Our high quality materials, together with our skilled dentists, make it possible to restore your teeth to a very healthy looking, natural appearance. We use composite (tooth coloured restorative materials) to restore your teeth for a superior aesthetic outcome.

Restorations are used to replace or restore missing parts of the tooth structure.

Tooth structure can be missing due to decay (a cavity), weakening of a previously placed restoration or fracture of a tooth.

Forms of restorations include the following:

• Fillings
• Crowns
• Bridges
• Implants
• Dentures

In this section we will only discuss fillings.

Fillings:

Fillings are the most common type of dental restoration.

They are used to fill a cavity in the tooth. They are also used to repair damages to teeth from grinding or to replace part of a broken tooth.

Teeth are usually filled with tooth coloured composite resin material.

Taking Care of cavity fillings:

Don't neglect your oral care routine. Brushing and flossing play an integral role in maintaining optimal oral hygiene as well as the integrity of your fillings.

When to replace a cavity filling:

Tooth fillings can usually last for many years before they need to be replaced.

Fillings can wear out and chip over the years due to chewing. If you clench or grind your teeth, you may need to have a filling replaced more regularly.

If you notice signs of wear, cracks or chipping, consult your dentist to examine the filling for possible replacement of the filling.

If a defective filling is not seen to as soon as possible, the problem may progress resulting in more complicated and costly treatment.

If decay develops under a filling the lesion will need to be restored. These lesions do tend to progress towards the pulp quite quickly. If not treated in time these teeth may end up requiring root canal treatment.

Take home advice:

When you notice potential problems related to your fillings, its important to consult your dentist as soon as possible, so that they can assess the situation and provide the best possible treatment for your tooth/teeth.

Potential problems to be aware of:

• Discomfort on a tooth that has a filling: a cavity can be developing under the filling.
• Damage to fillings: sometimes a filling breaks, cracks or falls out. Damage to a filling can occur when biting down on something hard or due to trauma to the tooth. See a dentist as soon as you notice damage change to consult your dentist as soon as you notice...