A filling replaces a part of the tooth that has been lost through decay, damage or accident. There are 2 options for fillings, Silver Amalgam and White fillings.
SILVER AMALGAM FILLINGS
Silver fillings are made of amalgam which is a mixture of mercury, with silver, tin and other metals.
WHAT WILL MY DENTIST DO?
• numb the tooth
• remove the decay and any old filling
• remove any weak areas in the tooth
• prepare the cavity to accept the filling
• press soft amalgam into the cavity
• shape the filling to fit exactly into the tooth
• check to make sure that the filling feels good and the bite is correct
• polish the filling when it is completely hard
WHITE FILLINGS
Modern dental materials are adhesive which means that they 'bond' to teeth. Once the tooth has been prepared the surface is etched using a safe, mild acid to roughen the surface of the tooth. The acid is washed off using a jet of water and dried. Special dental adhesive is then applied which seals the filling to the tooth.
The resulting filling is very strong but generally do not last as long as silver amalgams. White fillings match the colour of your teeth.
Crowns, veneers and inlays may also be fixed in this way.
