Is Glass Better Than Resin Ionomer Dental Filling?

A dental filling can either use glass and resin and comparing them helps you on what to choose. At the same time, your dentist also provides cavity filling recommendations based on your dental needs.

How are glass and resin used for a dental filling?

Fillings work by being inserted into your teeth through a tiny hole. They repair broken or cracked teeth.

Your dentist mainly uses glass and resin ionomers for filling in cavities found on your teeth’s surfaces. They can also apply glass ionomer to act as non-load bearing fillings between the teeth.

Your dentist uses glass or resin ionomer dental filling for:

• Small filling
• Metal and metal-porcelain crown cement
• Liner
• Temporary tooth filling

In terms of dental filling cost, glass and resin ionomers are more expensive than amalgam. Amalgam is a combination of liquid and powdered metals.

Glass ionomer cement

Glass ionomer cement is a result of mixing fine glass powder and acrylic acid. It imitates the colour of the tooth, and it can vary in transparency. 

Advantages 

• It bonds well to the enamel and the dentin (the porous tissue layer under the enamel).
• It requires only a tiny amount of tooth for removal, making the filling smaller than amalgam.
• It requires only a tiny amount of tooth for removal.
• It releases fluoride so it can help in preventing decay.
• It rarely causes tooth sensitivity.
• It gets done in one dental session.

Disadvantages 

• It costs more than the typical amalgam dental filling.
• It doesn’t work well for your permanent teeth’s biting surfaces.
• It couldn’t withstand intense chewing pressure.
• It gets rough as it ages, thus exposing risks to plaque buildup and gum disease.
• It has low resistance to fractures and gets dislodged over time.

Resin ionomer cement

On top of the glass filler and acrylic acid, a resin ionomer cement uses resin polymer. Like glass ionomer, it resembles the colour of a tooth but is more translucent.

Advantages 

• It bonds well to the enamel and the dentin (the porous tissue layer under the enamel).
• It requires only a tiny amount of tooth for removal, making the filling smaller than amalgam.
• It releases fluoride so it can help in preventing decay.
• It works well for non-biting surfaces.
• It works for short-term restorations of the primary teeth.
• It rarely causes tooth sensitivity.
• It gets done in one dental session.

Disadvantages 

• It costs more than the typical amalgam fillings.
• It doesn’t work well for restoring biting surfaces, especially for adults.
• It can only withstand low to moderate levels of chewing pressure. 
• It wears quickly, unlike dental fillings that use composite and amalgam as the material.

Glass and resin ionomers have pros and cons, and the dental filling that suits you better depends on your needs. Consult your London dentist to know what type of tooth filling will work best for your permanent teeth.

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