Fillings
Also known as white fillings or tooth-coloured fillings, composite bonds to the tooth, so less healthy tooth has to be removed and the result blends in naturally with your existing smile.
A composite white filling at QueensWood is from £300. Plan members receive a complimentary 10% discount, and Chrysalis Finance is available, 0% for 12 months.
- Cost agreed before we start
- One appointment
- Bite adjustments free
What a filling does
A filling repairs a tooth that has been damaged, usually by decay but sometimes by a chip or a crack. We remove the part that has been affected, clean the cavity, and rebuild the tooth with a material that bonds to what is left of it. The tooth goes back to being the shape it was, and back to working normally.
What a filling does not do is make the tooth as strong as it was originally. Every filling is a repair, and the more of the tooth that has gone, the more the repair depends on what remains around it. That is why we would rather see a small filling early than a large one later, and why a tooth that has been filled two or three times eventually needs something more substantial.
We use white composite as standard. It bonds directly to the tooth, so less healthy tooth needs removing to hold it in place, and it is matched to the shade of the tooth it is going into.
Two things we also do
Temporary fillings
A short-term seal, used when a tooth needs settling before the permanent repair, or between the stages of root canal treatment. It is designed to be removed, so it is not as hard wearing and it should not be left indefinitely. At an emergency appointment we would always fill the tooth permanently, and the charge for that is part of the emergency appointment rather than a separate bill.
Replacing older metal fillings
Amalgam fillings that are sound do not need replacing, and we will say so. Where one has worn, leaked or cracked the tooth around it, we can replace it with composite and match it to the tooth.
How we will look after you
Nothing starts until the tooth is numb and you are ready. Tell us if you would rather know what is happening as we go, or would rather not, and we will follow your lead.
Tell us if you are nervous
It is very common, we would much rather know, and it changes how we go about the appointment.
Tell us before we start if you are unsure about anything
We would rather answer a question at the beginning than have you sitting there wondering.
Sensitivity for a day or two is normal
Particularly to cold, and particularly where the filling was a deep one. It settles. If it is still there after a fortnight, ring us.
If the bite feels high, ring us
Do not wait to see if you get used to it. A filling that sits proud is easily adjusted and takes a couple of minutes.
Adjusting a high bite is free
Two minutes and no charge. Please do not put up with a filling that does not feel right, because one that sits proud eventually cracks.
When a filling is not the answer
Sometimes the honest answer is that a filling will not hold. We would rather tell you that at the start than fit one, watch it fail, and charge you twice.
More than half the tooth gone
A crown or onlay is the more sensible answer.
Decay has reached the nerve
Root canal treatment first.
What a filling costs
Composite (white) filling
From £300
Temporary filling
Part of an assessment and advice appointment.
From £175
Ways to pay
You will have a written treatment plan and costing before anything begins. QueensWood Plan members receive a complimentary 10% discount. Chrysalis Finance is available, interest free over 12 months, subject to status.
See plans and pricingBook an appointment
We are welcoming new patients, and a first appointment is approximately an hour with somebody who will listen.
Questions we are often asked
If you have any questions about cost, please ask. We would far rather answer a question about price on the phone than have you wondering about it.
How much is a white filling?
From £300. You will have a written treatment plan and costing before anything begins, QueensWood Plan members receive a complimentary 10% discount, and Chrysalis Finance is available interest free over 12 months, subject to status.
How long do they last?
A composite filling typically lasts between five to ten years, and often significantly longer in a mouth that is cleaned thoroughly and reviewed regularly. Factors such as teeth grinding, a heavy bite, or new decay at the margin can shorten this lifespan. It is important to remember that a filling is a structural repair rather than a brand new tooth; the more natural tooth structure that has been lost, the more the repair depends on the strength of the tooth remaining around it.
Do you still use silver fillings?
We use white composite as standard. It bonds directly to the tooth, so less healthy tooth needs removing to hold it in place.
Should I have my old metal fillings replaced?
Not if they are sound, and we will say so. Where one has worn, leaked or cracked the tooth around it, we can replace it with composite and match it to the tooth.
Can I eat afterwards?
Yes. Composite is hardened with a light before you leave, so there is nothing to wait for. Give it until the anaesthetic has worn off before you chew on that side, so you do not bite your cheek or your tongue. Sensitivity for a day or two is normal, and if the bite feels high, ring us. Adjusting it is free.