RESTORATIVE DENTISTRY 

Fillings

There are several materials used to restore teeth, namely composite, glass ionomer, amalgam and porcelain. Amalgam has been used for decades and is still highly used due to being a cheap restorative material with very high durability. However it is becoming less popular due to the mercury it contains as well as its poor aesthetics. Glass ionomer and composite resins offer good aesthetics with reasonable durability. The ultimate choice of filling material offering excellent aesthetics and high durability is porcelain. A digital impression of the prepared cavity is taken and the data uploaded onto a programme. The programme is used to design the shape and size of the missing tooth structure to fill the cavity. The filling is then cut out from a solid block of porcelain so as to fit the cavity perfectly and cemented into place.