Guess how long dental fillings have been around

It’s probably a lot longer than you expect, but now white fillings are the thing

Go on … how long do you estimate that dental fillings have been used? One hundred and fifty years? Two hundred and fifty, three hundred years? Think again … because archaeologists have discovered an ancient cracked tooth that had been ‘repaired’ with beeswax and according to their evidence the tooth dates back to 4,500 BC. That’s over six thousand seven hundred years ago. Staggering isn’t it? But that’s not the only find. In 2012 a 2,100-year-old Egyptian mummy from Thebes was found to have tooth cavities stuffed with wads of linen. Probably, these had been infused with fig juice or cedar oil, which are both recognised as well-known painkillers. That’s a long history, but progress never stops and nowadays we at Carisbrook Dental are finding that more and more patients are now enquiring about white fillings.

Before the advent of white fillings the only option was to have an amalgam filling and believe it or not, but amalgam paste, made from tin or silver, has been used in China since at least 659AD.

Albeit with minor developments, such as in the early 1800s when a French dentist used mercury and melted down silver coins, Amalgam fillings have remained the standard solution to repair tooth cavities. Around 1835 the proportion of metals was established at 50 per cent mercury, combined with silver, tin or zinc, and since that time very little has changed.

Until now that it!

Amalgam fillings work fine; there is no doubting that. But they are unsightly. Dark coloured metal fillings inserted into white teeth just don’t mix. That’s why a few years ago dental scientists developed white fillings.

To give these fillings their full name: ‘Composite White Fillings’, or as they are commonly referred to: ‘Composite Bonding’, have become increasingly popular amongst our patients because we can accurately match the shade, translucency and even the texture of your natural teeth.  Unlike amalgam fillings, these fillings are virtually invisible.

As well as choosing white fillings to repair tooth cavities, lots of our patients now ask us to replace their unsightly amalgam fillings. The fact is we can also use this versatile compound to improve the appearance of undamaged teeth. For instance, we can fix chips or grooves in a tooth’s enamel. We can effectively increase the size of small teeth and we can even close gaps between teeth.

Another reason why more and more of our patients are now opting for white fillings is that they flinch at the thoughts of having metal in their mouth.

Whatever the reason, white fillings simply look better. In fact, they are invisible, meaning you will enjoy a much more attractive smile … and that in itself is reason enough to talk to us about white fillings.
If you would like to enquire about white fillings, either as a new filling or to replace existing amalgam fillings, then please contact us. You can call us now on 0161 766 4906 or alternatively you can contact us by using the online form on our Contact page.