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Tooth-Coloured Fillings

Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.

For some, the appearance of conventional amalgam (metal) fillings is unattractive. They are noticeable when you smile and can cause your teeth to appear discoloured.

If you need a filling but don’t want it to be visible, tooth-coloured composite fillings can be an appealing alternative. Composites can also be used for minor reshaping of chipped teeth or to fill small gaps between teeth to give you a more even, appealing smile.

What Is a Composite Filling?

Composite fillings are usually formed using a mixture of resins, fillers, and colourants, and applied to the tooth in layers and “cured". Unlike silver amalgam fillings, composites can be made to match the colour of your natural teeth.

Since the composite bonds directly to your tooth, these fillings require less removal of healthy tooth structure, which leaves more remaining tooth structure intact. Composite fillings are also less susceptible than metal fillings to cracking and chipping due to temperature changes in your mouth.

How Is a Composite Filling Placed?

To place a composite filling, the dentist will numb the area if necessary and remove any decay. The remaining tooth structure is then etched to create a rough surface for bonding the composite.

The dentist will match the colour of your natural tooth and mix up a composite that is then applied in layers and cured between each layer. Once built up, the filling will be shaped to contour to your bite and look natural and then polished smooth.

Why Choose Composite?

Composite fillings offer a better aesthetic than metal fillings. They can also act more like natural tooth structure, helping to avoid fractures due to uneven stress when biting.

Contact our clinic to arrange an examination or for enquiries regarding tooth-coloured composite fillings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do tooth-coloured fillings look natural?

Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.

Unlike metal fillings, tooth-coloured fillings are a custom-mixed resin composite. The composite mixture is matched to your tooth colour and bonded directly to the tooth. This usually results in a filling that is nearly indistinguishable from your natural tooth.

Should a Parent accompany a child into the treatment room?

We’ve been asked:

Should a parent accompany a child into the treatment room?

Dentists frequently prefer that parents do not accompany children into the treatment room since they want to gain the child’s attention and establish control of the situation.

However, for the first visit, it can be comforting for the child to have a parent come along for the process of getting settled into the chair. Some children do much better with a parent there for support, while others may become unruly because they know they can manipulate their parents. Some parents just can’t relinquish their child to another’s care and may interfere unnecessarily, or they may distract the child with bribes, reprimands and conversation.

Mary Anne does like having parents in the room. But, she does prefer to establish one-to-one relationship with the child (as in asking parents to observe only).

Could you stay out of your child’s line of vision and don’t talk.

If your preschooler finds it comforting to hold your hand the dentist may agree to let you do this after the first 10 minutes

There may be some occasions when if treatment is not completed/not attended we are obliged to report this to other child providers.

Meet Our Doctor:

Dr Mary Anne Costelloe BDS Dip.Clin
Dentist

Mary Anne has owned this practice for 25 years after purchasing it from Dr Kerry Hamilton/Dr David Haszard after working for Dentists in New Plymouth for 2 years. She has a Clinical Diploma is Paediatric Dentistry and prides herself providing an environment that is very child and Adult friendly, and wishes her patients to understand the treatments offered to them. Mary Anne has 4 adult children and 3 grandchildren