The filling material used to repair a cavity in a tooth depends on a number of factors, including the size of the cavity and the strength required.
Broken front teeth and smaller cavities in back teeth can be repaired with white “composite” fillings at the chair-side. These can be layered to ensure a good colour match to the tooth.
If a tooth is severely broken down it may be necessary to use a stronger material and metal “amalgam” fillings can be used. Some people are not keen on amalgam fillings and prefer to have tooth coloured restorations. In these cases it may be appropriate to restore the tooth with inlays or onlays.
Inlays and onlays are hand-made to order in a laboratory and are then glued to the tooth in the surgery. They can be made from porcelain or composite material. They can also be made from gold. Inlays fit into a hole in a tooth where as onlays cover the biting surface of the tooth, so helping to protect what remains of the natural tooth.
These restorations are strong and can last longer than regular fillings. They are also colour-matched to your teeth, so look very natural. They are more time consuming to make than regular fillings. Two appointments are needed – the first to prepare the tooth and the second, about two weeks later, to glue the restoration into place. As such, they are also more expensive.