Fillings
Got a hole in your tooth? We’ve got you covered
What are fillings?
Fillings refer to either a metal filling alloy (amalgam) or a composite resin.
At Envisage Dental, we exclusively use composite resin to fill any cavities in your teeth. We find that these resin fillings are just as strong as the old-fashioned metal fillings, but are also able to mimic the natural colour of your teeth, making them practically invisible. This tooth colour property of the resin also makes caries detection easier, since caries often exhibits an outstanding darker colour.
Will my tooth still feel the same?
Depending on the size of the filling, your tongue may feel slight differences to the original tooth shape. Our dentists dedicate a portion of time during your appointment to shape your new filling to ensure your bite is not affected. We then ask patients to confirm whether they feel anything odd about the filling, so that we can address the problem areas on the spot.
How long will a filling last?
The lifespan of your filling will depend on how hard you bite down on it. If the filling is relatively out of the way of your bite, it will ideally last a lifetime. In the event of some complications such as teeth clenching or other high-pressure activities, the filling may become weak sooner. The lifespan of your filling will also depend on the size of the filling; the bigger the filling, the weaker it is. Our dentists will alert you of these issues during a regular check up.
Do I need to take special care of the filling?
The composite resin we use is capable of withstanding regular chewing and grinding without issue, so no additinal steps are required to maintain the filling compared to your regular tooth.
Do fillings require drilling?
Yes, most fillings will require our dentists to clean out the decayed tissue prior to placing the filling material. This is to ensure that the area is completely cleaned out of the problematic tissue before patching it up. Unless a large amount of drilling is required to clear all the decay, we do not use anaesthetic to minimise the use of chemicals on our patients.
Will getting a filling hurt?
Similar to above, the only pain you will feel while having a filling done is during the drilling phase. If we do not need to drill too much material away, you will not feel any pain. In any situation that our dentists are sure that you will experience pain during the drilling phase, they will strongly advise you to have anaesthetic administered before the commencement of the procedure.