Getting a Filling on Front Teeth: Before and After
Patients often have questions about fillings on front teeth, so we’ve written this post to explain just that. When front teeth get cavities, they often occur at the gumline in the front or in-between the teeth. For both of these cases we use white filling materials (composite fillings) that blend in with your natural tooth color. If the decay is too extensive and a crown is required, we fabricate crowns that match your tooth color, as well.
Here is a before and after picture of a front tooth that was restored with a white filling:
If the decay is very small, and/or if a patient tends to have a lot of cavities, we may use a glass ionomer, a material similar to composites that also releases fluoride, which can help to fight decay.
Chips on the Edges of Front Teeth
Another area where people tend to need fillings on the front of a tooth is when there is a chip of the biting edge of the tooth. In these situations, we can also use white filing materials to restore these teeth. However, because we use the edges of the front teeth extensively in our natural chewing process, we advise our patients who have fillings on the tooth edges to be careful when biting into very hard foods. And if the chip is extensive, it might be necessary to prepare the tooth for a crown, because a bonding (white filling) can’t hold well to the tooth if there is too much natural tooth structure missing.
Here is a before and after picture of a patient with two rotated front teeth that were enhanced with white fillings.
