Would a Glass Filling Work for You?

If you have been told that you need to get a filling in one of your teeth, you may be considering the different options as to the material that you want to use.

To be sure, there are a wide range of materials available with which to craft a filling, and one of them is glass. If you are thinking of a glass filling, you need to consider whether it would work in your situation.

Glass Fillings Are Not As Strong As Other Fillings

While a glass filling definitely has some advantages, you need to know that it is not as strong as a composite or amalgam filling. It won’t work very well on chewing surfaces or areas where there is a lot of wear and tear.

A glass filling will work in an area of the tooth that is not frequently used or subjected to biting forces. It would probably be fine on the side of a tooth.

Glass Fillings Do Have Some Advantages

A glass filling will slowly release fluoride into your tooth where it has been attached, so it may be useful in area with advanced decay. Fluoride is an element your tooth uses to strengthen it and can be useful in guarding against further decay.

Glass fillings are sometimes used as a temporary filling until we have the chance to prepare a better one. If you are experiencing a dental emergency, we may use a glass filling to keep things working until we have a better one ready. Finally, glass fillings are fairly discrete, as they look the same as your natural tooth, so we can make a filling that blends in.

If you have any questions about glass fillings, we would be happy to take the time to educate you. Call us today and let’s talk!