Cavities happen. When they do, we repair them with composite resin matched to your enamel, so the tooth looks whole again and no one has to know.
Composite is a resin and glass material that bonds directly to the tooth. Unlike silver amalgam, it comes in shades we match to your enamel, it requires less healthy tooth to be removed, and it's sealed to the tooth rather than wedged into it. Once polished, a well-placed composite is very hard to spot.
The appointment is straightforward: the area is numbed, the decay is removed, the tooth is prepared and bonded in thin layers that are cured with a light, and the filling is shaped and polished to match your bite. Most single fillings take under an hour.
Many patients ask us about swapping out old amalgam fillings. If a metal filling is intact and sealed, there's no medical reason to replace it. If it's cracked, leaking, or has decay underneath, replacing it with composite or a ceramic restoration is the right call, and the result is a tooth that looks natural rather than grey. We'll show you what we see and let you decide.
A filling works when enough solid tooth remains to support it. If a cavity is large, or a tooth is cracked, a filling may fail or the tooth may fracture around it. In those cases we'll recommend an onlay or a crown instead, and explain why.
Typically seven to ten years, often longer with good hygiene and regular check-ups. Fillings in back teeth that take heavy chewing forces wear sooner than those in front teeth.
Mild sensitivity to cold for a few days is common and settles on its own. If it lasts more than two weeks or the bite feels high, come back and we'll adjust it. That's a quick visit.
Composite is fully set when you leave, so you can eat once the numbness wears off, usually in two to three hours. Be careful not to bite your cheek or lip while numb.
Send a request and we'll be in touch within one business day to find a time that works. For anything urgent, the phone is fastest.