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BONDED RESIN FILLINGS (DIRECT)

Bonded resin fillings have been used extensively in dentistry for over twenty-five years. There have been about five generations of resins and bonding agents that have greatly improved these fillings. They have been used successfully on front teeth for nearly all that time, but it has only been the last decade or so that they were considered satisfactory for chewing surfaces of back teeth.

ADVANTAGES:

ESTHETICS: Over the years the esthetic qualities of the bonded resins just
get better and better. There are more and more shades to choose from, and the resins are much more color stable than they were years ago. Unless there are multiple colors in a tooth, usually a well done filling will blend in and will be almost impossible to see.

DURABILITY: Resins on back teeth are getting more and more durable. A well done resin will usually last for ten or more years under the right conditions.  They are generally NOT as durable as bonded silver filings, but the differences closing. Most research indicates that the direct resin fillings last as long or longer than ceramic inlays or indirect resin inlays.

BONDING: For a long time, one advantage bonded resins had was that they did bond chemically to the tooth, thus strengthening the tooth somewhat, whereas silver amalgam fillings just sort of plugged the cavity. They still have that property, but most other types of fillings and inlays can now be bonded to the tooth.

DISADVANTAGES:

DURABILITY: As I mentioned above, the resins generally don't last as long
as the bonded silver restorations.

COST: Most dentists charge about 70% to 100% more for bonded resins than for bonded silver. Some insurances don't cover that difference in cost for back teeth.

ALLERGY: Despite the negative press for silver fillings, there are many more reported cases of allergy to bonded resin fillings.

SENSITIVITY: Bonded resin fillings have a higher incidence of sensitivity than bonded silver. New techniques are reducing the numbers of sensitive teeth following bonded resin fillings.