Does having a filling hurt?

It should not. We numb the tooth properly and wait until it has taken full effect. Most people find the injection is the worst part, and even that is milder than they expected. If you feel anything sharp, tell us and we will add more.

How long does a filling last?

Composite fillings typically last many years, though it depends on where the tooth is, how heavily you bite, and how well you clean around it. We check them at every appointment and will tell you honestly when one needs replacing.

Why do I need a filling if my tooth does not hurt?

Because pain arrives late. By the time decay reaches the nerve and starts to ache, a simple filling is often no longer enough. Filling it now is what stops it becoming a root canal later.

Can I eat straight afterwards?

You can eat as soon as the numbness has worn off, which usually takes a couple of hours. We would suggest waiting rather than risking biting your lip or cheek while it is still numb.

Do I need to replace my old metal fillings?

Not unless there is a problem with them. A sound amalgam filling can be left alone. If one is failing, cracked, or decay has crept in underneath, we would replace it, and we would use composite.

Dental fillings at Lye Dental and Implant Centre

Dental Fillings in Stourbridge

Q: Will the filling be white or metal?

White. We use tooth-coloured composite, layered and shaded to match the tooth around it. Once polished, it is very difficult to spot, even for us.

Repaired,
not replaced.

A filling is the simplest way to stop decay in its tracks. Tooth-coloured, shaped to match, and done in a single visit. Most people barely notice it afterwards.

What to expect Book an appointment

Dental fillings

Catch it now,
keep the tooth.

Decay does not heal itself. A filling removes the damage and rebuilds the tooth, which is why finding it early matters so much.

Filling /ˈfɪl.ɪŋ/ Noun

A repair to a decayed tooth, in which the damaged part is removed and the space rebuilt with a tooth-coloured material.
The simplest restoration there is, done in one visit under local anaesthetic, and usually finished within the hour.
The cheapest outcome of a dental problem. Left any longer, the same tooth may need a crown, a root canal, or removing altogether.

A filling rebuilds the tooth. It cannot rebuild what has already been lost, which is why we would rather see you early.

45 Minutes, usually

4 Signs you might need one See them

Sensitivity — to hot, cold or sweet things
A dull ache — that lingers after eating
A rough edge — you can feel with your tongue
Nothing at all — which is the most common of the four

1 Visit, in almost every case

See what happens Your appointment

Dental fillings at Lye Dental in Stourbridge

Why it matters

The cheapest fix
is the early one.

A filling is what happens when we catch decay in time. Everything that comes after it is bigger, longer and more expensive.

A tooth-coloured filling at Lye Dental in Stourbridge — Shade-matched, layered, polished.

Decay does not stop on its own

Once enamel has been breached, bacteria keep working inwards. It will not remineralise, it will not heal, and it will not go away because you brush harder.

It does not hurt until it is deep

Pain only arrives when the decay reaches the nerve. That is precisely why we check for it, rather than waiting for you to feel something.

Modern fillings are invisible

We use tooth-coloured composite, layered and shaded to match the tooth around it. Once polished, most people cannot tell where it is.

It is one visit, not a saga

Numb, clean, rebuild, polish. Under an hour, and you walk out with the tooth repaired. Leave it, and you are looking at a crown or a root canal instead.

Book an appointment Click a card to peel it away

How it works

How a filling works.

Four steps, under an hour, and the tooth is repaired.

01 / 04

We find it

Usually at a check-up, often on an x-ray, and usually long before you would have felt anything. We show you exactly what we have found.

02 / 04

Getting you numb

Local anaesthetic, given slowly so the injection itself is comfortable. We wait until you are properly numb before starting.

03 / 04

Clean and rebuild

We remove the decayed part, then build the tooth back up in layers of tooth-coloured composite, shaping it as we go.

04 / 04

Shape and polish

We check your bite feels right, adjust if needed, and polish it smooth. You can eat as soon as the numbness wears off.

How it works

How a filling works.

Four steps, under an hour, and the tooth is repaired.

Step 01

We find it

Usually at a check-up, often on an x-ray, and usually long before you would have felt anything. We show you exactly what we have found.

Step 02

Getting you numb

Local anaesthetic, given slowly so the injection itself is comfortable. We wait until you are properly numb before starting.

Step 03

Clean and rebuild

We remove the decayed part, then build the tooth back up in layers of tooth-coloured composite, shaping it as we go.

Step 04

Shape and polish

We check your bite feels right, adjust if needed, and polish it smooth. You can eat as soon as the numbness wears off.

01 / 04

Book an appointment

How far has it gone

Filling, crown,
or root canal?

The same tooth needs a very different repair depending on how deep the decay has travelled. Only one of these is quick and cheap.

£ Just the surface

A filling

The decay is still in the hard outer layer of the tooth. We clean it out and rebuild it, and the tooth keeps almost all of itself.

Removes the decay before it spreads
Rebuilt in tooth-coloured composite
The tooth stays largely intact
No lasting damage to the nerve

One visit, around 45 minutes

Tap to see more

££ Deeper in

A crown

Too much of the tooth has gone for a filling to hold. A crown caps the whole tooth and holds together what is left of it.

Protects a badly weakened tooth
Stops it splitting under pressure
Made to match your other teeth
Still saves the tooth itself

Two visits, over a few weeks About crowns

Tap to see more

£££ Into the nerve

A root canal

The decay has reached the living centre of the tooth and infected it. We clean the infection out from inside, then crown the tooth.

The only way left to save the tooth
Clears the infection completely
Almost always needs a crown after
The longest route back

Two or three visits, plus a crown About root canals

Tap to see more

All three save the tooth. Only one of them is quick, cheap and painless.

Book a check-up

Good to know

Filling questions.

01 / 06

Sooner is cheaper

Catch it while
it's small.

A filling today is a fraction of what a crown or a root canal costs tomorrow. If something feels off, come and let us look.

Book an appointment Book a check-up

Dental Fillings in Stourbridge

Catch it now,
keep the tooth.