White fillings · Widney Dental, Knowle
A filling nobody else will see.
A white filling is tooth-coloured resin, built into the tooth in layers and set hard with a blue light, so a hole of decay or a chipped edge is rebuilt in one visit and matched to the shade around it. It is done numb. £95 – £225 privately, by the size of the filling, or within the NHS Band 2 charge of £76.60.
★★★★★ 4.8 from 175 Google reviews · NHS and private
In short
Does a filling hurt?
No. The tooth is numbed with a local anaesthetic first, so you feel pressure and vibration but not pain, and some small fillings need no anaesthetic at all. The numbness wears off over two to four hours. Afterwards the tooth can be a little sensitive to cold for a few days; that is normal, and it settles.
When a filling is the answer
What a filling fixes, and what it cannot.
A filling replaces the part of a tooth lost to decay or to an accident. It is the smallest repair there is, which is why it is worth catching a problem while a filling will still do.
A filling fixes
- A hole of decay caught while the tooth around it is still strong, most often in the back teeth, where decay is commonest.
- A small chip off the edge of a front tooth, rebuilt in the tooth’s own shade.
- An old filling that has cracked, fallen out, or started to leak at its edge, with decay creeping underneath.
- A worn notch at the gum line, where hard brushing or grinding has worn the tooth away and it has become sensitive.
- A silver filling you would rather not see, replaced in white, if you choose to and the tooth suits it.
When it is something else
- More filling than tooth. A tooth that is mostly filling is likely to crack, and a crown or a porcelain onlay protects what is left.
- Decay that has reached the nerve. The infected nerve has to come out first, with root canal treatment, and then the tooth is filled or crowned.
- A crack running down the tooth. A filling cannot hold a cracked tooth together; a crown can, if the crack stops short of the root.
- Sound silver fillings. Replacing a silver filling that is doing its job removes healthy tooth with it, so it is done for looks only if you want it.
- A missing tooth. That is a bridge, a denture or a dental implant.
How it runs
One visit, from numb to finished.
- 1
The look and the x-ray
Decay between teeth often shows only on an x-ray, so the dentist sees how deep it goes before anything starts, and tells you the figure.
- 2
Numb
A local anaesthetic around the tooth. It is given slowly, and the dentist waits until the tooth is completely numb.
- 3
The decay out
The decay is removed, with any damaged tooth and old filling, and the hole is shaped. A deep one gets a lining first, to protect the nerve.
- 4
Built in layers
The shade is matched, then the resin goes in a layer at a time, each set hard in seconds with the blue light.
- 5
Shaped to your bite
The filling is carved to the tooth’s shape, checked against your bite, and polished. It is fully set before you leave.
Afterwards
Numb for the afternoon, then you forget it is there.
A white filling is set hard before you get up from the chair, so you can eat as soon as the numbness has gone; until then, go carefully, because a numb lip or cheek is easy to bite. For a few days the tooth may twinge with cold drinks, more so after a deep filling. If it aches when you bite, the filling is probably a fraction high, and a quick adjustment settles it, so ring rather than put up with it.
How long a filling lasts depends on its size, where it sits, and what it has to put up with: a small white filling on a front tooth can last many years, a large one on a molar that takes the full force of the bite less. What ends most fillings is new decay at their edge, grinding, and biting on hard things like ice and pen tops. Brushing twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, cleaning between the teeth, and regular check-ups let a worn filling be touched up before it fails.
What it costs
On the NHS, or privately.
Widney Dental treats NHS and private patients. On the NHS, fillings are part of a Band 2 course of treatment, £76.60 however many fillings the course needs, and the NHS provides the filling that is clinically necessary: white on a front tooth, and usually silver amalgam on a back tooth that takes the bite. Since 2018, amalgam is not used for children under 15 or for pregnant or breastfeeding women unless it is strictly necessary. Privately, a white filling is £95 – £225, priced by its size, and you choose white or silver on any tooth. Under-18s, pregnant women and new mothers, and people on certain benefits pay nothing for NHS treatment.
NHS figures are England’s band charges as nhs.uk publishes them; private figures are Widney Dental’s fee guide. One band charge covers the whole course of treatment, so the examination is inside the Band 2 charge when fillings follow it.
White, silver, or porcelain
Three ways to fill a tooth.
Each has its place, and the dentist will say which suits your tooth. Silver amalgam is not a worse filling: it has the longest track record of any, which is why the NHS still uses it on back teeth.
| How it looks | How it holds | Visits | Price here | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White composite | Matched to the tooth’s shade | Bonded to the tooth, so less healthy tooth is drilled away to hold it | One | £95 – £225, or Band 2 where clinically necessary |
| Silver amalgam | Silver, darkening with age | Held in by the shape of the hole; very hard-wearing on large back-tooth fillings | One | £75 – £150, or Band 2 |
| Porcelain inlay or onlay | Tooth-coloured porcelain | Made in a laboratory to fit, and cemented in; the strongest repair short of a crown | Two, with the laboratory between | £375 – £450, or Band 3 |
Glass ionomer, a tooth-coloured material that releases fluoride, is used too, often for baby teeth and for fillings at the gum line.
Who does it
Dentists who like this work.
Every dentist here places fillings. Three have made restorative dentistry, the rebuilding of teeth, their particular interest: Dr Sarah Lynn, who won a restorative prize at university and recently completed a course in front-tooth composites; Dr Damian Panchal, who graduated from Birmingham in 2018 with awards in conservative and restorative dentistry; and Dr Hayley Freedman, whose main interests are minimal intervention and restorative dentistry.
- Dr Sarah LynnAssociate dentist · restorative dentistryGDC 6026
- Dr Damian PanchalAssociate dentist · restorative dentistry and root canalsGDC 278735
- Dr Hayley FreedmanAssociate dentist · minimal intervention and restorative dentistryGDC 252053
What patients say
In their own words.
Google review★★★★★Adam takes great pride in his work, treating the fillings like a work of art.
Great support for nervous patients★★★★★I have recently completed treatment for an implant at Widney Dental Care and although nervous at first and some initial discomfort at the beginning the whole process has been managed efficiently and professionally at all times. The care and attention to detail is second to none and the support during and after the treatment is reassuring. I am delighted with my implant.
For the whole family★★★★★My family and I have been receiving treatment at Widney Dental Care for a number of years. I am grateful for the level of care I have received at this practice.
Quality care worth travelling for★★★★★I find this a first-rate practice in every respect. Efficiently run including first-class patient care and treatment. Having moved out of the area several years ago and having full confidence in my dental care and treatment I still remain a patient being more than happy to travel some distance for my dental care.
Questions
Asked in the chair.
How much is a filling on the NHS?
Fillings are Band 2, £76.60, and that one charge covers the whole course of treatment, however many fillings it needs, along with the examination and x-rays. It is free if you are under 18, pregnant or a new mother, or on certain benefits.
How much is a white filling privately?
£95 – £225 at Widney Dental, depending on the size of the filling. A silver amalgam filling is £75 – £150. You are told the figure for your tooth before anything is done.
Can I have a white filling on the NHS?
On a front tooth, yes. On a back tooth, the NHS provides the filling that is clinically necessary, which is usually amalgam; a white filling there is usually a private choice. For children under 15 and for pregnant or breastfeeding women, amalgam is avoided unless strictly necessary.
Does having a filling hurt?
No. The tooth is numbed with a local anaesthetic, so you feel pressure but not pain, and some small fillings need no anaesthetic at all. If anything is uncomfortable, raise a hand and the dentist stops.
How long does a filling take?
A small filling usually takes around half an hour, including the time for the anaesthetic to work; a large one on a back tooth takes longer. It is finished in the one visit.
When can I eat after a filling?
As soon as the numbness wears off, after two to four hours. A white filling is fully set before you leave; the wait is so that you do not bite your cheek or burn your mouth while it is numb.
My tooth is sensitive after a filling. Is that normal?
A twinge with cold for a few days is normal, especially after a deep filling, and it fades. If it aches when you bite, the filling may be slightly high and needs a quick adjustment. If it throbs on its own or keeps you awake, ring: the nerve may need attention.
How long do white fillings last?
Many last for years; how long depends on the size of the filling, which tooth it is in, and how hard it is worked. Large fillings on back teeth, grinding and new decay at the edge shorten a filling’s life, and regular check-ups catch a worn one before it fails.
Should I replace my silver fillings with white ones?
Only if you want to, or if a silver filling is broken or leaking. Removing a sound amalgam filling takes some healthy tooth with it, so there is no health reason to replace one that is doing its job. If it bothers you to see it, a white filling is a reasonable choice, and the dentist will tell you whether the tooth suits it.
A filling has fallen out. What should I do?
Ring 01564 773080 and say so; it needs seeing soon, before food and bacteria get into the gap. Keep it clean and chew on the other side. If it hurts, it is an emergency appointment, and NHS patients pay the urgent Band 1 charge.
What are fissure sealants?
A thin, tooth-coloured plastic coating painted into the deep grooves of the back teeth, where decay most often starts, so plaque cannot settle there. They are best applied soon after the adult back teeth come through; they are part of the NHS band for children and £35 a tooth privately. Fissure sealants explains more.
Where are you, and when are you open?
76 Widney Road, Knowle, Solihull B93 9AW. Monday to Thursday 8.30am to 6pm, Friday 8.30am to 5pm. Call 01564 773080, or request a call-back.
Caught early, it is a filling.
One visit, done numb, matched to your tooth: £95 – £225 privately, or within the NHS Band 2 charge of £76.60.
Knowle, Solihull
B93 9AW
Friday 8.30am to 5pm