Composite Restoration

Composite is a tooth coloured material composed of glass particulates suspended in a resin matrix. They have been used in dentistry for many decades. They are constantly improved and enhanced and are used widely in the restoration of teeth.

The single great advantage of composites is that they are placed and hardened in the dental chair. They are time efficient and relatively inexpensive and do not usually require specialist laboratory construction.

Their use includes the restoration of dental cavities, the replacement of dental amalgam (metal alloys), and the restoration of teeth when they have been worn or chipped away. In addition, composites are often used for aesthetic reasons to enhance the contour, shape, colouring or relative position of the front teeth.

It takes approximately one hour to restore a simple cavity with composite. More complex restorations may take a little longer. It is placed in tiny increments and cured (hardened) at each stage. Composite has the great advantage that it forms a micro mechanical bond with the tooth surface and therefore they require very little tooth preparation. It is integrated into the tooth (matched for colour and translucency) and is indistinguishable from the original tooth substance.

The goal of every composite restoration is to be so well integrated with the surrounding tooth that even a dentist wil have difficulty distinguishing it from natural tooth substances. There is a special skill in integrating composite with tooth. Our composites attract much attention from within the dental community.