White Fillings (or “Composites”)
A white filling is made of tooth-coloured resin material usually known as a “composite” that bonds to the tooth.
Composite fillings are used to restore decayed and damaged (chipped, broken or worn) teeth. Composites are also used for cosmetic improvements of the smile by changing the colour of the teeth or reshaping disfigured teeth.
- They are tooth-coloured! This sounds obvious, but no-one will notice them once within your mouth, making them suitable for any tooth and much more appealing than old-style, grey-coloured amalgam fillings.
- Only a small amount of your healthy tooth is removed before a composite filling is applied, conserving as much tissue as possible.
- You can eat and drink immediately after they have been placed in your tooth – no need to wait for them to harden.
- They can be bonded (or “joined”) to your tooth very effectively and once they are, the tooth may be stronger than it was before.
- They’re great for treating early decay and small areas of damage, halting its progress before more serious problems occur that take longer and cost more to fix.
- They’re durable – our own audit data show that where our dentist, Joanne Giddy, places composites on front teeth, 96% survive for more than 5 years – and 91% of fillings on back teeth survive at least that long, too.