How To Tell If You Need a Dental Filling

What are dental fillings?

When a tooth is damaged or decayed, these restorations are used to rebuild its structure, functionality, and appearance. This helps to relieve any tooth pain you may be feeling.

Why are dental fillings used?

Fractured, cracked, or decayed teeth can all be fixed with dental fillings. Dental fillings can sometimes be used to improve your smile's aesthetics while also assisting in the functionality restoration of your tooth.

What are some signs I may need a dental filling?

While you should consult a dentist to determine whether you require a filling, here are some symptoms that you may have a cavity that requires a tooth filling. Schedule an appointment with your dentist if you experience any of the following:

Your feel a sharp or throbbing pain in your tooth.
When you examine your teeth, you see a hole or dark spot.
Your tooth is broken or chipped.
Your tooth feels rough to the touch.
Food keeps getting stuck between certain teeth.
An existing tooth filling has broken or cracked.
You've lost a tooth filling and need a replacement.

What are dental fillings made of?

Dental fillings can be made of a variety of materials, including amalgam, composite, porcelain, and gold. While each of these materials is safe and long-lasting, they each have their own advantages and disadvantages when it comes to repairing a cavity or decay. Our dentists offer advice on how to make the best dental decision for you here.

Porcelain Fillings for Strength & Appearance

Porcelain fillings, also known as inlays and onlays, are brittle, hard, and made in combination with metal. These strong, tooth-coloured dental restorations are typically used on molars and are made in a dental lab and sent back to your dentist for placement because they are more durable and longer lasting than a regular dental filling.

You’ll usually need to attend two dental appointments so your porcelain filling can be placed in your mouth.

Composite Fillings for a Natural Look & Feel

Because they are very similar in colour to natural teeth, composite fillings tend to blend in well with the surrounding teeth.

They look and feel natural, and are popular with patients who are concerned with how amalgam (grey) fillings may appear on teeth that are visible when they smile.

Composites are popular among dentists because they are simple to sculpt and shape onto a tooth and naturally bond to it. This implies that less existing enamel will need to be removed from the tooth during tooth preparation.

Your dentist will remove tooth decay and add bonding material to the inside of the hole so the filling can be placed. Composite resin is then layered in the hole.

A curing light is used to harden each layer. When the last layer of resin has hardened, the filling will be carefully shaped to match your natural teeth.

Gold Fillings for Durability

Cast gold fillings are made using a model of your tooth. Created from a mix of gold combined with other materials such as copper and silver, a cast gold filling is created in a dental lab and sent back to your dentist.

Then, it will be fixed inside your mouth with dental cement. Although this kind of filling is the most expensive, it is also the most durable (usually lasting 20 years or more). Additionally, getting it placed will require at least two dental visits.