Dental Fillings

Maintain your oral health with our white fillings

Most people may need a filling at some point in their lives, even when they have excellent oral health. At Opal Dental, we recognise that no one loves the idea of fillings. That’s why we try to make them as hassle-free as we can for our patients.

Our dental team places white fillings only, but we will remove silver ones. Whether you suspect you need a filling or you have an appointment for one, it’s useful to learn more about them. Sometimes it may not be obvious that you need a filling, however, they can be diagnosed on your x-rays. This is why it is important to have regular checkups. Diagnosing cavities early means less invasive treatment and smaller fillings.

Treating cavities with long-lasting solutions

The aim of a filling is to remove decayed parts of your teeth and replace them with a white filling material. In doing so, we stop the cavity from getting worse and we strengthen your teeth. In some cases, fillings are necessary when you’ve cracked or chipped a tooth.

On the day of your appointment, we’ll give you a local anaesthetic that acts rapidly. This prevents you from feeling anything when we place the filling. Once we’re sure we’ve removed all the tooth decay, we’ll fill your tooth with a white composite material.

The benefits of white fillings

If you’ve ever had a silver filling before, you may be wondering why we choose to focus on white. There are lots of reasons for this, but to us, the main benefits are:

• White fillings match the natural colour of your teeth, which makes them less obvious.
• The material we use chemically bonds with your teeth, giving them a reliable structure.
• As a versatile material, composite fillings are suitable for broken teeth, as well as those that are decayed.
• Unlike silver fillings, we don’t need to alter the structure of your teeth to use composite.

Signs you may need a filling

Sometimes your need for a filling isn’t always obvious. Here are some of the key signs you might need one:

• A tooth has become painful or sensitive.
• Your teeth have become more sensitive.
• Your dental floss is tearing, whereas it didn’t before.
• You’ve damaged a previous filling.
• You’ve chipped or cracked a tooth.
• You’ve noticed a dark spot on one of your teeth.
• You are trapping food between your teeth.

When you notice the signs above, contacting us sooner rather than later prevents the need for more extensive work. For example, you could prevent the need for a root canal or tooth extraction.

To make an appointment for a filling or to ask questions, call 09 834 6359.