Tooth coloured
restorations

TOOTH COLOURED RESTORATIONS (FILLINGS)

The majority of patients prefer to have their decayed teeth or old metal-based silver fillings replaced with the more aesthetic tooth coloured restorations. The tooth coloured resin based materials bond to the remaining tooth structure, which assists in strengthening the tooth.

Like many other fields, there have been significant advances in material technology over the last decades, as a result, tooth coloured fillings are now the standard of care for general filling applications.

Composite Resin

The most commonly used tooth coloured filling is known as composite resin. It comes in a variety of shades to match your tooth colour. It is a plastic resin reinforced with microscopic pieces of quartz and contains a light activation agent to harden the filling. This produces a strong, smooth aesthetic filling that lasts well and is bonded to your tooth to prevent leakage and increase its strength.

Glass Ionomer

This filling material releases fluoride and is used in children’s deciduous (baby) teeth and for temporary fillings or decay control in adult teeth. The material is not as strong as composite resin and it wears down quite quickly so is limited to non-stress bearing areas or when the filling is required to last for a shorter amount of time.

Ceramic or composite inlays and onlays

Like crowns, inlays require 2 visits as they are custom manufactured in our dental laboratory. Inlays are used as an alternative to crowns in larger cavities, where the pattern of missing tooth structure dictates that we will get a better long term result with an inlay or onlay, than if we make a crown.

Where there has been extensive loss of tooth structure, then a ceramic (porcelain) crown may be required to give both a strong and aesthetic result. These are extremely strong and require two appointments as they are custom manufactured in our dental laboratory.