Fillings

Over the years, the mouth will undergo many changes. Everyday you will be talking, drinking, chewing and possibly grinding the teeth. All these actions can cause teeth or fillings to break away. If it is not possible to restore a tooth with a simple filling, we may advise a crown or onlay to protect the tooth. Give us a call to discuss your concerns and our dentists will be happy to advise on the best solution.

A filling will be required if a tooth has decay or is broken/worn. If a tooth has a simple fracture it can often be due to crunching a hard food or grinding the teeth together. If a tooth requires a filling because it has decay, it is often due to your oral hygiene habits and diet. Our friendly dentists will happily discuss the best way for you to prevent further decay. This may involve visiting our hygienist more regularly or using a high strength toothpaste. Often, simple diet changes can have a profound effect on your dental health. Let us help and book your consultation today.

Tooth decay starts underneath the hard, outer enamel layer of your tooth. This is why we often need x-rays to diagnose decay. There is no specific time line for how quickly decay will progress inside your tooth. The first signs of tooth decay may be mild sensitivity or food/floss catching between teeth. Once a hole inside the tooth is big, the hard enamel will shatter and a hole will be felt by you. We hope to save your tooth before the damage is this severe. The quicker we treat decay, the smaller the filling will be.

The answer to this question will often relate to the severity and duration of pain you are experiencing. Commonly for a few days after a new white filling you may get increased sensitivity to cold and when biting, once the tooth settles this should subside. If you have severe pain (requiring painkillers) after a filling, it is likely the nerve is not happy and a root canal treatment may be required. This may happen if the decay was deep or a tooth has a crack. This is a dental emergency and we hope to alleviate your pain quickly, please give us a call immediately. If you have a niggling, on off type pain, it may be because the filling is a little high in your bite. This can easily be adjusted by your dentist.

Here at Alderley Edge Dental, our default filling material will be a white composite material. In certain circumstances, it may be more appropriate to place a silver (amalgam) or glass-ionomer style filling. We will always let you know which filling material will be used prior to its placement.