Dental fillings

Dental fillings

If your tooth shows signs of decay, your Portway Dental Care dentist can help to stop it before any further damage is caused. Fillings are applied to small and developing cavities to restore your tooth back to its normal shape and prevent any further decay.

Spot decay before it gets serious

When you visit for a consultation, your dentist will use a small inspection mirror to assess the surfaces of your teeth, looking for signs of decay or little cracks and fissures. They will let you know as soon as they see anything that might require treatment. A small filling prevents further treatment by sealing the cavity, ensuring bacteria cannot get in and cause further decay.

The process is straightforward and often only requires one or two appointments. Once your dentist has assessed the area that requires treatment, they will clear out any decay before filling the clean cavity with the most appropriate material.

What kind of fillings are available?

There are a number of different materials that can be used to fill a hole in your tooth. Indirect fillings are those that require a couple of visits to Portway Dental Care as the tooth is treated with a tailor-made filling that has to be crafted to your needs in a dental laboratory. Direct fillings can be applied at one appointment. White or tooth coloured options prove to be the most popular of these as they remain the quickest and most natural-looking. 

Indirect:  

• Gold fillings. Gold is known for its low reactivity, meaning it is a reliable safe substance to leave in your mouth for years. Gold fillings are long-lasting and could stay in place well for over 20 years. However, gold fillings are also ‘indirect’ so they do manufacture in a dental laboratory.
• Porcelain fillings. Porcelain fillings are referred to as onlays or inlays and are custom-made and then fitted to your teeth. They boast a similar durability to that of gold fillings but look more more natural.

Direct:

• Silver (amalgam) fillings. Silver fillings are also durable, but due to their noticeable colour are mostly used for treating the back teeth.
• Composite resin fillings. Composite resin is a kind of plastic that will match your natural tooth colour, making the filling less visible. The resin mixture is applied straight into the cavity, making it a relatively quick treatment, if a little less durable than gold or silver.

Should you require a filling, your dentist will discuss the different options available and offer best advice on the most suitable for you. 

When was your last consultation? Contact the Wantage team on 01235 762187 today to book your next one.