Dental Filling Perth
That short, sharp twinge when something hot or cold hits one tooth is usually decay asking to be dealt with early.
A dental filling removes the damaged portion, seals the hole and restores the function and natural appearance of the tooth, usually in a single appointment.
Do You Need a Dental Filling?
You may need a dental filling if you notice:
- Sensitivity to hot or cold drinks, or to sweet foods
- Discomfort or pain when you bite or chew
- A visible hole, dark spot or cavity
- A chipped, cracked or worn tooth
- Food catching in the same spot every time you eat
- An old filling that has darkened, feels sharp or has fallen out
Tooth decay often causes no symptoms early on, so it is usually picked up at a regular checkup first. If a tooth is badly broken or painful, our emergency care can see you the same day.
What Is a Dental Filling?
Dental fillings are dental restorations that repair a tooth damaged by decay, wear or a minor fracture. Your dentist removes the decayed tooth structure, then rebuilds the tooth with a filling material that seals it against further decay.
Treated early, a small filling is straightforward dental treatment. Left alone, decay reaches the nerve, and then a filling will not fix the infection and root canal treatment is needed.
Types of Dental Fillings Used at Perth City Dental
There is no single best filling material for everyone. The right choice depends on which tooth it is, the extent of the cavity and how visible it will be.
Composite Fillings
Composite resin is an acrylic resin with glass particles, and the popular choice for visible teeth. It bonds directly to the tooth, so less healthy tooth structure is removed, and the shade is matched to your smile.
It generally costs more than amalgam because placing it layer by layer takes longer.
Glass Ionomer Fillings
Glass ionomer bonds chemically to the tooth and releases fluoride to help prevent decay at the edges.
Glass ionomer is not as strong as composite, so it suits particular situations.
Porcelain Fillings
Stain-resistant, tooth-coloured, and strong, so a good option for larger work. Porcelain is made in a dental laboratory, so it takes two visits.
Gold Fillings
Gold fillings last over 20 years with good care. Some of our dentists are old enough to have placed a lot of this material in their younger years.
Dental Filling Perth: Costs and Rebates
Dental filling cost depends on several factors: the size of the cavity, how many surfaces are involved, and the filling material.
| Treatment | From |
|---|---|
| Simple filling, one surface | $200 |
| Larger composite filling | $450 |
| Porcelain onlay | $1400 |
Those figures are before your rebate, and laboratory-made dental restorations sit higher. For an accurate filling cost, the tooth needs to be looked at, so we can quote you properly.
- Private health insurance does the heavy lifting on general dentistry
- Preferred provider for Bupa, HBF and HCF, which reduces your gap
- Claim on the spot, so you know your gap before you leave
- Eligible children may be covered under the Child Dental Benefits Schedule, so ask about children’s care
Why Choose Perth City Dental for Your Fillings
A Boutique Practice in the Heart of the CBD
We are at 5/105 St Georges Terrace, a short walk from Perth Underground, so a filling fits into a lunch break rather than a day off.
50 Years Looking After Perth Smiles
Same practice, same street, and dentists who have restored a very large number of teeth between them.
Preferred Provider for Bupa, HBF and HCF
Your rebate is claimed on the spot, so you know your gap before you leave, not when the invoice arrives.
A Price Agreed Before We Start
We look at the tooth, tell you what we found and what it will cost, and you decide. No treatment begins on a guess.
We Will Tell You When a Tooth Can Wait
A sound old filling does not always need replacing, and early decay sometimes needs better cleaning rather than a drill. You will get the honest answer, even when it earns us nothing.
Care Taken Over the Small Things
A filling is only as good as its seal, so we work under a rubber dam where it helps, check your bite properly and polish the filling smooth before you go.
The Tooth Filling Procedure at PCD
The tooth filling procedure runs to five steps and takes about 30 to 60 minutes, or as little as 15 minutes for a small, simple filling.
Examination and X-ray
Your dentist checks the tooth and may take an X-ray before deciding on treatment options, to see how far the decay has spread.
Numbing the Area
Local anaesthetic numbs the area so you feel comfortable throughout.
Removing the Decay
The damaged tooth structure comes away, preserving as much healthy enamel as possible.
Placing the New Filling
The new filling is bonded in, shaped and set hard with a curing light.
Checking and Polishing
We check your bite, then polish the filling smooth.
How to Care for Your Filling
- Brush twice daily with fluoride toothpaste and floss daily
- Limit sugary foods and drinks, and avoid chewing ice or pens
- Keep up regular check-ups so we can monitor your fillings
Good oral hygiene makes a filling last, and the Australian Dental Association recommends regular visits.
If you grind your teeth, a bite splint protects your dental restorations.
Frequently Asked Questions about Dental Fillings in Perth
Getting a filling should not be painful. The tooth is numbed with local anaesthetic first, and most patients say the appointment feels like pressure and vibration rather than pain.
The injection itself is the least comfortable part, and it is over in seconds. Mild sensitivity to hot or cold for a week or two afterwards is normal as the tooth settles.
Replacing a filling feels much the same as having the original placed, and the tooth is numbed the same way. It can take slightly longer, because the old material has to come out before we can see what is underneath.
If decay has crept in under an old filling, a little more tooth structure has to come away, and the tooth may be sensitive for a bit longer afterwards.
We will tell you before we start if we think the tooth needs more than a straight replacement.
Composite resin is the most commonly used filling material today. It bonds to the tooth, preserves more healthy tooth structure than amalgam, and is shade-matched so the filling is not obvious when you smile.
Dental amalgam was the standard for generations and may still perform well in back teeth, but it is not done in many practices in Australia these days.
Usually yes.
A composite filling is set hard by the curing light before you leave, so it is not a matter of waiting for it to harden. The thing to wait for is the local anaesthetic, which takes an hour or two to wear off, and eating while your lip and tongue are numb is how people bite themselves.
Once feeling returns, eat normally, and go easy on very hot or cold food for the first day if the tooth feels sensitive.
It depends on how far the decay has gone. Caught in the enamel only, it can sometimes be monitored and strengthened with fluoride and a change to your cleaning and diet, with no filling needed yet.
Once decay is through the enamel, a filling is the smallest treatment that works. Where too much of the tooth has broken down, a porcelain onlay or a dental crown restores it properly, and if the nerve is involved, root canal treatment comes first.
Extraction is the last resort, because losing a tooth creates a bigger and more expensive problem later.
Disclaimer: The information on this page is general in nature and is not a substitute for professional dental advice. Results may vary, and a consultation is required to assess suitability.