One of the main objectives of aesthetic dentistry is to restore the teeth in such a way that, if possible, the external observer does not even suspect the signs of previous dental intervention. The appearance and spread of light-bonding dental fillings is the first success story of this endeavor and can be considered a real achievement of aesthetic dentistry.In contrast to the old metal-containing amalgam fillings, aesthetic tooth fillings are fixed to the cavity formed in the tooth not only physically, but also chemically.
After creating the appropriate cavity, the doctor places the composite filling materials in a liquid state into the created cavity. It is then illuminated with a special lamp emitting light with a wavelength of 450 nanometers (UV light). This is important because light of this wavelength is suitable for exciting the molecules forming the liquid matrix of the composite filling material, so that they form chemical bonds with each other and with the tooth enamel material.
Aesthetic filling materials consist of two phases. On the one hand, it is made of a liquid matrix that ensures formability before solidification, and small, nanometer-sized glass particles. During the illumination with the lamp, the molecules of the liquid matrix solidify, create chemical cross-links with each other and with the tooth enamel, and enclose the tiny glass particles between them. Thanks to this solid mesh and the glass particles enclosed in the space between the mesh, a solid, aesthetic tooth filling with the light transmission of a natural tooth, with the hardness of tooth enamel.
Only dental fillings of a limited size can be made with composite filling materials. In the case of larger caries, it is preferable to have a composite inlay or onlay made by the dentist. This is not much different from composite fillings, the only difference is that after creating the dental cavity, the doctor takes a dental impression of the tooth, and the inlay or onlay (which can also be considered a large filling) is placed by the dental technician it is made by a laboratory based on the impression, which is attached to the created cavity with a special adhesive in the surgery. The result is also permanent in this case, which restores the aesthetic appearance of the tooth and the experience of a confident smile.