Natural Tooth Colour Fillings

Dental fillings are used to restore worn or damaged teeth and treat tooth decay. Dental amalgam is a strong, inexpensive material that is commonly used for filling teeth, especially the molars (back teeth). In recent years, alternative tooth-coloured filling materials have also become more common and affordable.

Improvements in dental health mean the need for fillings generally is on the decline. Thorough and regular cleaning of your teeth and a healthy diet can help to eliminate dental decay and avoid the need for fillings. Regular dental check-ups will make sure any problems are identified and treated early.

Filling materials

Dental fillings are used to restore teeth and treat tooth decay, especially in the molar (back) teeth. These teeth do most of the heavy chewing of the food we eat, so wear and tear is inevitable. A dentist or other oral health professional uses a drill and other tools to remove the decay. The hole is cleaned and dried, and then sealed with a filling material. Types of filling material include:

• Dental amalgam
• Tooth-coloured fillings.

Other forms of tooth restoration, such as gold or ceramic crowns, are an expensive alternative to amalgam and tooth-coloured filling materials.

Dental amalgam

Dental amalgam (often called ‘silver fillings’) is an inexpensive and highly durable material commonly used for filling teeth, especially those that are subject to a lot of wear and tear such as molars.

Modern dental amalgam is a metal alloy that is generally made up of mercury, silver and tin, with small amounts of copper and zinc. It is pliable when first mixed and can be moulded into a tooth cavity, reducing the amount of natural tooth that needs to be removed in order to fit the filling.

Cosmetic filling materials

Tooth-coloured (white) fillings have been used in front teeth for cosmetic reasons for many years. Recent improvements in filling materials for back teeth mean these are now more affordable and widely used as an alternative to dental amalgam as well.

However, while the white fillings may often look better when they are first placed, these materials have many limitations when placed in back teeth that mean that they are sometimes not the first material of choice for a large filling in a back tooth.

Porcelain inlay or onlay

This is used when cosmetics and wear resistance is most important for a patients. A porcelain inlay or onlay is used when the cavity is too big for a filling, but isn't so big that a crown is required. An inlay is a filling within the cusp tips of the tooth. Onlays (also known as overlays) will overlay one or more cusps in order to protect and strengthen the tooth. This type of filling costs about the same as an indirect composite inlay/onlay and takes two visits.

Gold inlay or onlay

An inlay or onlay may also be made of gold. Gold fillings despite being expensive, have long history of use with excellent durability, wear well, and do not cause excessive wear to the opposing teeth. But they do conduct heat and cold making its presence felt in the mouth. Recent advances has brought consumer focus on aesthetic results of composites and porceelain veneers and crowns.

Glass Ionomer

This is considered fairly conservative procedure as it disturbs fairly less tooth structure. This highly fluoride contained filling material interacts with the enamel and dentin and actually allows the tooth tissue to remineralize at the filling interface. This provides a true biological and chemical seal with the tooth. It is good for those who feel sensitivity with the rest of their otherwise healthy looking teeth.