Dental Fillings

Durable repair for broken teeth in Wickford, Essex

A filling is one of the most common procedures a dentist can perform. At Cygnet Dental Practice this procedure is carried out on a daily basis.  It’s for this reason that we like to provide our patients with choices about which filling material they can have.

Still widely used is the amalgam filling.  This is a very strong solution for a tooth which has a large cavity but the aesthetics are not great. Amalgam filling is silver in colour and over time will gradually darken.  They are also highly visible when you laugh or yawn.

The alternatives are white fillings, inlays and onlays.  Made with strong modern materials these fillings are highly durable and tooth coloured.

Tooth coloured fillings

Tooth coloured fillings have been available for quite some time but have been considered the weaker option. This material was largley used on the front teeth requiring small fillings. 

Dental advancements now mean that these are a great alternative for large cavities and the material can be moulded into shape before being set hard with a blue light resulting in a tooth looking like it has never had any treatment!

Dental bonding

Dental bonding is a great way of repairing chipped teeth, closing small gaps and covering stained or discolouration. The same material is used as with tooth coloured fillings as this material is pliable and easily moulded.

It’s difficult to determine how long bonding will last as it depends on where the bonding was placed and how you look after it. On average bonding lasts approximately 5 years.

Inlays

Dental Inlays are a laboratory made filling.  They are incredibly strong and can be made from porcelain or gold. Gold is the strongest option but is also the most expensive.  Therefore porcelain is mainly used.

Inlays are used when a filling is needed and the cavity is large. The tooth is prepared the same way as a filling and impressions taken. These are then sent to the laboratory. It takes 2 weeks for the inlay to be made, in which time you will have a temporary filling.  The inlay is then bonded into place.

Onlays

Dental Onlays work rather the same as inlays, except an onlay not only fills a tooth, but also restores part of the tooth crown. An onlay is the perfect solution for when a tooth has been damaged to a point where a crown is not suitable.

You can expect an onlay to last about the same length of time as a crown, providing you take care of it and good oral hygiene is maintained.