Tooth-Coloured Fillings

A filling repairs a tooth that has a cavity, a chipped edge or a worn-out old filling, using tooth-coloured composite shaded to match your own teeth so the repair is hard to see. At our Al Qusais, Dubai clinic, our dentist usually completes a small filling in one visit.

Caught early, a filling is the simplest way to keep the tooth: left alone, decay keeps spreading towards the nerve, and the fix becomes a root canal or a crown.

Do I need a filling?

• A sharp twinge with cold, hot or sweet food
• A dark spot or a hole you can feel with your tongue
• Food catching between two teeth in the same place
• A chipped edge, or an old filling that has cracked or fallen out

Many cavities cause no symptoms and are found at a check-up or on an X-ray, which is the right time to treat them, while they are still small.

How is a filling done?

1. Examination. The dentist checks the tooth and, if needed, takes an X-ray to see how deep the decay goes.
2. Numbing. For most fillings the area is numbed with a local anaesthetic, so you feel pressure and vibration rather than pain.
3. Cleaning the tooth. The decay is removed and the tooth is kept dry so the composite bonds well.
4. Building the filling. Composite is placed in thin layers, each set with a blue light.
5. Shaping and polishing. The dentist checks your bite and polishes the filling so it feels like part of the tooth.

What should I expect afterwards?

The numbness wears off within a few hours; until then, avoid chewing on that side and take care with hot drinks. If the bite feels high, or sensitivity is getting worse rather than better, call us so the dentist can check it.

A composite filling can last many years with good brushing, flossing and regular check-ups, but it can wear, stain or chip and may eventually need replacing.

When is a filling not enough?

If a large part of the tooth is missing, a crown protects it better than a big filling. If decay has reached the nerve, the tooth needs root canal treatment first. The dentist tells you which applies, and why, before starting.

How much does a filling cost in Dubai?

A small tooth-coloured filling starts from AED 150 per tooth and a front-tooth filling from AED 300; see all prices.