Our Other Services
Dental Fillings in Pickering
At Ivory Dental, we provide dental fillings in Pickering at our Kingston Road office, and patients come to us from Ajax and other nearby Durham communities too. If a checkup has found a cavity, an old filling has cracked, or a tooth has started reacting to cold or sweets, Dr. Claudia Wood and our team will examine the tooth and explain what it needs before any treatment starts.
Call (905) 839-9663 or book online to have the tooth checked.
When a Tooth May Need a Filling
A cavity often starts without any pain, which is why many fillings are found at a routine teeth cleaning and checkup. Other times, you notice something first:
- Sensitivity. A twinge with cold, hot or sweet foods and drinks.
- A visible change. A dark spot, a pit or a rough edge on a tooth.
- Discomfort when biting. Pressure or soreness on one tooth when you chew.
- Food catching. A spot between two teeth that keeps trapping food.
- An old filling that’s wearing out. A chipped, cracked or loose filling, or a dark line around its edge.
Only an exam can confirm the cause. Some of these signs point to something other than decay, such as a cracked tooth or gum recession, and we’ll tell you plainly which one it is.
Tooth-Coloured Fillings Are Our Usual Choice
For most small and medium cavities, we use tooth-coloured composite resin, often called a white filling. The material is shade-matched to your tooth, bonds to the remaining tooth structure and is shaped to follow the tooth’s natural contours, so it blends in when you smile. Because composite bonds to the tooth rather than locking in mechanically, it usually needs less healthy tooth removed than a metal filling.
Composite isn’t the right answer for every tooth. For a very large cavity on a back molar, or a tooth with little structure left, Dr. Wood may recommend a dental crown instead, and in some situations another filling material is the more durable choice. We’ll explain the options for your tooth before starting. Our article on composite vs. amalgam fillings covers the trade-offs in more detail.
What to Expect at a Filling Appointment
- Examination and X-ray. We look at the tooth and, when it’s needed, take an X-ray to see how deep the decay goes.
- Freezing when needed. We numb the area with local anesthetic when the tooth needs it.
- Removing the decay. The damaged part of the tooth is cleaned out and the space is prepared.
- Placing the filling. Composite goes in thin layers, and each layer is hardened with a curing light.
- Shaping and polishing. We shape the filling, check your bite and polish the surface so it feels smooth.
How long the visit takes depends on the size of the cavity and how many teeth are being treated. We’ll let you know what to expect for your appointment when we book it.
Replacing Old or Broken Fillings
Fillings don’t last forever. Edges can wear, chip or start to leak, and decay can form underneath. We check your existing fillings at every exam and tell you which ones are holding up and which are worth replacing. There’s no need to replace a sound silver filling just because it’s metal; we recommend replacing a filling when there’s a dental reason, such as decay, a crack or a filling that no longer seals. If a filling has broken and the tooth hurts, call the office and see our page on emergency dental care in Pickering.
Cost and Insurance
The fee for a filling depends on its size, how many surfaces of the tooth it covers, where the tooth is and the material used, so we don’t quote a single price online. After the exam, we’ll give you an estimate for your tooth. Dental plans differ in what they pay for fillings, and some pay a lower amount for white fillings on back teeth. Our team can look at your coverage with you before treatment, and our dental filling cost guide explains these factors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I feel the filling being placed?
We numb the tooth with local anesthetic when it’s needed. If dental visits make you anxious, tell us when you book; our page on dental anxiety and sedation explains the options.
How long does a filling last?
That varies with the filling’s size, where it sits, how hard you bite and how well the area is cleaned. We check every filling at your regular exams so wear or leaking edges are found early.
Can you replace my silver fillings with white ones?
Yes, when there’s a reason to. If an old silver filling is cracked, leaking or has decay under it, we usually replace it with composite, or with a crown when too little tooth remains. Intact silver fillings don’t need to be removed for health reasons, and replacing one for appearance is a choice we can talk through with you.
Do I need a filling or a crown?
A filling repairs a cavity in a tooth that still has plenty of healthy structure. A crown covers the whole tooth and is usually recommended when a large filling would leave the tooth weak or a cusp has cracked. Our article on dental crowns vs. fillings explains the difference.
Will my dental plan cover a filling?
Many dental plans cover fillings to some degree, but the amount and the materials covered vary. Our team can help you check your plan before treatment.
Call (905) 839-9663 or book online and we’ll take a look at the cavity or old filling at our Pickering office.