Repairs and Restoration

White Fillings

What are they?

A filling replaces part of a tooth that has been lost because of decay or accidental damage.

Unlike silver (amalgam) fillings, white fillings stick to teeth so they can be used to repair teeth (especially front teeth) which have been chipped, broken or decayed. They can sometimes be used in back teeth if there is not too much decay or damage.

You will probably hear the dentist talk about ‘composite’ or ‘glass ionomer’ – these are just different types of white filling.

What will my dentist do?

The dentist will:

• Normally give you a local anaesthetic to numb the area;
• Remove any decay;
• Remove some or all of an old filling;
• Wash and dry the tooth by blowing water and air onto it (the dentist will be holding something which looks like a water pistol);
• Put the filling material into or onto the tooth and shape it;
• Harden the filling by pointing a bright light at it, inside your mouth (you will see the dentist and dental nurse protecting their eyes); and
• Trim and polish the filling.

What are the benefits?

• White fillings are the same colour as teeth. They come in a range of shades so they can be matched to the colour of your own teeth.
• White fillings are sticky so they can be used to reshape and rebuild broken edges or worn teeth. They can also be used to cover marks (discolouration) if they can’t be removed by cleaning.
• A tooth needs less preparation for a white filling than for a silver filling.

White fillings are not as strong as silver fillings so they may not be suitable for large fillings in back teeth. They also need very dry conditions, which can be hard to achieve right at the back of your mouth.

Root Fillings

What are they?

Teeth are held in the jaw by their roots. Front teeth normally have one root but teeth further back have more.

Inside, the tooth the pulp should be alive, with nerves and a bloody supply in the root canal. Decay or injury can destroy this living part and might also cause an abscess at the end of a root.

Root filling means removing damaged or dead pulp and filling the space left. The remaining tooth can then be repaired.

What does my dentist do?

• An X-ray can show the shape of the root canals, and also signs of infection in the surrounding bone. Some tooth roots are easier to fill than others, because of their shape. The dentist will discuss the X-ray with you if it suggest that a root filling isn’t going to be successful;
• To keep root canals dry during treatment the dentist may stretch a sheet of thin rubber round the tooth, on a metal frame outside the mouth. This shouldn’t be uncomfortable;
• The dentist uses narrow filed to find a root canal and remove the dead pulp;
• Another X-ray can show whether all the dead pulp has been removed;
• Roots are filled with rubbery materials and with pastes which set hard.

A root filling could need more than one visit. You might not need a local anaesthetic for a root filling if the pulp is dead, but the tooth could still be tender for a day or two afterwards. You might need to take a mild pain killer.

What are the benefits?

• Pulp damage can cause painful toothache but the pain will usually end very quickly when the root canal is cleared out;
• Without a root filling, a tooth with a dead pulp would probably have to be taken out;
• First-time root-fillings are usually successful and can last many years. Re-treatment is also possible.