It's safe to say fillings are probably the most common dental procedure carried out, and at some stage in our lives most of us will usually need to get at least one of them.
Dental fillings are required when we develop holes in our teeth, caused by bacteria in the mouth. These holes are known by many different names such as tooth decay, cavities or dental caries.
Every time we eat the bacteria in our mouths are also able to feed, and after eating they produce an extremely strong and sticky acid layer, known commonly as plaque. If we don't remove plaque through careful brushing and flossing, we allow the bacterial acid to erode away tiny amounts of the tooth structure, day by day, until a hole forms in the tooth.
Unlike many other areas of the body, once a hole has formed in a tooth, the body is unable to repair this by itself. Therefore, in order to save the tooth from extraction, we must have these holes repaired professionally by our dentist using a hard tooth-like material.
Our team use many different types of dental fillings and techniques to treat dental cavities, such as
The most common types of fillings carried out are amalgam or composite, both of which are techniques that have been around for many years, although amalgam was adapted for dental use much earlier, over 100 years ago, composite fillings have gained significant popularity over the last 40+ years.
Amalgam fillings are made up of a mixture of metals including mercury, silver, copper, tin and zinc. Composite fillings, on the other hand, are made up of a tooth-coloured plastic resin, containing tiny pieces of silica. Both composite and amalgam are excellent choices when repairing small to medium-sized cavities. However, there are several extra benefits when choosing composite as your filling material:
When a has been damaged past the point of being able to repair it with a traditional filling, but also not damaged enough to require a full crown, we end up somewhere in the middle. In these instances, large fillings can weaken the tooth's structure and cause it to break, while a dental crown is an unnecessary procedure that will remove more of the remaining healthy tooth structure than is needed.
This is where inlays and Onlays come in! These types of fillings are an alternative option to traditional fillings and bridge the gap between fillings and crowns. Dental inlays and Onlays are the same types of restoration, however, cover different parts of the tooth.
Inlays are used in a very similar way to a traditional filling in that they are required to fill cavities and holes in the teeth, these will be fitted into the grooves within the biting surfaces of the tooth. An Onlay will be required for larger areas and can also include the chewing surfaces the teeth. Onlays are more similar to crowns however they aren't required to cover the full surface of the tooth as a crown would. Essentially, both inlays and Onlays are made of the same type of material and serve to provide the same function, the difference is which area and how much of the tooth they cover.
Thankfully, at Belmore Dental implant clinic we are able to provide both inlays and Onlays as same-day restorations using our state-of-the-art CEREC milling machine. In the past, this type of restoration would require more than one visit to complete but not anymore! If you'd like to know more about the process of having a CEREC restoration please click here.
"I just want to thank Belmore Dental for an amazing experience to date and for giving me my smile back. As a sufferer with an autoimmune disorder your professionalism, compassion, kindness and attention to detail is superb. I have had a lot of work done with Sinead and Joanna. With Sinead I had implants and brace treatment. Due to my health, I was very nervous of getting implants and if my immune system would cope with the impact, but through Sinead's expertise, professionalism, kindness, knowledge, enthusiasm and assured skilful approach to treatment gave me the confidence to proceed, to which I have never looked back.
Had fillings, cleaning and zoom whitening treatment with Joanna who is excellent. Her work ethic is fantastic nothing is ever a problem. Very accommodating to suit your needs. Like Sinead she is very caring, great listener, so kind and compassionate. Fantastic at her job and each treatment was carried out with great skill and 100% attention to detail and satisfaction. Nothing was left undone.
I cannot recommend Sinead and Joanna highly enough, including the dental nurses and staff in reception. So lovely and makes the experience of going for treatment so worthwhile. Looking forward to my next appointment."
Caroline
"I had bad discolouration and needed fillings done. I chose Belmore Dental because I had researched different clinics and theirs was the one that impressed me the most. Having the treatment has made me much more confident, I can now smile and show my teeth, I'm so happy. I am petrified of dentists, and was so scared I had nightmares, the thought of going would keep me up at night. I went for my consultation and cried and my dentist was so understanding and so calming which made me feel better. On the day of my treatment, I was in the chair for 4 hours, I was so calm! I would truly recommend anyone to go to Belmore Dental."
C
"Very professional practice with great staff. I had Joanna do a filling for me yesterday. Fantastic. It looks like I have a new tooth. Joanna is amazing at her job & I would highly recommend her."
Eileen
