To fill a hole in a tooth (we call it a cavity) we use a filling. Fillings can also be used to repair a cracked or broken tooth or a tooth that has worn.
We remove the decayed area and then prepare the space for the filling. These days there are many different filling materials available and we will discuss the choice with you. For teeth that are not seen when you smile, you may opt for a silver coloured amalgam filling – the material most commonly used in the past. This is the cheaper of the available materials.
For teeth that are seen when smiling, most patients choose so-called ‘white’ fillings. These are made of composite resins and can be coloured to accurately match your natural teeth.
In the past, it was quite common for decayed teeth to simply be removed but these days dentists try to save natural teeth whenever possible and to treat the infection (which causes decay) instead. More and more people now retain their natural teeth throughout their lifetime.
