Dental Fillings and Restorations Canberra
Fillings – The Most Commonly Used Treatment For Restorations
Fillings are one of the most common modes of treatment for decayed, broken or chipped tooth. Dentists use filling materials to fill millions of teeth every year. Some of the most commonly used materials are Composite, Glass Ionomer cement and Silver amalgam.
Amalgam has stood the test of time. It is one of the oldest and strongest materials used to fill teeth. Glass Ionomer cements are used as temporary fillings and as fillings in children.
Composite fillings are one of the most recent and most widely used materials of current times to fill the teeth. They are available in most of the shades in the colour of tooth making it one of the favourite materials.
Apart from the above three materials, there are also Direct and Indirect inlays and onlays used when a large portion of a tooth is broken or missing. They can be made out of composite or porcelain. Indirectly made inlays and onlays are cemented on to the tooth using strong cements.
- Different dental cavities (size, shape, location) need different restorative materials. For tooth with small cavity Glass ionomer cement is most often used. This material is also a fluoride releasing material that lowers the risk of any future decay. Glass ionomer cement possesses excellent protective properties. It is slightly weaker than material used in larger cavities, however if overtime the restoration is wearing down or chipped away further materials can be re-applied easily.
- Composite resin is the most common restorative material used in modern dentistry. It is used to repair cavities of all sizes, and provides patients with excellent aesthetics and functional capacity.
- Large sized cavities are best treated using composite/porcelain onlay. This material combines strength and beauty in one. Aesthetically, there are minimal differences when the material is compared to composite resin and glass ionomer cement. However it is the materials durability that sets it at the forefront of restorative procedures in modern dentistry.
The cost of a filling is dependent on the size of the cavity and the material used. Patients can expect to pay between $150-$400 at our practice.
Filling appointments are generally between 45 mins and 1 hour long. At Civic Gentle Dental Care, we try to make ourselves available at times that suit our patients.
Feel free to call us on (02) 6247 0224 or email us info@civicgentledentalcare.com.au if you have any questions regarding your dental health or dental treatments. Our doctors and staff are happy to help.