Aesthetics
Fillings Direct Tooth Colored
Direct fillings are placed at one appointment and can be metal (amalgam or gold) or tooth colored. Direct metal fillings are placed and packed into the prepared space, carved to form some anatomy in the tooth and burnished to provide smooth edges.

 
Direct tooth-colored filling materials are applied in layers. The first step is to pick a shade that matches the tooth. After each layer a special light is used that "cures" or hardens the layer before the next is applied. When the multi-layering process is completed, the filling shape is adjusted as required, any excess trimmed and the restoration polished. The finished filling mimics your natural tooth.

Fillings Indirect Inlays, Onlays, Crowns
Old, unsightly fillings can now be replaced with esthetic filling materials such as resins and porcelain fillings or crowns

To treat a cavity or repair a broken tooth, the dentist will remove the decayed or broken portion of the tooth and then "fill" the area on the tooth, restoring both shape and function. Tooth colored fillings can also be used to improve the cosmetics (color or shape) of disfigured or odd shaped/colored teeth. Fillings can also be used to close gaps, or build up worn teeth or cover up sensitive root surfaces.

If the required filling is quite large, generally an indirect filling or restoration is suggested because they are more durable and provide better protection for the tooth. These may be crowns, inlays, onlays or partial crowns.