residues on the surface;
high level of toxicity, which often leads to relapse of caries;
When placing a plastic filling on a tooth from which the nerve has not been removed, there is a high risk of developing pulpitis.

Amalgam

In modern dentistry, teeth are rarely filled with metal (amalgam) materials. This is explained:

low aesthetic qualities of the filling mass;
poor adhesion;
high thermal conductivity;
the difficulty of giving the material the required shape;
toxicity.

However, amalgam, due to its metal content, remains in the tooth cavity for a very long time. For this reason, amalgam fillings are indispensable when filling chewing teeth.

Ceramic

From an aesthetic point of view, this material is the best option. The main difference between ceramic fillings and any other fillings is that they are made in a dental laboratory based on the individual parameters of the patient. Ceramics has many advantages:

high strength;
resistance to sudden temperature changes and mechanical stress;
the ability to maintain its original shape and shade throughout the entire period of operation.

Despite the excellent aesthetic qualities and functional characteristics, this type of filling is not widely popular among patients. This is explained by the rather high cost.

Photopolymer (light-hardening)

Gel and light fillings are the most common filling option. The wide popularity of these products is associated with the optimal price ratio,
aesthetic and practical qualities. The light-curing mass hardens under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, the source of which is special lamps. The advantages of this filling method include:

plasticity, ensuring the convenience and quality of the doctor’s work;
high aesthetic properties;
optimal adhesion to natural tooth tissues;
no toxicity;
ease of polishing.

Gel and light products also have certain disadvantages. Their disadvantages include the impossibility of using them in hard-to-reach places and their unsuitability for use as temporary products.

Glass ionomer

The glass ionomer mass contains a large amount of fluorine, due to which the filled units are protected from the development of secondary caries. Glass ionomer fillings are most often used in pediatric dentistry. These materials are capable of hardening on their own or under the influence of ultraviolet radiation.

Glass ionomer mixtures have the following advantageous features:

high adhesion qualities;
eliminating the risk of caries recurrence;
biocompatibility with the patient's body;
identity to dentin tissues;
ease of installation;
ability to harden in conditions of high humidity;
low degree of shrinkage;
optimal aesthetic qualities;
acceptable cost.

Numerous advantages make this type of filling one of the most popular. However, it also has a number of disadvantages:

In addition, the color of glass ionomers does not always match the shade of natural enamel. Despite the existing disadvantages, experts consider this type of filling to be a good alternative to composite materials.

Stages of installation of different types of seals and their service life

The procedure for installing a filling consists of several stages. With the exception of the curing method, this process is standard regardless of the material used. Before placing a filling, the doctor examines the patient’s oral cavity, makes a diagnosis and determines the extent of the lesion. Then the specialist performs the following manipulations:

Local anesthesia and isolation of the working area.
Removal of affected tissue.
Treatment of the cleaned cavity with an antiseptic solution. If the pulp becomes inflamed, it is removed and, if necessary, a medicinal substance is placed in the tooth.
Drying the work area.
Install an antimicrobial pad if necessary.
Sealing. When using a light-curing composition, an ultraviolet lamp is used to harden the mass, and all applied layers are illuminated.

At the final stage, the filling is polished and adjusted to the patient’s bite. The photo shows an image of the tooth cavity before and after installing a filling.

The service life of fillings depends on the quality and type of material, correct installation and careful treatment of them. Products made from cement, subject to the last two conditions, do not lose their quality for 1.5-3 years, from plastic - 1-2 years, from amalgam - 15-20 years, from light-curing materials - 5-10 years, from ceramics and glass ionomers – up to 15 years.

Which fillings are best for front, side and chewing teeth?

When treating anterior and lateral teeth, increased demands are placed on the aesthetic qualities of materials, in contrast to installing fillings on units of the chewing group. For filling front teeth the following are used:

silicate cement;
light-curing composites;
glass ionomer cements.

Unlike the front teeth, the chewing teeth are not as noticeable when talking or laughing. When filling back and side teeth, materials that can withstand significant loads are used. These include:

light-curing;
two-component composite;
amalgam;
ceramic;
cement;
glass ionomer;
compomer compositions.