Need a filling?

When you would need a filling

If you’re experiencing toothache, sensitivity to pressure (or how about that sharp pain when you eat sugary foods). Chances are you may need a filling.

But it’s good to note that sometimes you may experience absolutely no pain – but you could still need a filling. It’s possible that you see or feel that there is a cavity in your tooth. For those occasions when you don’t experience pain, we recommend that you have a full check-up at least once a year. If you spot the problem early, you could save yourself a lot of pain; not to mention ensure a cost-effective treatment.

How does it work?

Essentially, we make crowns to cover the teeth on either side of the gap. They are called the anchors of the bridge. Connected to these anchor crowns, is the false tooth (or teeth) called the pontic tooth. Together we call it a bridge.

What Mathee Dental Studio will do for you

Here at Mathee Dental Studio, we’ll undertake an exam and make use of x-rays to spot the problem area. Once we know where you need a filling, we’ll clean out the tooth, and cement the filling into its position.

We offer many options when it comes to choosing a filling:

Composite or white fillings

These fillings are not only strong; they also look very natural. We can ensure they meet the colour of your teeth – so they’ll be very hard to spot. They can also be slotted into extremely small cavities, which means we may not have to drill so much to prepare the tooth. On the downside, these fillings are not strong enough when the cavity is too big. So, if your tooth lost too much structure due to extensive decay or trauma, then this may not be the right option for you.

Glasionomer cement fillings

Glasionomer fillings are cheap, but they are likely to have the shortest lifespan. We usually use this as a temporary filling, or as a foundation underneath other fillings.

Porcelain inlays or on lays

These fillings are ideal for your back teeth. We ensure they match the colour of your tooth, and then the inlay is glued into the cavity. This filling is very strong, and will last a long time, particularly because they are bonded to the tooth. Of course, they are also the most expensive type of filling.

Gold inlays or on lays

Like porcelain inlays or on lays, gold inlays are strong and durable, but also more expensive.

Dental amalgam

Dental amalgams are the most cost-effective filling, and can last many years. But on the downside, this filling is not tooth-coloured, and does not bind the tooth together. Also, it’s known to contain tiny amounts of mercury (along with silver, tin and copper). Dental associations, for example those in the US, Australia and New Zealand consider them safe to use, but some practices rather opt for alternative fillings.

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