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Fillings

Simple fillings vary in price from around £50.00 for a very small, to £300 for a large multi-side filling. The average price in the UK for a filling is £104. For a full breakdown of the average costs of fillings click here. Most dentists have now elected to stop inserting mercury fillings knows as silver or amalgam fillings. Although these fillings are cheap and very malleable as well as long lasting, there is really no need to put mercury in your mouth when several much better looking biologically alternatives exist.
Consumers also have a great new alternative to the crude drill. Some private dentists are providing laser fillings. Instead of using the drill to cut away at the tooth, a laser is used to pinpoint the dental decay and just remove the exact portion of the tooth with the decay.

What is a filling?
A traditional filling is performed by the dentist to remove dental decay manualy using a dril, and then filling the hole with a suitable material to allow for a normal bite and to protect the tooth from further harm. Patients will need a local anesthetic to numb the pain of the drilling. Dentists used to use silver amalgam fillings, which are in fact made up on 50% mercury. The NHS still provides amalgam fillings. While many millions of amalgam filings have been used over many years, many people over the years have expressed concern with the toxic effects of mercury. A small but highly significant percentage of the population has great difficulties expelling mercury from the body. In these individuals mercury toxicity from dental amalgam fillings is documented to cause serious problem. Most private dentists have discontinued the use of the mercury based fillings for some years.
Although the filling will remove the dental decay, it will also remove all the bacteria that causes the decay. Filling the tooth will create an excellent mechanical barrier to allow you to chew and retain strength and support in the weakened tooth. However, the tiny bacteria can and will easily penetrate the mechanical barrier and go under the filling to create more decay. Small fillings often lead to larger fillings, then three sided fillings, and finally your dentist will tell you the tooth needs a crown and cannot be filled. At some point the tooth will then need a root canal and eventually if all fails an implant. Once the tooth enamel is penetrated, the tooth bacteria have a great environment to multiply.

Laser fillings
Laser fillings have several advantages.The first major advantage is finally - no drilling and no needles stuck in the gum. To many patients the sound of the drill causes a great deal of stress. Patients always imagine the dril slipping, not turning off, or falling into their gums. The whirring of the drill makes it appear to the patient that significant operation is taking place involving much loss of bone. Drilling is a highly abrasive process. Altough your traditional dentist will take every care, there is always a chance that drilling will weaken, crack or otherwise disturb the structural integrity of the tooth. Laser fillings will also help to sterilise the tooth and protect it from the bacteria. For those of us who are very sensitive to pain, laser fillings are a great choice.

How Long Do Fillings generally Last?
Fillings generally last between 5 to 7 years. After this time, the fillings would need to be replaced. Silver mercury amalgam fillings last longer than the composite alternatives and many have lasted over 15 years. Fillings can become cracked or simply just wear out through the constant process of grinding and chewing.

Do Dental fillings Require Special Care?
Filling do no requre any special care but do need monitoring over time to ensure that the filing does not leak or have any cracks. A filling is said to 'leak' when the filling does not fit precisely in the hole created by the drill, allowing saliva and debris to collect between the tooth and the filling, which will provide a ripe environment for dental bacteria to grow.

What are natural alternatives to fillings?
Once the tooth enamel is penetrated dental bacteria can quickly start to produce serious dental decay. Protecting the enamel is critical to dental health. If you are having lots of fillings, be prepared for serious dental problems down the line. Dental sealants are an effective way of protecting the enamel. The sealants are applied like a varnish to the flat surfaces of the back teeth and will act as an very effective barrier protection method to prevent the dental bacteria from infecting the tooth. Your bone and enamel can be naturally strenghtened by diet. Critical is avoiding junk foods, sugar in all its forms, and all processed foods. A very rich diet high in calcium can actually not only strenghen enamel, but will allow the tooth to regrow if the dental decay is slight. Once the tooth is damaged by extensive drilling or dental decay, it is very difficult to do anything to prevent further damage.

What are common problems caused by fillings?
The main problem with fillings is that the drilling action can also contribute to tooth decay by compromising the stuctural integrity of the tooth. Cracks can often occur in the fillings. Discolouration of the filling can also occur over time. Silver amalgam mercury fillings do leech small amounts of mercury over time in the body. It is just not worth the risk of potential toxicity when better composite materials exists which are white, and blend so they can barely be seen.