Dental filling replaces the part of tooth lost from tooth decay or accident and then fill it in the area on the tooth where the decayed tooth once lived. Filling also is used to repair broken teeth or misused from nail-biting or tooth grinding. A dental filling is only meant to restore half a tooth or less. When more than half a tooth is being reconstructed, a dental crown is another choice, not a filling. Today, several dental filling materials are available. Teeth can be filled with gold, porcelain, silver amalgam.

 Types of dental fillings 

•     Composite Fillings are made with a combination of glass and resin. These types of fillings are strong, durable and are way more natural looking than amalgam fillings. The cost is reasonable and depends on the size of the filling and the technique used by the dentist to place it in the prepared tooth. It generally requires longer to place a composite filling than amalgam filling.

Advantage:   The color of the composites can be closely matched to the color of existing teeth; is particularly well suited for use in front teeth. Composite fillings are better bond to tooth structure, providing further support to the tooth. In addition to use as a filling material for decay, composite fillings can also be used to repair chipped, broken or worn teeth

Disadvantages:  durability - composite fillings are lasting at least 5 years compared with at least 10 to 15 for amalgams. In addition, they may not last as long as amalgams under the pressure of chewing. These fillings can take up to 20 minutes longer than amalgams to place. Composite fillings can cost up to twice the cost of amalgams       

•  Amalgam Fillings are silver-colored and are made of a combination that's about half mercury, plus silver, tin, and copper. Composite fillings are made with a combination of glass and resin.   

 Advantages:   It lasts at least 10 to 15 years. It can withstand chewing forces. Finally it is less expensive than composite fillings

Disadvantages:   Fillings don't match the color of your natural teeth. Parts of the tooth must be removed to make a space large enough to hold the amalgam filling, and it also can create a grayish hue to the surrounding tooth structure          

•   Inlays and Onlays are used when a cavity is large but the surrounding tooth is healthy. Instead of reducing the healthy tooth to fit a crown, inlays are made from porcelain, gold or resin. An inlay sits in a hole in the tooth and an onlay sits on the tooth to build up its shape.  In addition, Inlays and onlays are known as indirect fillings because unlike a standard filling that is done in a dentist's office, both are made in a laboratory and bonded to the surface of the tooth during a second visit to the dentist.  And unlike standard fillings, inlays and onlays increase the strength of the tooth by up to 75%, preventing further decay.  During the first visit, the tooth decay or old filling material will be removed. A mold of the tooth is taken and sent to a dental lab. In the meantime, dentist will place a tem to protect the tooth. During the second appointment, the dentist will bond the inlay in place, making any adjustments to ensure a comfortable bite.   

Fillings Procedure :

          The dentists will tell the number of tooth surfaces that are affected by tooth decay or damage, and then prepare the tooth in order to restore the damaged area. Your dentist will remove the decay or damaged area, clean the area to remove bacteria or debris and complete the restoration.  During a composite filling procedure, the tooth is isolated. Tooth isolation is important in a composite restoration, because it prevents moisture from interfering with the bonding process. The bonding procedure requires the placement of various adhesives followed by the composite material that is then hardened with a special bonding light or laser.