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Dental Fillings

Dental fillings for strong, cavity-free teeth
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What happens in a dental filling procedure
Can you use white fillings to replace my amalgam fillings?

Are you sick of your old-fashioned amalgam fillings standing out against the naturally light colour of your teeth? Tooth coloured fillings could be long lasting alternative, offering you brilliant cosmetic and restorative results. The most durable and aesthetic material for tooth coloured fillings is dental ceramic, also known as porcelain.

Your ceramic tooth coloured filling procedure can be completed using our CEREC computerised technology system.

What happens in a dental filling procedure

Your tooth will be prepared, and then scanned by the CEREC camera which takes a 3D image of the area using infrared waves. The scan measures the tooth structure and your filling is then designed and milled from a solid ceramic block, giving you a perfect, quality long-lasting restoration, all in one appointment.

Alternatively, your Apple Dental dentist can sculpt composite resin tooth-coloured fillings straight onto your tooth. We then harden the filling using a special UV light. While ideal for smaller restorations, resin fillings may not be as effective for larger restorations, for which we recommend strong, durable ceramic fillings.

If you’re looking for a new, attractive way to restore your smile, with none of the dark obtrusive look of old fashioned amalgam, natural looking white fillings could be the ideal solution for you.

Removal of amalgam filling material (silver filling) and restoring with a white composite filling to improve the aesthetics and smile

Removal of amalgam filling material (silver filling) and restoring with a white composite filling to improve the aesthetics and smile

Using composite resin material (white material) to bond teeth and restore to full function

Using composite resin material (white material) to bond teeth and restore to full function

Can you use white fillings to replace my amalgam fillings?

As a general rule, the Apple Dental team will usually only recommend swapping amalgam fillings for white fillings if your old restoration needs replacing.

Frequently asked questions

Many small to medium cavities in teeth will give no pain, which means you may not know if you need fillings in your teeth. In fact, decay can sometimes consume two-thirds of your tooth from the inside, without you realising it’s happening. For this reason we recommend you visit Apple Dental at least twice a year, to allow us to examine your teeth and take dental x-rays.

If you have persistently sensitive teeth, or a toothache that lasts for more than a few minutes at a time, we strongly advise you to visit our Lane Cove dentist for an examination.

One of the most obvious advantages to white fillings is their beautiful, more natural appearance. They can also leave your teeth stronger, thanks to needing less healthy tissue to be removed when they’re placed.

On the other hand, a composite white filling may leave your tooth with a marginally greater risk of fracturing, compared to a tooth restored with an amalgam filling. A very small proportion of patients may also need a tooth which has been restored with a white filling, to undergo root canal therapy.

If you’re looking for a more natural looking alternative to amalgam or gold fillings were all that were used in the past for fillings in back teeth, dental health professionals frequently use tooth-coloured porcelain or composite materials that are strong and extremely wear resistant. The Apple Dental team can even replace your old amalgam fillings and replace them with natural looking tooth coloured fillings.

To some extent the longevity of your fillings will depend on where they’re situated in your mouth, and on how heavily you chew and bite. However, research has shown that modern composite white fillings are almost as effective and long-lasting as old-fashioned amalgam fillings.

Tooth coloured fillings are made from dental composite, consisting of a liquid resin component that hardens with time by chemical reaction. The filler particles are made from solid substances such as glass or pieces of set resin.

While most teeth with small to moderate decay or fractures are easily restored with fillings, extensive decay or larger fractures may need more complex treatment.