Do your white fillings actually look like real teeth? 

(Part of our Excellence in Dentistry Series)

At the Harman Clinic we follow meticulous attention to detail to give you beautiful long lasting restorations of your natural teeth.

1.     The old metal or composite filling is carefully removed with lots of water to keep the tooth cool and avoid the release of toxic mercury vapour.

2.     Any decay is removed and the tooth checked with a special dye called “Seek.”  You would be amazed how often dentists miss decay in the corners without this step.

3.     The tooth is then cleaned with the air polisher to remove any stains- a crucial step in restoring the natural look of the tooth but rarely if ever done by dentists.

4.     The tooth is then built up layer by layer using two types of filling material. The first to match the inner part of the tooth – the dentine and the second the outer layer – the enamel. This way light travels through the filling just like a natural tooth.

5.     The Surface is carefully sculpted to match the rest of the tooth making it look real aswell as ensuring it functions correctly with the other teeth.

6.     Finally highlight and lowlight tints are added to further blend the filling in to the surrounding tooth.

The final outcome is a true restoration of the tooth rather than just filling up the cavity with a lump of yellowy white filler.

Dr Oliver Harman