A dental filling repairs a tooth damaged by decay, restoring its shape so you can chew on it normally again. At The Smile Spot on Marrickville Road, Dulwich Hill, we place tooth-coloured composite fillings that blend with the surrounding tooth.
A filling is a repair. We take out the decayed part of the tooth, clean the cavity, and rebuild what’s missing with a material that bonds to the tooth. You chew on it normally again, and the decay stops spreading.
Decay doesn’t heal on its own. Once bacteria get through the enamel into the softer dentine underneath, the only way to stop it is to take it out. The earlier that happens, the less natural tooth is lost. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, around 1 in 3 Australian adults aged 15 and over with their own teeth have at least one tooth with untreated decay.
The tricky part is that early decay usually doesn’t hurt at all. By the time a cavity starts aching, it has often reached the deeper layers of the tooth. That is why decay is normally found at a routine check-up rather than by the person who has it.
Composite is a tooth-coloured resin bonded directly to the tooth and shaded to match. Because it bonds rather than wedges into place, less healthy tooth has to be removed than with older materials. It sets hard under a curing light straight away, so there is no waiting period before you can eat.
Amalgam is the dark grey metal filling used widely in the past. One that is intact, sealed and causing no trouble generally does not need replacing simply because it is metal, since removing it costs you healthy tooth structure.
There is a limit to how much of a tooth a filling can replace. Once too much structure is gone, the remaining walls are at risk of fracturing, and a crown that caps the whole tooth is the more durable repair. We use zirconium crowns at $1,600 per unit.
We confirm the diagnosis, usually with an X-ray, because decay between teeth is invisible from the surface.
Most single fillings are done in one appointment, and your dentist will tell you how long yours should take when your plan is written. Because composite sets hard immediately, you can eat once the anaesthetic wears off.
Removing decayed areas is one of the treatments our Biolase Water Lase laser is used for. It is minimally invasive and highly precise, with less bleeding and swelling and a shorter healing time, and some procedures can be completed with minimal or no anaesthesia.
Whether it suits your cavity depends on its size, depth and position, and your dentist will tell you at the examination. If the needle is the part you dread, it is worth asking.
The Smile Spot, a dental filling costs $180 to $300. That covers removing the decay, placing the composite and adjusting your bite. Where yours sits depends on the size and depth of the cavity, which tooth it is, and how many surfaces need rebuilding. A small single-surface cavity in a front tooth sits at the lower end; a large three-surface cavity in a back molar at the upper end.
We publish our prices because cost is the main reason people put dental work off. The AIHW found around 4 in 10 Australian adults, 39 per cent, have delayed or avoided dental care because of cost. Delay is what turns a $180 filling into root canal treatment at approximately $600, then a $1,600 crown. Our full price list is on our fees and charges.
Medicare does not cover routine dental treatment for adults, so an adult filling is not claimable through Medicare in the ordinary course of things.
Children can be different. The Child Dental Benefits Schedule provides a capped benefit for basic dental services, including fillings, for eligible children. Eligibility and the cap are set by Services Australia and change over time, so check with them or ask us.
With extras cover, fillings usually attract a rebate. We accept most major health funds and will help you get the most from yours. Interest-free payment plans are available for larger treatment plans.
If decay has reached the nerve, a filling alone will not settle the pain or clear the infection, and root canal treatment is needed first at approximately $600 plus the permanent filling.
If too much tooth has been lost, a crown is the more predictable repair. If the tooth is split below the gum line or the bone is badly damaged, it may not be savable, and we will talk through extraction and replacement options including dental implants.
We won’t decide any of this without you. You’ll hear every option and what it costs before anything gets booked.
At The Smile Spot, a filling costs $180 to $300, including removing the decay, placing the tooth-coloured composite and adjusting your bite. The price varies with the size and depth of the cavity, which tooth it is in, and how many surfaces need rebuilding.
Prices vary widely between Sydney practices, and most do not publish them. Ours are $180 to $300 per filling. Ask any practice for a written quote stating what is included before treatment starts, so you can compare like with like.
At our published range of $180 to $300 per filling, seven would fall roughly between $1,260 and $2,100, depending on the size and position of each cavity. Treatment of that size is usually staged across several appointments, with a written plan first.
Not for adults. Medicare does not cover routine dental treatment for adults. Eligible children may be covered under the Child Dental Benefits Schedule, administered by Services Australia. Private health insurance with extras cover usually provides a rebate instead.
It varies with the size of the filling, which tooth it is in, your bite and how well you clean around it. No filling is permanent. Your fillings are checked at every appointment, so any worn or leaking one is replaced before it causes new decay.
Yes, though it is not always necessary. An intact, sealed amalgam filling that is causing no problems generally does not need replacing, and removing it would cost you a healthy tooth. Replacement makes sense where there is cracking, decay beneath the surface, wear, or where appearance matters to you.
Brush twice daily with fluoride toothpaste, clean between your teeth every day, and reduce how often you have sugar rather than only how much. Keep regular check-ups: adults who visit only when there is a problem are nearly twice as likely to have untreated decay.
A filling fixes the damage, but it doesn’t remove what caused it.
The Smile Spot is at 504 Marrickville Road, Dulwich Hill NSW 2203, and we see patients from Marrickville, Hurlstone Park, Lewisham, Petersham and Summer Hill. Call (02) 9569 0199 or book online. If a tooth is painful or a filling has come out, say so, and we will arrange an emergency appointment.
The Smile Spot – Affordable Family Dentist, providing dental services at Dulwich Hill, Marrickville, Canterbury, Sydenham, Petersham, Lewisham, Summer Hill, Enmore, New Town, Earlwood, Wolli Creek, Bardwell Park, Arncliffe, Kogarah, Rockdale, Banksia, Bexley, Bexley North, Tempe, St. Peters, Erskineville, Sydney, Leichardt, Inner West.
Mon - Tue : 9 am -8 pm
Thu : 9 am -8 pm
Fri - Sat : 9 am -3 pm
Closed on Wednesdays and Sundays
Comprehensive Care Package includes examination, X-rays (as many as required), scale/clean and Fluoride treatment at $240 , For children under the age of 17 years $180.
