Dental Crowns & fillings
Tooth fillings are used to restore cavities caused by decay. Fillings can also be used to repair cracked, broken, or worn down teeth. Dental crowns cover the damaged tooth with a “cap”, aiming to restore the tooth’s shape, size, appearance.
What is the procedure for a dental crown?
First Visit
A temporary crown will be placed over the tooth to protect it until the crown is ready to be fixed in place. An X-ray will be taken to investigate the degree of decay, and other factors such as inflammation or injury to the pulp. If the decay is severe, a root canal treatment may be required.
Second Visit
At your next visit, the temporary crown will be removed. The new permanent crown will also be checked to ensure that it matches the colour and shape of your teeth.
Is it worth getting a dental crown?
The alternative to saving a badly damaged tooth with a dental crown is to completely remove the tooth. A dental implant or denture will cost more to replace a tooth. If the gap is not filled, healthy teeth on either side may begin to shift into the new space, causing problems and damage to the healthy teeth.
When do I need a tooth filling?
If you experience some of the following symptoms, you may have tooth decay that require a visit to the dentist to check if a filling will help you:
- Tooth sensitivity to hot or cold temperatures
- Throbbing or sharp pain in your tooth
- You can see a hole or dark spot in your tooth
- Your tooth feels rough
- Food keeps getting stuck on or between teeth
Typically, the dentist will use local anaesthetic to numb the area around the tooth before using a tool to remove the decayed area. After assessing that all decay has been removed, the dentist will clean the cavity and fill the cavity. A light cure will be used to harden the layers of filling material, and any excess will be filed off.
What is the difference among tooth filling materials?
While there are different type of materials available for dental fillings, the dentist will recommend the best type of material for you based on your condition, budget, and considerations.
Composite Resin Fillings
Composite fillings are made from plastic or acrylic, and the shade of the composite can be matched closely to the colour of your teeth. This makes it ideal for front teeth or visible parts of the teeth. They are also versatile in being used to restore chipped teeth as the resin material is able to bond to the structure of the tooth.
However, composite fillings are only able to last up to 5 years typically before needing to be replaced (as compared to amalgam fillings). It is also more expensive then amalgam fillings, and the process takes longer to apply the composite material.
Amalgam Fillings
Dental amalgam is a metal alloy mixture comprising of copper, tin, mercury, and silver. This is one of the most common type of dental filling, and is the least expensive option among the various types of materials. They are durable and strong, and can typically last at least 10 to 15 years, outlasting composite fillings.
However, they do not look natural given their colour, and more healthy parts of the tooth may be removed in order for a proper fit of the fillings. There is also the possibility of an allergic reaction due to trace amounts of mercury. The metal in the amalgam can also expand and contract when in contact with hot or cold food, which may cause more fractures over time.
Gold Fillings
Similar to amalgam fillings, gold fillings are highly durable, can last more than 20 years, and won’t corrode.
However, given the cost of gold, they are a lot more expensive and can cost up to 10 times more than amalgam fillings. The gold colour might not be aesthetically pleasing as it is stands out against the natural colour of your teeth.
Composite Resin Fillings
Amalgam Fillings
Gold Fillings
What are our fees like?
All prices are inclusive of GST.
From
Dental Subsidies Available
CHAS & MEDISAVE ACCREDITED CLINICS
Pioneer Generation
Merdeka Generation
Medisave
CHAS
Our Locations
Ang Mo Kio
721 Ang Mo Kio Ave 8, #01-2801,
S (560721)
Bedok
Blk 631 Bedok Reservoir Road #01-946,
S (470631)
Clementi
Sunset Way
105 Clementi Street 12, #01-04,
S (120105)
Common FAQs
A crown is basically a cap for a damaged tooth to restore the tooth’s shape, size, appearance, and strength. Common reasons to get a dental crown are to cover or replace a large filling or repair a natural tooth that is broken or cracked. These are cases when decay or cavities are too large for a simple inlay or filling to resolve.
Getting a crown should not feel painful with the use of numbing gels and local anaesthesia. In general, you will feel a general pressure on the tooth that is being worked on. If you’re very concerned, speak to our dentists and they can walk you through the process.
In general, dental crowns are made to withstand normal forces exerted in your mouth. They should typically last between 5 to 15 years. Just because there’s a crown over your tooth, does not mean that your tooth will not experience decay or gum disease.
The answer is no, if done on a recommended schedule by your dentist. Going to the dentist for routine cleaning twice a year is considered healthy and strongly recommended by dentists in order to maintain optimal oral health.
The procedure only aims to remove the accumulated plaque and tartar without affecting the surface of your tooth. That said, you should not seek scaling more than the recommended frequency by the dentist as over cleaning your teeth may lead to your enamel wearing down.
Although a filling can last for several years, it will not last forever. How long a filling lasts depends on your oral hygiene, where the filling is used, and the type of filling used. If your filling is not functioning as it should be, you may experience some sensitivity or pain.
The filling itself will not hurt. Through the process, the dentist will use a local anaesthetic to ensure that you feel little to no pain during the procedure. The pain you experience from the cavity caused by the decay in your tooth will probably be much more than the experience of getting the filling.
If you’ve had a filling before, you might think that you’re in the clear and nothing bad can happen to it. The filling itself (the material) cannot decay, but tooth decay can still happen underneath a filling, especially if the filling has been damaged or worn down. Bacteria can still enter the crack, and a new cavity can form again.