Fillings

Dental technology has come so far over the past several years. Today’s dental patients have many more options than their parents and grandparents did. Fillings are one great example of that. Today, you can choose between traditional silver amalgam fillings and tooth-colored fillings. The choice is totally up to you, although Dr. Russell may recommend one or the other depending on the extent of the decay and/or the location of the tooth inside your mouth. At Alpine Dental, we are pleased to offer both types of fillings to our patients from throughout the Austin, TX, area.

What You Should Know About Fillings

There’s a reason that silver amalgam has been used in fillings for so many years. It’s a remarkably strong and durable material, and silver fillings typically last for many, many years and even several decades.  Tooth-colored fillings are matched to the natural tooth color making them more cosmetic. If you need a filling in the front part of your mouth, where it will be visible when you smile, you might want to consider a tooth-colored filling rather than silver.

The Tooth Filling Procedure

Getting a tooth filled is one of the most common dental procedures performed by dentists. The procedure hasn’t changed much over the years. Dr. Russell begins by numbing the affected tooth and surrounding gums, removing all existing tooth decay — or the old filling material if you’re having an old filling replaced. He then thoroughly cleans the surface of the tooth and fills it with either silver amalgam or a tooth-colored composite material.

Dear patients and friends,

I have come to a difficult decision to step away from my dental practice after 30 years in Austin and 41 total years of practicing dentistry. I have enjoyed getting to know and treat every one of you making this decision even more difficult. Retirement will open new opportunities for me and my wife Linda, and we wish every patient the best going forward.

Our website has a form for requesting copies of your treatment records, as well as radiographs which you can print, complete, and either mail or email back to me. I will mail or email those copies to you or to your choice of dental offices within 15 days of receipt of the completed request for a nominal fee of $25. I am required by the State Board of Dental Examiners to maintain patient records for 5 years after the last dental visit on record before disposing of them.

Merrill Russell, DDS

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