WHITE FILLING OPTIONS

Composite and modern bonding techniques allow us to create beautiful, tooth coloured restorations. They preserve the maximium amount of tooth, imitating nature in appearance and function. These are the core principles of minimal intervention dentistry.

What is tooth bonding?

Bonding enables the filling material to be glued onto the surface of the tooth. The surface of your tooth is smooth and shiny, much like a pane of glass. We need to roughen the surface to get the glue to stick. This is done on a macroscopic level by gently cleaning the tooth with a fine jet of sand, then on a microscopic level by applying a mild acid. This temporarily gives the tooth a frosted finish which the glue can bind too. The filling is placed and then set with an intense blue light. 

What is composite? 

Composite is a plastic filling material, made up of tiny filler particles set in resin. Composite comes in multiple shades and opacities so it can be crafted and characterised to match any tooth colour and shape. Because the composite and the underlying tooth are bonded together, they support each other. Both this, and its slight flexibility, means it can be made infinitely thin without the risk of breaking. We can make invisible joins with teeth and use it in small and large tooth defects with little or no drilling.

The advantages of using bonded composite

  • It is tooth coloured and very aesthetic
  • It can be me very thin – this means invisible joins and small fillings
  • It conserves tooth - other than the removal of decay, there is no need to cut away any more tooth. 
  • It is repairable – if it chips, breaks or wears, we can bond more composite to the surface
  • It can be altered – because it is bonded, we can add or remove material in the future to change colours, shape and size of teeth. 
  • It adheres to the tooth surface reinforcing the tooth
  • It is softer than tooth enamel and porcelain, so won’t wear the opposing teeth
  • When used for aesthetic work we can ‘mock-up’ what the finished result will look like before treatment
  • It is reversible – if the tooth beneath is intact, the composite can removed, restoring the undamaged tooth to its original form. 
  • Composite fillings are less than half the cost of equivalent porcelain restorations

The challenge of using bonded composite

Composite fillings have a high success rate, but they must be placed correctly. If the restoration is contaminated with mositure, it is not set properly, or the tooth is built up too fast, then the bond will fail. This leads to tooth sensitivity, pain when biting, staining at the join, decay and sometimes the filling falling out. Having an experienced and skilled dentist is essential.  We have been successfully placing these restorations for over 25 years. Be suspicious of any dentist who tries to sell you a cheap or quickly placed composite filling. We spend too much time replacing composite fillings where people tried to take short cuts!


Composite fillings are not as strong as porcelain or metal, but this is only an issue when they get very large. The material may stain with time, depending on cleaning and diet, but this can be managed by polishing or patching if needed. 

How long do composite fillings last?

The lifetime of a composite filling depends on where in the mouth it is, how big it is and how you look after it. A conservative estimate is that they last 10-12 years. However, we see them lasting a lot longer. Essentially, as they are a repairable material, they will last as long as you want to keep maintaining them.

Where can composite & bonding be used?

Broken, chipped, worn or decayed teeth are perfect situations to use bonded composite as a repair material. It can also be used to improve aesthetics, fill in gaps, reshape crooked or malformed teeth, cover staining, and replace old discoloured or metal fillings. Bonding is also used to glue on porcelain crowns, onlays and resin bonded bridges. Follow the links below for more detail on types of tooth coloured, bonded restorations where this technique is used:we see them lasting a lot longer. Essentially, as they are a repairable material, they will last as long as you want to keep maintaining them.
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