A filling is a material the dentist will put onto or into your teeth to restore a hole or restore a tooth to its normal shape.

There are three basic materials used for fillings. The two white filling options are composite and glass ionomer and the silver option is called amalgam. At The Kensington Dentist we chose not to use amalgam.

WHY WOULD SOMEONE NEED A FILLING?

• To restore tooth decay. Once tooth decay has broken through the enamel into dentine or you are experiencing symptoms such as pain, you will need to have a filling.
• To restore tooth wear. Whatever the cause of loss of tooth structure, the filling will offer a protective layer to seal the exposed dentine as it is more susceptible to tooth decay. Fillings are designed to avoid plaque build-up on uneven surfaces and reduce any sensitivity.
• To restore a chipped/broken tooth. If you have chipped or broken a tooth, tooth coloured materials are applied to the tooth’s surface, hand crafted and sculpted into shape, hardened, and then polished for the ultimate natural appearance.

Fillings may need replaced if they have become worn, fractured, debonded or decay grew around the margin. You are also able to get your filling replaced if you find its appearance to no longer be aesthetically acceptable.

WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OR SYMPTOMS THAT I NEED A FILLING?

Sensitivity- to hot, cold, pressure or sweet foods

• Sensitivity to hot, cold, pressure or sweet foods
• Toothache
• Sharp or throbbing pain
• Pain when biting or chewing
• A hole that you can see or feel
• Dental floss repeatedly tears at a specific location
• Food gets caught between certain teeth
• Roughness on a tooth surface
• Broken filling
• Chipped or fractured tooth
• A lost previous filling

WHAT IS THE CLINICAL PROCEDURE FOR FILLINGS?

This depends on the reason for prescribing the treatment, in some instances there is no need for drilling or preparation of your tooth, the need for local anaesthesia may also be eliminated.

Our dentists select the shade of composite that matches your tooth. The tooth surface will be etched with an acid gel then coated with a liquid that allows the tooth coloured resin to bond to your tooth. The composite resin is then sculpted, shaped and hardened with a special light. The material will be further trimmed and shaped. Once this has been completed, meticulous polishing will be undertaken.

The filling procedure is normally completed during a single visit of 30-60 minutes. However, this may be longer or involve multiple visits depending on the extent, complexity and number of restorations you require.

Find out more about the filling procedures available at the Kensington Dentist in London by calling us on 020 7221 1680. Get in touch to book your filling appointment today.

* We only use high quality, h4, reliable and aesthetic composites.