What is a plastic filling?
Popularly known as plastic fillings, composites are a tooth-colored filling material used to treat tooth defects such as those caused by caries. They consist of approximately 80 percent silicic acid salt or very fine glass particles and about 20 percent plastic.
When is a plastic filling made?
Plastic is used to fill many defects in anterior teeth, but also in posterior teeth. The hole is closed with the composite filling. The inside of the tooth and the sensitive tooth nerve are then no longer exposed.
How is a plastic filling inserted?
What are the advantages of the resin filling?
A plastic filling produces a visually coherent result, as the composites can be matched in color to the teeth. This is particularly advantageous for the front teeth.
The plastic filling not only withstands large chewing loads, but also stabilizes the tooth substance by bonding with the bonding agent.
Allergic reactions to composites are hardly known.
What are the disadvantages of the composite filling?
During curing, the composite filling contracts very slightly. This can cause a minimal gap to form between the filling and the tooth substance, where caries can develop again.
The production and placement of a composite filling is more complex and expensive than an amalgam filling. In the posterior region, health insurance companies therefore only cover the costs on a pro-rata basis (in the amount of an amalgam filling). In contrast, the costs for a tooth-colored composite filling (in single-layer technique) in the visible anterior region are covered in full.
