Fillings

Traditional dental restoratives, or fillings, may include gold, porcelain, and composite. The strength and durability of traditional dental materials continue to make them useful for situations where restored teeth must withstand extreme forces that result from chewing, such as in the back of the mouth.

Newer dental fillings include ceramic and plastic compounds that mimic the appearance of natural teeth. These compounds, often called composite resins, are usually used on the front teeth where a natural appearance is important, as well as on the back teeth depending on the location and extent of the tooth decay.

What's Right for Me?

Several factors influence the performance, durability, longevity and expense of dental restorations, including:

The components used in the filling material
The amount of tooth structure remaining
Where and how the filling is placed
The chewing load that the tooth will have to bear
The length and number of visits needed to prepare and adjust the restored tooth.

Before your treatment begins, your doctor will discuss with you all of your options, and help you choose the best filling for your particular case. To help you prepare for this discussion it may be helpful to understand the two basic types of dental fillings — direct and indirect.

Direct fillings are fillings placed immediately into a prepared cavity in a single visit. They include glass ionomers, resin ionomers, and composite (resin) fillings. The dentist prepares the tooth, places the filling, and adjusts it in just one appointment.
Indirect fillings include inlays, onlays, veneers, crowns, and bridges fabricated with gold, base metal alloys, ceramics, or composites. In most dental offices, indirect fillings require two or more visits, but at Gremban & Gremban Dental many indirect fillings can be completed in a single-visit with our CEREC technology. Learn more about single-visit restorations.
During the first visit, the dentist prepares the tooth and makes an impression of the area to be restored. The dentist then places a temporary covering over the prepared tooth. The impression is sent to a dental laboratory which creates the dental restoration.
If your indirect filling does require more than one visit, at the next appointment, the dentist cements the restoration into the prepared cavity and adjusts it as needed.