Porcelain Fillings

Serving Phoenix, Mesa, Tempe and Scottsdale, Arizona

Difference Between Metal and Porcelain Fillings

Metal fillings used to be the only option, so many of us have them, or have had them. If you have had both metal and porcelain fillings, you are already aware of some of the differences.

Beauty
The shiny, silver color of metal fillings tarnishes and turns dark. This tarnish is not always confined to the filling itself – it can stain your tooth too. Even in the back of your mouth, metal fillings look like dark decayed teeth when you talk and laugh.

Porcelain fillings are perfectly matched to the color of your tooth. Whether they are in highly visible teeth, or in the back of your mouth, they will look like healthy, natural teeth. Porcelain reflects light in the same way as your tooth enamel, so a porcelain filling won’t look like a dead spot.

Comfort
Metal fillings can cause heat and cold sensitivity in your teeth, and aren’t always smooth around the edges.

Porcelain will not conduct heat and cold. Your porcelain fillings will be precisely crafted or polished to fit your tooth, so they fit seamlessly with no rough edges.

Preserving your tooth
Metal fillings contain a high percentage of mercury which expands and contracts with temperature changes (that’s why it’s used in thermometers). When you eat and drink hot and cold foods and beverages your filling actually changes size slightly, which over time can crack your tooth and let bacteria get inside it.

Porcelain is stable. It does not expand or contract, so it will not damage your tooth. By being bonded to the tooth, it holds it together, pulling inward on the tooth’s periphery. This can strengthen the tooth and lengthen its life.

Dr. LeSueur and Dr. Dodaro currently are serving Mesa, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tempe and other East Valley Cities in Arizona, combines LVI training and state-of-the-art technology to bring you, and your entire family, the very best and healthiest cosmetic dentistry solutions. You can learn more by reading our Replace Your Old Fillings page, viewing our porcelain patient gallery , and by contacting our cosmetic dentists today to schedule your initial porcelain inlays onlays consultation.