Dental fillings

What’s a dental filling?

Fillings are used to restore decayed teeth to their original appearance and function. Decay causes dental cavities (holes) in your teeth which need to be filled to prevent further pain, damage and bacterial infection.

What happens when you get a filling?

Our dentists will:

1. Remove the decay and clean your tooth.
2. Fill the cleaned cavity with a filling material.

The different types of fillings

Our dentists will assess your teeth and recommend which material is right for you. It could either be a:

• Tooth-coloured filling: composite resin, glass ionomer or porcelain
• Silver (amalgam) filling

If you have an overly large cavity, your dentist might recommend replacing the filling with a tooth coloured crown or onlay.

Do fillings hurt at the dentist?

Your comfort is our first priority – that’s why an anaesthetic will be used to numb your mouth during the procedure. You may feel some pain when the anaesthetic wears off; if you’re still in discomfort you can take some general pain relief – your dentist will advise what to do.

How to stop getting cavities

As we say, prevention is better than cure. Proper dental care, a healthy diet and regular dental check-ups can help reduce your risk and identify potential problems early.