Fillings.

If you need a filling, we will first remove the caries, or decay, from inside your tooth and then fill the cavity with one of a wide range of filling materials. Depending on the damage to your tooth, we use several types of fillings. 

What do we do if you need a filling?

The dentist will usually numb the tooth. The dentist will then remove the decay and prepare the tooth for a filling.

Which type of filling?

This will depend on the decay damage to your tooth. Often you may be able to choose which filling type you prefer. Common filling types include amalgam, composite, ceramic and gold fillings. Glass ionomer cement fillings are less common. 

Amalgam fillings

Amalgam is what we know as traditional silver fillings. They are made of a combination of a few metals including silver, tin, copper and mercury.

Advantages

• Strong and durable

• Cheapest filling type

Disadvantages

• Can’t bond easily to teeth

• Sometimes extensive extensive drilling required

• Can contain mercury in trace amounts

• Not tooth coloured

Composite white fillings

Composite or synthetic white fillings are popular because of their natural tooth-like appearance.

A composite filling will be matched to the colour of your teeth as closely as possible. 

Advantages

• Natural white appearance

• Can bond to teeth

• Need less drilling preparation

Disadvantages

• Can take longer to place

• More expensive than amalgam fillings

Gold fillings

Gold fillings are very strong and durable.

Advantages

• Strong

• Can look nicer than amalgam

Disadvantages

• Takes up to two visits to place

• More expensive than amalgam fillings

Porcelain fillings

Porcelain or ceramic fillings are sometimes known as onlays or inlays. They have a natural appearance and are matched to your tooth colour.

Advantages

• Natural white appearance

• Most durable filling types

• Non-toxic and metal-free

Disadvantages

• Can takes up to two visits to place

• Most expensive filling types

Glass ionomer cement fillings

Glass ionomer is a tooth-coloured material.

It’s the cheapest filling material but also the weakest. Often used as a temporary filling or as a foundation filling under composite white filling material.

Advantages

• Easy to apply

• Low cost

• Fluoride in cement provides extra protection

Disadvantages

• Not water resistant

• Lack strength

• Limited uses as a filling material