Composite Fillings

Composite Fillings Are Metal-Free

Fillings are an unavoidable fact of life for most people at some point in their dental care. Tooth decay is one of the most common health issues for both children and adults, with around 42 percent of children and 92 percent of adults having some tooth decay. The causes are simple: The food and drinks we ingest daily include acids, sugars and other substances that contribute to either the eventual wearing of tooth enamel or the growth of harmful bacteria on your teeth. Pair that with insufficient at-home dental hygiene, other dental issues or health conditions, and eventually almost everyone will need a cavity filled or an area of decay removed and replaced with a composite filling . This is one of the restorative dentistry treatments available to help you reach your best oral health, and we are happy to talk with you about other options that may make up a complete treatment plan.

Composite Fillings Match the Color of Your Teeth

We use composite resin filling material at Oak Tree Dental because the resin they’re made from allows us to customize the shade and color to match your natural teeth perfectly. With the composite resin tooth colored filling, you can have cavities even on your front teeth filled and retain a natural-looking, attractive smile, with the filling indistinguishable from your natural teeth. A mixture of resin and fine-ground, glasslike particles that can be chosen to an exact shade is used to create the filling. The acrylic resin used is also strong, durable and resistant to further decay and damage. It bonds closely to your tooth surfaces, and allows your dentist to be more conservative in performing the restoration.

Don’t let cavities or tooth decay go untreated or unchecked – doing so can lead to much more serious complications or dental issues, like a root canal, or even losing teeth. A simple and painless filling can fix the problem before it ever advances to that degree. There’s no need to worry about pain or discomfort while having a filling done; we always ensure patient comfort and offer different kinds of anesthetic or sedation to allow each appointment to proceed pain- and anxiety-free. Contact us for an exam or evaluation for tooth decay, and we’ll talk more with you about what treatments might be right for your dental needs.

What to Expect with Composite Fillings

A composite resin filling is completed in one dental visit. The first step is to numb the gums, teeth, and surrounding area with a local anesthetic, which will help prevent any discomfort during the procedure. The next step is to clean out the decayed tooth area. Your dentist will remove as little of the natural tooth structure as possible to minimize the size of the filling, while completely removing the decay. The area is then cleaned, bonded, and filled with the composite resin, restoring the shape of the natural tooth. The resin is then smoothed to ensure there are no rough surfaces or sharp edges.

After the filling is placed, you may feel some sensitivity to heat and cold at first, but this typically goes away once you get used to the new filling. While there are many benefits with composite fillings, they are also vulnerable to staining and cavities just like your natural teeth. To reduce any wear and staining that may happen, it’s important to keep up with good brushing and flossing habits.

Meet the Doctors

Dr. Anthony Grados and Dr. Karimeh Shehadeh are a husband and wife team dedicated to making Sebastopol smile. After Dr. Grados completed dental school at NYU and Dr. Shehadeh completed dental school at University of the Pacific, the two met during residency in Brooklyn and married a few years later.

After moving back to California, the two fell in love with Sebastopol and purchased their dental practice. As new Sebastopol residents, they're looking forward to enjoying the area's relaxed pace of life, providing great dental care and forming long-lasting relationships with their patients as they become part of the community.