Smile Gallery: Tooth-Colored Fillings

Experiencing a chipped front tooth can be a distressing ordeal. Beyond the immediate pain and discomfort, the lingering question remains: “Will my smile ever look the same again?” Fortunately, advancements in modern materials and digital technology enable us to restore teeth to their natural appearance seamlessly.

The Challenge

Our patient had an unfortunate accident, tripping on a sidewalk and chipping two of her front teeth. Thankfully, neither tooth required root canals. However, they had been previously repaired with filling material, which chipped again over time. The additional challenge was achieving a natural look ...

Our patient is planning his wedding later in the year and wanted to make his smile picture perfect. We discussed his smile goals and formulated a three-step plan:

1. Aligners to improve tooth position in coordination with our orthodontic partner
2. Bleaching to improve the overall tooth color
3. Direct composite veneers to repair the worn edges and improve the shape of his teeth

His orthodontic treatment took about 12 months in coordination with the orthodontist using Invisalign. During the orthodontic treatment he periodically used Opalescence gel within the aligner trays to improve his tooth color. We ...

Our patient desired a subtle, minimally invasive cosmetic improvement in her smile. She specifically didn’t like how some of her front teeth were rotated, the gums were uneven, the edges of the teeth were worn, and overall wanted a brighter color.

To help her meet her goals we recommended:

Aligners

Bleaching

Composite Bonding

To start, we used our 3Shape Trios intra-oral scanner to create a digital model of her mouth, then worked with Clear Correct to design a series of clear aligners to move the teeth and gums into ...

Outside of trauma, gaps in the smile can occur for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it's because the jaw grew too big and now your teeth aren't able to fill all of the gaps. Other times it's because your teeth developed too small, so there are large gaps. It could even be a combination of the two. 

To correct the gaps: 

• Orthodontics can be used to change the position of the teeth and the shape of the jaw
• Composite bonding or ceramic veneers can change the shape of the teeth
• A combination of both can be used

Our patient came in wanting to eliminate the ...

Comprehensive dentistry is an approach to oral health that focuses on addressing your overall dental needs instead of treating a single tooth problem. The purpose is to develop a personalized plan that considers your unique dental history, current dental health status, and long-term dental goals. The plan may include preventive care, restorative procedures, orthodontic treatment, oral surgery, and or cosmetic procedures to improve health, function, and appearance.

This patient came to us because she was tired of seeing a different doctor every time she went to her previous dental office and wanted a long-term plan to improve her overall dental health. ...

We often get the question, why do my fillings need replacement? Unfortunately, dental fillings, like other tooth restorations, don't last forever and tend to wear and break down over time. When this happens, it allows bacteria back into the tooth, which can result in more damage.  

For example, this patient had multiple fillings failing in different ways:

1. Broken filling on the second molar with decay underneath

Our patient was looking to rejuvenate his smile after many years of fillings, wear, and chipping of his front teeth. Our challenge was to match new crowns and veneers to an existing bridge. 

We started by making a 3D printed digital prototype to simulate the final desired outcome. Then based on the 3D digital prototype, we reshaped and rebuilt the lower front teeth with direct composite veneers This created the space we needed to make crowns and veneers on the upper front teeth. The top and bottom teeth need to work together in harmony and frequently cosmetic treatment on the top ...

Our patient had orthodontic treatment with a different provider several years ago. During that orthodontic treatment, the lower front teeth were recontoured. Unfortunately, the teeth were not properly smoothed after recontouring and a retainer was never provided. This resulted in the teeth moving back to their original position and the irregular contours trapped food leading to gum issues and cavities between the teeth.

We removed decay, properly polished and recontoured all the contacts, then closed the spaces with direct composite resin. We then smoothed and polished the composite filling material to minimize risk of future food impaction.

Tooth colored fillings on back teeth are one of the most common procedures completed by general dentists, yet they can be very technique sensitive. Some of the challenges can include:

• Poorly contoured tooth colored fillings can trap food and plaque in between the teeth leading to new cavities or gum problems
• Inadequate isolation can cause contamination of the tooth by saliva or bacteria which can interfere with the bond between the filling material and the tooth
• Improperly followed bonding instructions may prevent adequate sealing of the filling material to the tooth

Our patient presented with a food trap between their teeth causing new decay ...

Our patient initially came in with tooth wear and acid erosion on her front two teeth. We discussed the treatment options and decided to use a direct composite veneer to improve the length of the teeth while also repairing the damage from tooth wear and acid erosion. 

This new patient was getting ready for her senior pictures and came to us with a chipped front tooth. The fracture included the hard outside enamel and the softer dentin on the inside of the tooth, but thankfully the nerve was not exposed and there was no pain. 

We scanned her teeth with our 3Shape Trios scanner to create a digital model of her mouth. We then sent the scans to our lab partners at Keating Dental Lab. They were able to digitally repair the broken tooth by making a mirror image copy of the unbroken adjacent tooth. Keating ...

We are always excited to help patients restore the confidence in their smile. This patient had several large cavities that were causing discoloration of the teeth, were sensitive to cold and sweets, and were making it difficult to keep the teeth clean. 

In one visit, we were able to remove all the decay on five upper front teeth and one lower front tooth. We then used a tooth colored filling material to replace the missing tooth structure, close the space between the front teeth, and restore the smile.

If you would like tooth colored fillings to fix spacing between teeth ...

Sometimes accidents happen :( Our patient was hit in the mouth while at work and fractured two natural teeth and a crown. We completed a root canal on tooth #8 because the nerve was exposed. Then we prepared tooth #8 and 9 for crowns. The chip on the edge of tooth #10 was small and easily repaired with composite filling material. The final crowns were cemented and adjusted to fit perfectly with the opposing teeth. We were thrilled to be able to restore the teeth to a beautiful, natural smile!

Contact us today to schedule your appointment!

No need to feel embarrassed about a chipped tooth, we can help fix that. A previous injury to our patient's tooth was repaired with a direct composite tooth colored veneer. Unfortunately, over time the veneer chipped and a cavity developed.

We removed the decay and the previous veneers. Then sculpted two new direct composite veneers to blend in naturally with our patient's smile. 

Contact us today to schedule your appointment!

Sometimes the best replacement is with the natural tooth. Our patient accidentally broke his front two teeth (#8 and #9). Luckily, he kept the broken fragments and brought them to his emergency dental appointment. We were able to complete a root canal on tooth #8 because the nerve was exposed. Tooth #9 didn’t have a nerve exposure, so it did not need a root canal at this time. We carefully cleaned the teeth and the broken fragments. Then we reattached the broken portions with tooth colored filling material. We adjusted the teeth to minimize pressure on them when chewing, then ...

This patient initially came in looking for a more cosmetic option to replace their silver (amalgam) fillings. After a comprehensive exam and evaluation we discovered decay under several of the silver fillings, but not all. Silver (amalgam) fillings can be an excellent treatment option and last a very long time, but replacing them simply because they are not tooth colored is not something we typically do. We know all fillings eventually need replacement, so we encourage getting the most out of the existing fillings if possible.

For this patient, we discussed the pros and cons of replacing all three silver fillings ...

Discolored, stained, and decayed front teeth can be embarrassing, but thankfully we have many different ways to help restore your confidence and repair your teeth. 

This patient had decay and discoloration close to the gum line with an older tooth colored filling that was discolored. We removed all the decay, white spots, and previous filling. Then repaired the front teeth with tooth colored filling material. 

Contact us today to schedule your appointment!

Sensitivity to hot, cold, and sweet can all be signs of a tooth decay. The decay could be under an existing filling or crown, or it could be a new cavity between two teeth. This patient one new cavity that had grown to the point of trapping food between the teeth. They also had decay forming under an existing silver filling. 

We used a rubber dam to protect the lips, cheeks, gums, and prevent the patient from swallowing dental tools. Wedges were used to separate the teeth and further protect the gum tissue. 

Then we removed the decay and existing filling. The ...

Stains can appear over time along the edges of existing cosmetic bonding, fillings, veneers, and crowns. Our patient was concerned about the staining on her front tooth and the small chip on the adjacent tooth. We removed the existing bonding and stain, then replaced with new bonding while also repairing the chipped tooth.

This patient came in for a checkup and we noticed there was an open space with decay around an old filling. We were able to remove the previous filling and the decay, then repair the tooth with a new tooth colored filling that blends in naturally.

Our patient was having sensitivity on several teeth while eating and drinking sweet things. We found several large cavities in the pits and grooves of her molars. We used a green dental dam to isolate the teeth and prevent anything from contaminating the teeth. We then removed the cavities and rebuilt the teeth using white, tooth-colored composite filling material. We adjusted the bite after removing the dental dam and polished to make sure there were no rough areas. These fillings should last a long time with excellent home care and routine cleanings.

Careful walking with your hands full! Our patient was carrying a Yeti mug and tripped, hitting her tooth on the straw. We were able to see her right away and completed an emergency repair of the tooth with composite filling material.

Yes, fillings do wear out over time! After almost 10 years, this filling was discolored and leaking around the edges. The old filling and decay was removed, then a new filling was placed.

This patient came to us because she was trapping food between two of her back teeth and she didn't know why. She had two failing composite restorations that had too much space between them and were also stained, leaking, and had decay underneath them. We used a soft green rubber dam material to protect the gums, cheeks, lips, and tongue and to isolate the teeth for better adhesive bonding. We removed the old fillings and the decay and replaced them with new fillings. The teeth are now touching so she no longer traps food between them!

This patient had direct composite veneers on his front two teeth and unfortunately one of the veneers chipped. We removed the remaining veneer and replaced it with a new direct composite veneer. We had him smiling again after just a few minutes in the chair!

Oh no, I chipped my tooth! It can happen to anyone at almost any time. It can be especially scary when it's a front tooth. We roughened the tooth and applied some white composite resin, then shaped it to match this patient's smile.

This patient recently moved to town and was having severe pain on biting and while drinking cold things. She had two white composite fillings placed the year before, but they were already showing signs of discoloration and leaking. We used something called a rubber dam to protect the cheeks, tongue, gums, and lips. The rubber dam also allows us to maintain a very clean tooth surface in preparation for adhesive bonding of new composite fillings. The patient has been pain and sensitivity free ever since we replaced the composite fillings!

This patient chipped her front tooth which had a previous white composite filling repair. We removed the old tooth colored filling material and replaced it with a new tooth colored composite filling. We also adjusted the bottom teeth to prevent them from hitting the filling too hard, which could lead to another chipped filling or tooth.

Our patient had a previous amalgam (silver) filling on a molar. The silver filling developed a crack and also had gaps between the silver filling and the tooth allowing bacteria to leak underneath the old filling. The patient also desired a tooth colored replacement option. We were able to remove the old silver filling and replace it with a white composite filling.

Our patient was unhappy with the dark appearance of her two front teeth. There are many different options for whitening teeth including bleaching, ceramic veneers, or direct composite veneers. Our patient decided on direct composite veneers. We removed any old filling material and roughened the surface of the teeth. Then we adhesively bonded white composite resin to the teeth and shaped it to blend in beautifully with her smile.

Oops! This young patient fell out of bed and chipped his front tooth. After isolating the tooth with a dental dam, we roughened the tooth up and smoothed the chipped area before rebuilding the chip with white composite filling material. Composite can be an excellent material because it can easily be repaired if he ever chips the filling or tooth again.

Our patient flew in from out of town to have this filling replaced. The edges of the filling were starting to leak, allowing bacteria to damage the tooth underneath the filling. A dental dam was used to isolate the teeth. We removed the old filling and replaced it with a new tooth colored filling.