These materials have been mentioned as alternatives to amalgam. We’ll look deeper into the pros and cons of each type of filling used to restore decayed teet.
Composite, made of acrylic resin with glass or quartz additives, has been in use for decades. It is used to restore decayed teeth and to improved appearance in terms of tooth shape, size and color. It is prone to staining in the long term.
Glass Ionomer Cement consists of aluminosilicate glass powder and polyacrylic acid. It releases fluoride and prevents dental caries. It restores abraded teeth only temporarily because of its low durability.
Compomer was developed more recently from a combination of composite and glass ionomer cement, and therefore has the qualities of both materials–easier to manipulate like glass ionomer cement but not as resistant to wear as composite.
Glass ionomers are used in areas not subject to heavy chewing pressure since they have quite a low resistance to fracture. This material is best applicable in small non-load bearing fillings i.e. areas between the teeth and the roots of the teeth. Dentists remove less of the tooth structure when preparing the tooth for a glass ionomer and therefore needs only smaller filling compared to that of an amalgam.
Glass ionomers can be described as translucent tooth-colored materials. It is a mixture of acrylic acid and fine glass powders. These materials are able to release small amounts of fluoride to lessen the possibility of tooth decay in high-risk patients. Although there have been reports of patients succumbing to allergic reactions when in contact with glass ionomers, these incidences are quite few and glass ionomers can be considered as safe for the majority of dental patients.
Source: Mainstreet Dental
dental treatment, fillings, glass ionomers, materials