Services » General Cosmetic » Fillings

Fillings

A filling is when the dentist removes decay from inside the tooth, then fills the cavity with one of a wide range of filling materials. Our dentists have access to various materials, including amalgam, gold, porcelain inlays, cerecs and white composite fillings.

What’s more, some fillings use bonding technology where decay is absent and no drilling is required, which may be done without any need for anesthetic. Your Lumino dentist will be able to discuss the various advantages and drawbacks of each type of filling with you, to ensure that you are entirely satisfied and comfortable with the end result.

Choosing your dental filling

When new cavities need attention, or old fillings need replacement, you have a number of choices for the type of filling to be used.

Unfilled teeth                                                                                Filled teeth

Composite or white fillings

Composite fillings are by far the most popular fillings in New Zealand because of their excellent natural appearance and strength. Their durability is now comparable to amalgam fillings. A composite filling is selected to match the colour of your teeth as closely as possible. They are almost impossible to detect and are an excellent replacement for stained, chipped or leaking fillings.

Advantages

• Cosmetic appearance.
• May bond a weak tooth together, reducing the risk of fracture in an extensively filled tooth.
• Can be fitted into very small holes, so less drilling is needed in preparation for the filling.

Disadvantages

• Composite fillings take longer to place than amalgam fillings.
• Higher cost compared with amalgam fillings.
• Not a good choice for patients with high caries rates.
• Increased sensitivity in some cases.

Gold fillings

• The advantage of gold fillings is their strength and durability.
• They are more expensive than other filling types.

Glass ionomer cement fillings

Glass ionomer was originally used as a dental cement for gluing crowns onto teeth. It is a tooth-coloured material.
Today, glass ionomer may be used in a variety of ways, including use as a filling material. It is the least costly material to apply. However, in many cases it has the shortest life due to its low wear-resistance. It is typically used as a durable temporary filling, or as a foundation underneath fillings made of composite.
In the future, technological advancements may see this material becoming just as durable as the other materials.

Porcelain inlays or onlays

Porcelain is a ceramic material that is matched to the tooth colour to provide a cosmetic result. It is a material designed for use on back teeth, and is glued into the tooth cavity with a special powerful glue that increases the strength of the bond.
The porcelain filling is extremely strong and wear resistant. It can last indefinitely, provided you do not get a new cavity underneath it, or abuse your teeth.

Advantages

• Very strong.
• A cosmetic tooth-coloured alternative.
• Long service life.
• Fillings generally weaken teeth, but because inlays are bonded to the tooth, they can offset this weakening to some degree.

Disadvantages

• Inlays are the most expensive of the filling materials.

Gold inlays or onlays

The advantages of these restorations are similar to porcelain inlays or onlays with their excellent strength and durability. They are more expensive than other filling types.

Dental amalgam

Dental amalgam has been around for over 150 years. It is a cost-effective way of filling teeth and a small to moderate-sized amalgam filling can last many years before it wears out and requires replacement.
Dental amalgam is made up of silver, tin, copper and mercury. The American, Australian and New Zealand Dental Associations report that amalgam fillings are safe for patients.

Advantages

• Strong, long lasting, proven material.
• Low cost.
• Material seals itself into the preparation, inhibiting recurrent decay.

Disadvantages

• It is not tooth-coloured.
• It does not bind the tooth together.
• More tooth structure may have to be removed to get the amalgam to stay in the tooth.
• Contains mercury in trace amounts.