What You Need To Know About Gold Dental Fillings

Dental inlays or filings are usually preferred to match the color of natural teeth. A filling can be applied and completed in one visit but there are other dental fillings that require having at least two trips to the dentist. One of these is the gold dental inlay or fillings. This material is 8 to 10 times more expensive than regular composite resin filling but it can last longer for around 10 to 15 years if with good oral hygiene. Hence, gold filling is a cost-saving option in the long run.

It has been observed that gold can last four times longer than other dental restorative materials. Some dental patients would prefer to have gold dental filling primarily for aesthetic restorative purposes. However, gold fillings have advantages which are even better than the regular composite resin and silver amalgam.

Most people would immediately consider the use of gold dental filling just for show; but here are the advantages of using gold material to protect the teeth:
1) Gold fillings are pliable and yet durable as it cannot be easily chipped or fractured. Due to the pliability and durability of gold even when thinned into leaf, it can withstand chewing forces. It can even cover gaps that could be a passage for bacteria to infect the tooth chamber.
2) Gold is safer than the other restorative metals because it is biocompatible, non-toxic, and hypo-allergenic.
3) Gold does not chip and break easily; hence, seepage of food and liquid substances is less likely.
4) When preparing a tooth for dental gold filling application, only a small part of the tooth structure is removed. It does not also require the removal of the tooth enamel just unlike porcelain veneers wherein removal of the tooth enamel is done to roughen the tooth surface. This procedure makes the veneers fuse and bond with the tooth structure.
5) Gold is a non-corrosive metal.

Despite all these wonderful advantages, gold fillings should not be applied to a tooth that is adjacent to another tooth with silver amalgam fillings. When metals are placed beside each other plus the substances in the saliva, it could cause an electric current or galvanic shock that could cause discomfort. Moreover, gold is also good conductor of cold and heat; thus, people with sensitive teeth should opt for another restorative material. Typically, patients who want to have gold fillings should expect to visit the dentist at least twice since the dentist will still have to make teeth impressions and send it to a dental laboratory to have the gold filling customized.