At Linwood Dental Care, we can place natural-looking fillings that no-one will spot as they blend in with the colour of your tooth.
All of our dentists have obtained advanced qualifications in restorative dental treatment, enabling us to provide you with the highest quality fillings.
Some further information:
It is always better to prevent cavities from arising but sometimes teeth do develop decay.
When a tooth develops decay, or caries, it will usually require a filling to remove the damaged portion and to help repair the affected part of the tooth.
It is easier and less invasive to fix a tooth when the decay is diagnosed early, which is why we recommend coming for a dental check up every six months. The deeper the decay gets, the higher the chance that the tooth may ‘flare up’ and need more extensive treatment.
Tooth-coloured, or ‘white’ fillings, can be used to successfully repair most cavities.
NHS treatments
Under the NHS, white fillings can be placed on incisors and canine (eye) teeth as well as non-biting surfaces of premolars and molars. Mercury, or metal fillings, are used mainly to repair back teeth.
Please see the chart below for a comparison of white and mercury fillings.
Keen to find out more?
White v Mercury Fillings Comparison Table
| White (Composite) Fillings | Mercury (Amalgam) Fillings | |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Natural looking filling that no-one will spot as it blends with the tooth colour. | Will be noticeable due to silver colour, which gets darker over time; old amalgam fillings often look black. |
| Lifespan | Similar to Mercury | Similar to Composite |
| Cost | From £90 | Up to £35.60 |
| Health of Tooth | Minimal amounts of healthy tooth are removed. | Excessive healthy tooth has to be removed. |
| Patient Safety | No restrictions regarding placement, unless known allergy. | NHS regulations advise against placement or removal in pregnant and nursing mothers. Some people are allergic. |
| Effect on Tooth Strength | Strengthens a decayed tooth. | May weaken a decayed tooth due to heat expansion and removal of healthy tooth. |
| Effect on Environment | Standard waste removal protocols apply. | Unused filling material placed in hazardous waste. Filling materials removed from teeth are also placed in hazardous waste. Neither can be incinerated to avoid the release of toxic mercury vapour. |
| Ingredients | Inert Silica, BISGMA. | >50% mercury, also silver, tin, copper and zinc. |