If you've got a cavity or other minor tooth damage, white fillings can restore your tooth's appearance and function.
At Swish Dental, we use high quality white tooth fillings that are safer and look more natural than metal amalgam fillings. Placing a filling is one of the most common dental procedures and is suitable for adults and children.
If you think you need a filling in Brisbane, or you want to discuss more options for restoring a damaged tooth, talk to our dentists in Everton Park or Mitchelton today.
White fillings may be suitable if your tooth has a small chip, crack or cavity, but most of its structure still remains. Most cavities are caused by tooth decay, which could cause further damage or lead to tooth loss if it's not treated in time.
A damaged tooth may feel painful or sensitive, affect your ability to eat or put you at risk of infection, so we recommend you contact our clinic as soon as you notice a problem. Our dentists will examine your mouth and tell you if you could benefit from a filling or another treatment.
If your tooth is too severely damaged or weak for a filling, we may recommend other options such as porcelain inlays and onlays or a dental crown.
Our white fillings are made from a composite resin, which includes small particles of glass and plastic. We can choose a shade of resin that closely matches your natural tooth colour, so your filling won't be noticeable when you smile.
White fillings can fill in cavities and repair other minor tooth damage from decay or an injury, as long as more than half of the tooth's structure remains. White fillings can also be used to replace old metal fillings if you want a more natural appearance.
As well as looking more natural than metal amalgam fillings, a white tooth filling requires less of the tooth's structure to be removed, helping to preserve your healthy teeth. White fillings are also safer than amalgam fillings as they don't contain mercury.
If we think you could benefit from a filling, we'll explain exactly what's involved in the procedure so you know what to expect. We may need to take dental x-rays to help us plan your treatment more effectively.
We use a local anaesthetic to prevent you from peeling pain during the treatment, and you can discuss other sedation options if you feel nervous.
Before placing a filling, we need to access the cavity or damaged part of your tooth using a dental drill. We'll then remove any decayed tissue and clean the site to make sure it's free from bacteria.
We can then apply the composite resin filling in layers, using UV light to harden each layer before applying the next one. Once your filling is complete, we'll carefully shape and polish the surface to make sure your normal bite is restored.
Depending on how many fillings you need, this treatment can usually be completed in a single appointment.
Having a filling is a common procedure that doesn't normally have any side-effects. However, the treated tooth may feel more sensitive to pressure or hot and cold food and drink for up to a week.
If you feel discomfort beyond this time, or other unusual symptoms, you should contact us to arrange an appointment at your nearest Swish Dental clinic.
The cost of a filling depends on its size and location in your mouth. We can help you to claim white fillings on your health insurance and we offer payment plans to help you spread out the cost.
Porcelain inlays and onlays are essentially custom shaped ceramic fillings which look natural and are super strong. Porcelain onlays cover the biting surfaces of teeth to protect weak/damaged teeth, and porcelain inlays are another option for composite fillings. They do not disintegrate like traditional fillings.
Onlays/inlays can provide extra strength to the tooth and protect the remaining weakened parts of the tooth. This is the case when over half of the tooth structure has been lost from decay or fractured. Fillings are mainly used to restore teeth that have enough tooth structure remaining to act as a strong framework to surround the filling.
When a tooth is heavily broken down or decayed it’s best to try and save as much as possible of what’s left. Crowns often require healthy tooth to be removed whilst porcelain inlays / onlays are much more conservative – this is a huge benefit and recent advances in material science make it a highly predictable long-term solution.
Like any restoration in dentistry, maintenance is the most important factor to ensure your inlay/onlay lasts as long as possible. Studies show the survival rates for all porcelain inlay/onlay restorations can vary from 5-10 years depending on a number of factors. It is very important you avoid very crunchy foods, see your dentist and hygienist for regular appointments every year and brush well!
Talk to our team at Swish Dental to find out how white fillings could help to restore your smile.
Call our Everton Park clinic on (07) 3355 1422 or our Mitchelton clinic on (07) 3354 3341.
