Tooth Filling in Parnasree, Behala, Kolkata

A filling repairs a tooth before the decay reaches the nerve. Catching a cavity at this stage is the difference between a thirty-minute appointment and a root canal.

Spotting decay early

Early decay causes no pain at all. By the time a tooth is sensitive to sweet or cold, the cavity has usually reached the dentine underneath the enamel. By the time it aches on its own, the nerve is involved.

That gap between "no symptoms" and "needs a root canal" is exactly what a routine six-monthly check-up is for. Small cavities between teeth are found on bitewing X-rays long before they can be seen or felt.

Composite, not amalgam

We place tooth-coloured composite resin, shade-matched to the surrounding tooth. It bonds chemically to the tooth structure, which means less healthy tooth has to be cut away to hold it in place than with traditional silver amalgam.

The result is invisible in normal conversation, and it seals the margin against further decay. For very large cavities where a filling would be unreliable, we will recommend an inlay or a crown instead of building up a filling that is likely to fracture.

How long fillings last

A well-placed composite in a well-maintained mouth lasts many years. Fillings fail at their margins, where new decay creeps in, so the things that extend their life are the boring ones: flossing, cutting down on frequent sugar, and having the margins checked at each visit.

Questions patients ask about Tooth Filling