What is a dental filling?

A dental filling is a type of dental restoration which repairs damaged teeth, that can be caused by decay or breakage.

Cavities (holes) get bigger over time which is why it is important to have regular examinations, so that your dentist can spot these cavities sooner and fill them before you have problems, like toothache, bad breath, fracturing of the tooth or even the loss of the tooth.

Why do I need a dental filling?

Tooth Decay

Tooth decay happens when the bacteria feeds on the sugars and starches left on your teeth by food and drinks, this causes plaque to form.

The acids in your plaque starts to soften then dissolves your enamel.

This causes tiny cavities (holes) which then grow bigger.

Acid Erosion

The enamel coating on your teeth can get worn away by acids in drinks (swishing the liquid through your teeth) and foods (fruits you bite into) .

Some medical conditions can cause this like reflux or hiatus hernia.

Abrasion and Attrition

This is where you can cause wear facets on your teeth by brushing to aggressively or grinding your teeth.

Chipping

This can happen by either eating something very hard like seeded bread, or hard sweets.

You may have broken, chipped or a sharp bit on your tooth as part of an injury.