Fillings are used to repair a hole in a tooth caused by decay. The most common type of filling is an amalgam, made from a mixture of metals including mercury, silver, tin, copper and zinc. Your dentist will offer the most appropriate type of filling according to your clinical needs. This includes white fillings, if appropriate.
As composite (white) fillings are a made from a hard-wearing, tooth-coloured resin, they offer a much less noticeable repair than those made from amalgam. The resin bonds with the tooth, supporting the remaining structure and restoring functionality.
- We remove the decayed area under a local anaesthetic.
- We layer the composite resin onto the cleaned cavity and shape this to fit the tooth.
- We use a special bright light to harden the malleable resin.
Amalgam fillings are a durable way to repair teeth affected by decay or damage and have been used for years to successfully restore tooth structure and functionality. They are particularly effective in the back teeth, which are exposed to heavier chewing forces.
- We remove any decay under a local anaesthetic.
- We press the mixed amalgam into the cavity.
- We shape the amalgam to recreate the structure of the natural tooth.
- Amalgam fillings are often the treatment of choice for back teeth and are available on the NHS. Tooth coloured (or white) fillings are less noticeable but considered to be cosmetic so they sometimes do not usually qualify on the NHS