Fillings

A filling is used to treat a small hole, or cavity, in a tooth. Dentist removes the decayed tooth tissue and then fills the space with a filling material.

Types of fillings:

Amalgam (silver)

This filling is a mixture of metals (mainly silver) and mercury liquid. Although they offer strength and durability, some people don’t like them because of the colour and presence of mercury.

Tooth coloured fillings

• Composite
  This is the most common white (tooth coloured) filling material used in dentistry. This is made of a tooth-coloured composite (powdered glass and ceramic added to a resin base). Composite comes in different shades to match with the tooth colour.
• Ceramic
  Ceramic fillings are custom made in the lab; they are commonly used as: Inlays. These are very durable and aesthetically pleasing. Inlays are more expensive than composite fillings.
• Glass ionomers
  These fillings are often used as semi-permanent material, and is a favourable choice for children as they can release fluoride, which can help prevent further tooth decay. They’re not used on the biting surface of adult teeth as they do not have good wear resistance.

Gold

Gold fillings (Gold Inlay) are custom made in the lab, they are very strong and durable but are quite expensive. These are less commonly used due to the reasons of their cost and aesthetics.

Fast Facts

• Helps fill the hole in teeth to avoid worsening
• Fast way of restoring teeth, done in single visit (excluding Inlays).
• Can last for many years with good care.
• Option to choose tooth-coloured fillings.

The Patient Journey

Examination: Dentist will thoroughly examine your teeth and identify the need for the filling after confirming with an X-ray.

Preparation: tooth is prepared by your dentist by meticulously removing the decay, making sure none is left behind.

Placement: The tooth is then sealed, and the filling material is placed within the tooth.

FAQs