Composite fillings
Composite fillings are strong, but may not be as hard wearing as ordinary amalgam fillings. They are tooth coloured, made from powdered glass, quartz, silica or other ceramic particles added to a resin base. Your dentist will choose a shade to match your own teeth, and then, after the tooth is prepared, the filling is bonded onto the area with an adhesive and set with an ultraviolet light. Another advantage of a white filling is your dentist may have to remove less of the tooth.

Glass ionomer
Glass ionomer fillings form a chemical bond with the tooth. They may also release fluoride, which helps prevent further tooth decay.

However, this type of filling is fairly weak and is usually used only on baby teeth and non-biting surfaces, such as around the neck of the tooth. Little preparation is needed as the filling bonds directly to the tooth.

Porcelain inlays
Porcelain is hard wearing and long lasting, and can be coloured to match your own teeth.

Your dentist will design and prepare your perfectly fitted porcelain inlays. However, because the inlays will be made in a laboratory, it is usually more expensive than the other fillings and it will also require two visits to our practice to have them put in place.