How To Tell If You Need a Dental Filling

What are dental fillings?

Dental fillings are restorations that restore the function and appearance of a tooth with a cavity.

Why are dental fillings used?

Fillings can repair cracks, fractures, and tooth decay (including cavities). They help restore functionality to your tooth and in some circumstances, dental fillings can be used to make cosmetic improvements to your smile.

What are some signs I may need a dental filling?

Your feel a sharp or throbbing pain in your tooth.
When you examine your teeth, you see a hole or dark spot.
Your tooth is broken or chipped.
Your tooth feels rough to the touch.
Food keeps getting stuck between certain teeth.
An existing tooth filling has broken or cracked.
You've lost a tooth filling and need a replacement.

What are dental fillings made of?

Most dental fillings are made from amalgam, gold, porcelain, or composite. While each of these materials is safe and long-lasting, they also each have their own advantages and disadvantages when it comes to repairing a cavity or decay. The type of filling you receive typically depends on what your dentist most often uses, though composite fillings are more common these days.

Porcelain Fillings for Strength & Appearance

Also called inlays and onlays, porcelain fillings are brittle, hard, and made in combination with metal. Made in a dental lab and sent back to your dentist to place, these strong, tooth-coloured dental restorations are typically used on molars as they are more durable and longer lasting than a regular dental filling.

You’ll usually need to attend two dental appointments so your porcelain filling can be placed in your mouth.

Composite Fillings for a Natural Look & Feel

Because they are very similar in colour to natural teeth, composite fillings tend to blend in well with the surrounding teeth.

They look and feel natural, and are popular with patients who are concerned with how amalgam (grey) fillings may appear on teeth that are visible when they smile.

Dentists like composites because they are easy to sculpt and shape onto a tooth, and bond naturally to a tooth. This means your dentist won’t need to remove as much existing enamel when preparing the tooth.

Your dentist will first drill out the decayed area to expose only healthy tooth before adding the filling. A curing light will dry and seal it in place.

Gold Fillings for Durability

Cast gold fillings are made using a model of your tooth. Created from a mix of gold combined with other materials such as copper and silver, a cast gold filling is created in a dental lab and sent back to your dentist.

It will then be cemented in place inside your mouth. Though this type of filling is considered the most durable (typically lasting 20 years or more) it is also the most costly. You'll also require at least two dental appointments to have it placed.