Fillings rebuild and replace parts of teeth which have been lost because of decay or through accidental damage. If decay is left unchecked, it can spread into teeth, causing pain and infection.

This can mean teeth have to be root filled or even taken out. A filling can end toothache or prevent toothache developing.

Silver fillings are very strong and are ideal for back teeth, where there is heavy wear from chewing. They are made of amalgam, which is a mixture of mercury and other metals, such as silver, tin and copper.

When you come to us for a filling we will usually numb the area around your tooth with an injection and remove any decay, together with any old filling material, sometimes for a larger filling we may use tiny pins and screws to help hold the tooth and filling together.

If your filling is very deep we will place a lining underneath it to make your tooth less sensitive to temperature changes. We then press soft amalgam tightly into the hole.

If necessary we may put a thin metal band around your tooth whilst we are doing this to keep the amalgam in place while it is still soft.

When shaped we will ask you to close your mouth gently on the filling to check that it is the right height and is comfortable.