A filling nobody
needs to see.
Tooth-coloured composite bonds directly to your enamel and dentin, so less healthy tooth has to be removed than with silver amalgam — and the result is clinically sound and virtually invisible.
It bonds. Amalgam only sits there.
That difference is not cosmetic. Because composite resin bonds chemically to the tooth structure, the cavity can be prepared more conservatively — we remove the decay rather than also cutting a shape to hold the filling in place mechanically.
Less healthy tooth removed today means more tooth left for whatever that tooth needs in twenty years.
Composite is now the preferred restorative material here and across ADA-aligned practices in the United States, for exactly that reason. The invisibility is a bonus.
- Tooth decay at any stage — from early enamel demineralisation to deeper dentin cavities
- Old amalgam fillings — replaced with mercury-free composite
- Chipped or fractured enamel — front or back teeth, in one appointment
- Worn enamel — from grinding, acid erosion or abrasive brushing
- Small gaps between teeth — closed without orthodontics
- Interproximal decay — decay between teeth, found on digital X-rays and treated conservatively
A single visit, 45 to 90 minutes.
Finding it properly
- Digital X-rays to confirm the depth and extent of decay — including interproximal cavities invisible to the eye
- Intraoral camera imaging of enamel cracks, early decay and existing restorations
- Oral cancer screening, at every clinical examination
- 6-point periodontal probing to check gum health and bone levels around the tooth
The filling
- Local anaesthetic, so the area is fully numb before anything begins
- Decay removed and the surface etched for a strong bond
- Composite shade-matched to your natural tooth colour
- Resin placed in layers and cured for strength
- Bite adjusted and the surface polished smooth
Afterwards
- A quick check of your bite alignment
- Guidance on what to avoid for the first 24 hours
- Your next cleaning and X-ray booked, typically six months out
- Insurance coordinated for any further work found at the examination
If the filling feels high once the anaesthetic wears off, call us. It is a two-minute adjustment and not something to live with.
Replace them when there’s a reason to.
We can replace amalgam fillings with mercury-free composite, and plenty of patients ask us to. It is a reasonable thing to want.
What we will not do is tell you that every sound amalgam filling in your mouth needs coming out. Removing an intact filling means removing tooth structure along with it, so there should be a reason — the filling is failing, it is cracked, there is decay underneath, or it bothers you enough to be worth the trade.
We will look at each one and tell you honestly which category it is in.
A small filling now, or a crown later
Digital X-rays and intraoral imaging let us find interproximal and early-stage decay before it is visible on the surface or causing symptoms.
A small composite filling placed today costs a fraction of the crown that same cavity needs if it is left to progress. That is the entire argument for regular examinations, and it is not a sales pitch — it is arithmetic.
92%
Of US adults have had at least one cavity (CDC National Health Survey)
80%
Less radiation with our digital X-ray system than traditional film
1
Appointment — most composite fillings are completed in a single visit
25+
Years of restorative dental care in Wethersfield and Hartford County
Answered honestly.
Does it hurt?
How long do composite fillings last?
How do I know if I need one?
When can I eat normally?
Does insurance cover it?
What is the difference between this and bonding?
Can anyone have a composite filling?
Find it while it’s small.
If something is sensitive, catching on floss, or you simply have not been checked in a while — book. The whole point of looking is to keep the treatment small.