Dental fillings

If the dentist detects caries during a routine check-up, the tooth can usually be repaired.

Minor damage can be repaired using composite (white) fillings, whereas more serious damage calls for ceramic inlays or onlays, depending on which part of the tooth is being restored.

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What is dental caries?

Dental caries is the most prevalent disease worldwide, and the most widely recognised dental condition.

This bacterial infection damages hard tissues such as enamel, cementum and dentine.

The bacteria feed on leftover food on the teeth and produce acids that break down the hard tissues of the tooth, creating a cavity.

If left untreated, dental caries spreads to the inner tooth layer or the pulp, commonly referred to as “the nerve” of the tooth.

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Treatment of dental caries

Following a dental examination, treatment of caries starts with administering anaesthesia.

Dental anaesthesia is a type of medication that can be used by dentists to provide a pain-free caries treatment procedure.

The dentist then begins to drill out the decay, which has to be removed entirely, performs a deep cleaning to make sure the decay has been removed, and then places a composite (white) filling.

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Composite (white) filling

If tooth decay is detected on time, the dentist will use a composite (white) filling. 

White fillings are made of composite resin – a combination of quartz particles and various minerals in a resin base. They do not contain metals, mercury, or other materials that are potentially harmful to the patient’s health.

Due to their white colour, they blend seamlessly with natural teeth.

Composite fillings require less drilling and removal of healthy tooth structure as they are shaped and placed to perfectly fit the patient’s bite.
Composite fillings are used to repair minor dental defects caused by caries or trauma (fracture).

The filling is shaped to match the natural contours of the patient’s tooth, and provide a flawless transition.

Shaping the natural contours of the tooth is necessary not just for aesthetic reasons, but also functional, as otherwise it can lead to toothache or jaw pain, tooth fracture, food traps, and new caries formation.

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Ceramic inlays and onlays

Instead of a traditional filling, dentists can opt for an inlay or onlay. To make them, the laboratory takes impressions and uses ceramic as the final material, thus achieving a natural look.Inlays and onlays are actually very similar to composite fillings, but are recommended for larger cavities that have spread over a larger surface that can no longer be sealed with a composite filling.

An inlay covers the central part of a tooth, and is positioned within the hard tissues, an onlay is larger and covers a larger surface of the tooth, whereas an overlay covers most of the visible part of the tooth, including both the central and outside part. They are recommended as optimal solutions because they require less drilling compared to large fillings and crowns.

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‍‍Placement of inlays and onlays

‍The process of making and placing inlays and onlays is generally completed in two visits.

During the first visit, the dentist will remove the damaged dental tissue, clean the tooth and the cavity, and take an impression of the prepared tooth. The dental laboratory then makes the inlay/onlay according to the impression, and matches its shape and colour to the patient’s natural tooth.

During the second visit, the previously prepared tooth is thoroughly cleaned, the correct positioning of the inlay/onlay is carefully checked, and the inlay/onlay is cemented onto the patient’s tooth.