White Fillings

[loggy01]

At the dentist yesterday I had a white filling. What are these fillings made of, do they last as long as the silver fillings and what is the hair dryer thing they use to set it for?

[qapmoc]

Have a read here for some info on this, the ''hair dryer thing'' is actually an ultra-violet light generator which is used to make the composite harden, it is a kind of epoxy and it only hardens when exposed to uv light, you could make it harden by standing in the sun with your mouth open for 10 minutes but the machine is easier.

[loggy01]

Thanks for your answer and the website address.

[JKennair]

There are two main types of white filling GIC (glass ionomer cement) and composite resin. Since you said a 'hair dryer' was used it was probably a composite filling.

None of the white filling materials currently available (unless made in a lab.) last as long as silver fillings (amalgam). If the filling is in a back tooth you might expect it to last around five years. The material typically contains a glass filler and a resin (usually BisGMA).

The hair dryer as qapmoc said is actually a blue light(most don't use UV anymore, so don't worry about harmful effects) used to set/cure the material.