Restorative Dentistry
Tooth-Coloured Fillings
Bonded rather than wedged in — which means keeping more of the tooth you still have.
What it is
An amalgam filling has to be held in by shape, which means cutting the cavity wider than the decay. A bonded composite sticks to the tooth, so we only remove what is actually diseased.
That difference compounds over a lifetime. Every time a filling is replaced the cavity gets a little bigger, and a tooth that has been drilled wide three times is a tooth heading for a crown. Removing less each time is the single most useful thing conservative dentistry does.
Composite is placed in layers, cured and then shaped to your bite and polished. We check the contact against the neighbouring tooth with floss before you leave, because a filling that catches is the commonest reason people come back irritated.
Included
What this
involves
Everything below is carried out here, by the clinician who planned it. Anything not on this list is either not needed or will be discussed with you before it is booked.
- Decay removed conservatively
- Layered, bonded composite
- Shade matched to the tooth
- Bite and floss contact checked
- Replacement of failing amalgams
- No mercury-containing materials
Most restorative conversations start somewhere simple: wanting to eat properly again without thinking about it.
Common questions
Good To Know
- Do you use amalgam at all?
- No. We restore with tooth-coloured composite, which bonds to the tooth and lets us remove less of it.
- Should I replace my old amalgam fillings?
- Not for the sake of it. A sound amalgam that is sealed and not cracking is better left alone — replacing it costs you tooth structure. We replace them when they fail, not on principle.
- How long do white fillings last?
- Comparable to amalgam in most positions — seven to ten years is typical, and hygiene matters more than the material.
More in this area
Restorative Dentistry
Dental Implants
Single implants through to full-arch restoration, planned from a 3D scan.
Learn MoreCrowns & Bridges
Rebuilding a broken-down tooth, or spanning a gap where an implant is not the answer.
Learn MoreDentures
Full and partial dentures, and implant-retained options that do not move.
Learn More
Considering tooth-coloured fillings?
Come in for a consultation. We will examine, explain and give you a written plan with a price against every item — then you decide, in your own time.