Light-curing composites
If a cavity is diagnosed at the stage where affected dental tissue have to be removed (by drilling) to treat the cavity, dental restorations, also called dental fillings, have to be used as a replacement. Modern dentistry offers a wide range of dental restorative materials which vary in their adhesive capabilities (their ability to bond with teeth), resilience, longevity, and last but not least – their aesthetics. SofiDent patients most commonly choose the so-called white filling, which is professionally called a dental composite resin. Composite dental fillings have great aesthetics, bond with the tooth better and most importantly, they do not contain mercury. It is a kind of synthetic resin which is used to fill the hole caused by a cavity – usually in multiple layers. Neither the surface of the tooth, nor the composite material, can come into contact with water, which is why we use a dental dam – a special kind of rubber sheet used to isolate the tooth that ensures a completely dry working field for the dentist to operate in.
Composite dental fillings can be chemical-curing or light-curing. Chemical-curing dental fillings are considered to be of lower quality and cannot be layered in different colors. Light-curing dental fillings allow us to attain exceptional aesthetics. They harden and bond with the teeth under the blue light emitted by a dental polymerization lamp, which is why they are also called light-curing composites. Light-curing composites are manufactured in a wide range of shade and opacity. Carefully layering light-curing composites of different shade and opacity allows the dentist to create a filling that is completely indistinguishable from the surrounding dental tissue.
Light-curing composites are fully usable after the filling procedure. For the light-curing composite to last, however, it is necessary to precisely adhere to proper oral hygiene habits. You have to take care of the light-curing composite the same way you would take care of your natural healthy teeth. If the white filling is professionally crafted, applied in the right location and the patient adheres to correct oral hygiene habits, it can last 20 or more years.
Even though it is considered to be the most progressive type of filling, light-curing composites are only covered by health insurance for children and teenagers under the age of 18 (applies only to permanent teeth – specifically the teeth spanning from canine tooth to canine tooth, inclusively). Light-curing composites are not covered by health insurance for adults. In our dental office, we make sure to inform our patients of the costs involved in this high standard procedure, which the patients have to cover themselves.
