What is Causing the Breakdown of Composite Fillings?

There is considerable concern on the chemical breakdown of composite resins or more commonly known as white dental fillings.  It is always important to know what may be causing these filling to not hold up as well as silver or amalgam fillings.

Saliva contains the problem enzymes

According to the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Toronto, Human saliva contains cholesterol esterase (CE)- and pseudocholinesterase (PCE)-like hydrolase activities.  The study done at the University of Toronto concluded that CE and PCE act synergistically to increase the biodegradation of both composite resin materials.

Both of these are enzymes and without them, serious health concerns can exist.  Some enzymes help join specific molecules together to form new molecules and other enzymes help break specific molecules apart into separate molecules.  Enzymes in your digestive system break food down into small molecules that can be absorbed by the body.

The Research Institute for Medicines and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Lisbon, Portugal more recently reported that different factors such as saliva characteristics, chewing or thermal and chemical dietary changes may be responsible for the biodegradation of acrylic based resins.

Home remedy temporary fillings

There are a few products out there to use temporarily to replace lost white fillings.  Temptooth has good reviews from people, however, there are no studies done on it and it is a temporary product.  Pyrex Permanent Tooth White Filling Cement is more permanent, but you have to get the mixed consistency correct.

Possible post-curing or adding fibers to composite fillings

If people want the white fillings, we need to find out what we can do to enhance their durability.  The Department of Science Dental School in Siena, Italy has possibly found that a post-cure heat treatment may be useful for enhancing the flexural strength of resin composites.

The Department of Restorative Dentistry at the Federal University of Maranhão in São Luís, Brazil has confirmed the same approach, but believes more studies are still needed for verification. 

The Department of Oral Function and Prosthetic Dentistry, College of Dental Science, University Medical Centre Nijmegen, Nijmegen, Netherlands says that under specific conditions we have been able to show that fibers do reinforce resin composite beams.

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