Composite fillings repair a tooth damaged by decay using a tooth-coloured material that bonds directly to the tooth. They match your natural shade, so they are hard to spot. Most are finished in a single visit, and they remove less healthy tooth than a silver filling does.
What Composite Fillings Involve
- Tooth-coloured material shaded to blend with the tooth beside it
- Bonds directly to the tooth, which adds support rather than just plugging a hole
- Less healthy tooth removed than an amalgam filling needs
- Usually one visit, with numbing used when needed
- $150 to $500 per tooth, depending on how many surfaces are involved
- Redone at no charge if a filling breaks within a reasonable period
When Do You Need Composite Fillings?
Composite fillings are recommended when decay or a small fracture is found, and that is confirmed by a dental exam rather than guessed at.
A dental filling is the standard repair, and this is when it is used:
- Any cavity, as a white filling and mercury-free option
- Front teeth and other visible teeth, where appearance matters
- Small to mid-sized cavities where a conservative approach is best
- Old silver fillings that are failing, worn, or leaking
Patients searching for a tooth filling near you usually want it dealt with quickly, and that instinct is right. Treating decay early is the whole point. A small cavity is a filling. The same tooth left alone often becomes a root canal or a crown.
Composite Fillings or Silver Fillings?
Two teeth filling materials are offered here, and both work. Which one suits you depends on where the tooth is and how hard it has to work.
| Composite (tooth-coloured) | Amalgam (silver) | |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Matches your natural tooth shade | Clearly visible dark metal |
| Bonding | Bonds to the tooth and supports it | Held in place by shape, not bonding |
| Tooth removed | Less healthy tooth removed | More tooth removed to hold it in |
| Temperature | Does not expand or contract like metal | Expands and contracts with hot and cold |
| Mercury | Contains none | Contains mercury in a stable alloy |
| Best for | Visible teeth and small to mid-sized cavities | Large repairs in back teeth under heavy bite |
Amalgam has been used in dentistry for generations and is still a reasonable choice for some back teeth. Most people choose the tooth-coloured option for how it looks and because it saves more of the natural tooth.
How Does a Composite Filling Appointment Go?
- The tooth is checked and the treatment explained before anything starts.
- Numbing is used when needed, so you should not feel the work itself.
- The decay is removed and the area cleaned.
- The composite is placed and shaped to match the tooth around it.
- Your bite is checked before you leave.
Most composite fillings are finished in one visit. Some sensitivity to hot and cold afterwards is normal, and you will be told what to expect and how to look after the tooth.
How long do teeth fillings usually last?
There is no honest fixed number for composite fillings, and any clinic quoting one is guessing. Lifespan depends on:
- Your oral hygiene and how well the tooth is kept clean
- Your diet, particularly sugar and acidic drinks
- Your bite force, which is a bigger factor than most people realize
- Grinding or clenching, which wears fillings down
Your fillings are checked at every six-month appointment, so wear or leaking is caught before it becomes painful. If a filling breaks within a reasonable period, it is checked and redone at no charge. You are also told exactly why it failed.
What If the Decay Is Too Deep for a Composite Filling?
Sometimes decay reaches close to the nerve, and a composite filling sits on the borderline. That is discussed with you honestly rather than glossed over.
- A liner or pulp-capping material may be placed to settle the nerve
- A larger repair or a crown may be recommended where the tooth needs real structural support
- The possibility of a future root canal is explained upfront, so nothing comes as a surprise later
How Much Do Composite Fillings Cost?
Composite fillings cost $150 to $500 per tooth. Final pricing varies based on your individual clinical needs.
What moves the price:
- The number of surfaces treated. A one-surface filling costs far less than a three-surface one.
- The tooth involved and how accessible it is.
- Your insurance plan. Fillings are billed as a restoration, listing the surfaces restored. Some plans pay only the amalgam rate for composite fillings, and you cover the difference.
Under the Canadian Dental Care Plan, fillings are covered and do not need approval in advance. Replacing a filling on the same tooth and surface is limited to once every 24 months for adults and once every 12 months for children. Coverage is reviewed with you before treatment starts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Book a Composite Filling Appointment in Nobleton
If you have a cavity, a chipped tooth, or an old silver filling you would rather replace, a composite filling is usually the simplest fix. The sooner it is treated, the smaller the treatment.
- $150 to $500 per tooth, with insurance reviewed before you commit
- Usually one visit, and the work is redone at no charge if it fails early
Patients from Nobleton, King City, Bolton, and Schomberg are welcome.
Nobleton Dental Smiles is a dentist in Nobleton, ON, at 12931 Ontario Hwy 27 #3, Nobleton, ON L0G 1N0.