What is a Dental Filling?

A dental filling restores the original shape and function of your tooth after it has been damaged by decay.

This is a multi-step process whereby our dentist will remove the decayed area of your tooth, clean it, and then use a filling material to fill the gap.

How Can a Filling Help?

Apart from restoring the shape and function of your decayed tooth, a dental filling can also prevent further damage to the tooth. The risk of getting an infection is also reduced drastically.

What Are the Different Types of Filling Materials?

Filling materials come in all kinds of variety. You can get a filling of your choice according to your budget.

Each material has its own strengths. Gold is perhaps the most popular filling choice, but it comes with a heavy price. Other materials that are used in this process include composite resin, porcelain, and metal alloys of silver, copper, tin, mercury, and more.

What Type of Filling Should You Get?

Since every type of filling material is unique, our dentists will let you know exactly what type of filling you should get according to your individual dental status.

In general, gold fillings can last for over 20 years. They are inert, strong, and considered one of the best choices today. However, these fillings can be quite costly, and they might require multiple visits to the dentist which adds to the overall cost.

Composite resin fillings are plastic fillings which are great because they can match exactly the color of your natural teeth. This makes them cosmetically favorable. These filings aren’t ideal for large fillings because they can chip away over time.

Another popular option today is the porcelain fillings which are bonded to the tooth, matched with the natural color of the tooth, and can be used for larger fillings. However, they are also on the high-end side.

Metal fillings like silver are relatively cheaper and lasts for a decently long time. However, their biggest drawback is that they are slightly darker in color and may not have the best cosmetic effect.

How Do I Know I Need a Filling?

Our dentists at Wellness Dental Studio will examine your teeth as part of a routine dental check-up. We make use of tiny mirrors to see all angles and aspects of the teeth and promptly identify any signs of decay.

If the decay is not obvious, an X-ray of the mouth might be advised.

Once tooth decay is confirmed, our dentists will talk to you about your available treatment options including filling.