Dental Fillings

Dental fillings are used to fill small holes or cracks in the teeth. Various materials such as amalgams or composites can be used to fill them.

We do not use amalgam fillings in our office due to the possibility of teeth cracking that can be caused by the expansion and contraction of this material and possibly leakage into the tooth structure. As an alternative tooth filling, we use a composite material which is biocompatible and composed of a plastic and glass particle substance.

This material is provided in many shades to match your existing teeth. The benefits of these materials are that they bond to the tooth and increased strength and durability. A dental filling may be diagnosed for various reasons, including, treating decay or repairing cracked or chipped teeth to repair decay.

We strive to be the most convenient place to get dental filling and cosmetic bonding for your entire family in Calgary.

How is a tooth filled?

If you need a filling, your dentist will perform the following steps:

1. Numb the area around the tooth using a pre numbing gel and then a local anesthetic
2. Use a drill to remove the decayed area of the tooth
3. Place the filling and harden it with a light
4. Check your bite and adjust if needed
5. Polish the filling material

What are my choices of filling materials?

More materials are available today than in the past for filling teeth—each with its pros and cons.

Gold, silver amalgam or tooth-coloured composites may be used. Your dentist can advise you what’s best based on the location of the tooth, the extent of the decay, and the costs involved.

Silver fillings

Silver fillings are usually a silver amalgam consisting of mercury, tin, zinc, and copper as well as silver. Sierra Dental chooses to use more biocompatible materials and thus does not place these types of fillings at our clinics.

Main pros:

• Durability: silver doesn’t corrode and is strong enough to withstand considerable chewing pressure
• Longevity: should last 10-15 years or longer
• Expense: much less expensive than gold and usually half the price of composites

Main cons:

• Appearance: silver amalgam has a greyish colour that can partially discolour the tooth, so most patients prefer the look of gold or tooth-colour-matching materials
• More removal work: more of the tooth needs to be removed to make space for a silver amalgam filling
• More fracturing: cracks of the tooth are quite common due to expansion and contraction forces in silver-filled teeth
• Allergies: around one percent of patients are allergic to the mercury in amalgam

Tooth-coloured composites

Composite resin materials are increasingly used in dentistry in Alberta—not only as a filling material but to repair chipped, broken or worn teeth.

Main pros:

• Appearance: people like the ability of composites to precisely match the colour of existing teeth and are often especially desirable for visible parts of teeth or front teeth
• Strength: composite fillings bond to the tooth structure, bringing additional strength and support
• More conservative: less tooth structure may need to be removed than with silver amalgam fillings

Main cons:

• Durability: composites generally fare less well with the forces of chewing than silver or gold
• Longevity: composites generally last for shorter periods than silver or gold
• Take longer: composite fillings take longer than other fillings Chipping: composite materials may chip off the tooth
• Expense: they usually cost double the price of amalgam fillings

Are there other types of tooth-coloured fillings?

Besides composite resin materials, the following alternative tooth-coloured filling types may be an option for you:

• Ceramic: usually made of porcelain, which is very strong and more resistant to staining than composite material.
• Glass ionomer: composed of acrylic and glass, which is less durable than composite resins. They are most frequently used for fillings below the gum line and for young children.

What are indirect fillings?

Indirect fillings are made in a dental laboratory and require two visits to your dentist to place:

1. Decay or old filling is removed, an impression is taken to record the shape of the tooth and surrounding teeth and a temporary filling is placed
2. The temporary filling is removed, the indirect filling checked and, if acceptable, it is permanently cemented into place.

You may require a filling like this if the tooth structure has been worn away so much that there is not enough remaining to support a filling but the damage does not warrant a crown.

Indirect fillings are similar in appearance to composite or tooth-coloured fillings.

Why would I need a temporary filling?

Temporary fillings usually fall out or wear out within a month and are replaced with permanent ones.

You may need a temporary filling if you:

• Require a filling that needs more than one visit to the dentist’s chair e.g., a gold filling or indirect filling
• Have had root canal treatment
• Require emergency dental care

Contact Us

Do you need dental services? Don’t hesitate to contact our Calgary dentists today. Our Signal Hill dental clinic offers a wide range of dental proceedures including emergency dental services. We are accepting new patients and are excited to welcome you to our clinic.

Frequently Asked Questions