Services / Fillings, Crowns and Bridges

Restoration of damaged and missing teeth

Fillings

Tooth decay causes holes in teeth which need to cleaned and filled to prevent the decay from spreading. There are various options available for filling teeth.

Dental amalgam

Dental amalgam is a material made up a of various metals including tin, copper, silver and mercury. It has been used safely for over 125 years to effectively restore teeth. Amalgam fillings are cost effective and very durable.
Mercury is a know to be toxic however mercury exposure from amalgam fillings is at such a low level that the effects are negligible There is a large amount of evidence indicating that dental amalgam is a safe dental material for the vast majority of the population. The amount of mercury exposure is similar to the amount taken up from your body by eating fish once a week. It is uncommon for people to have an allergy to amalgam fillings.
If you would like to read more about dental amalgam please click on this link provided by the New Zealand Dental Association.

Dental Amalgam (New Zealand Dental Association)

Composite Resin

Composite resin fillings are highly aesthetic tooth coloured materials which perform well when used appropriately. Composite fillings perform best when used in front teeth and small cavities in the back teeth. There is very strong evidence to show that composite restorations are not as durable as amalgam fillings when used to restore large holes in back teeth. In situations where a large fillings is required in your back teeth and you are concerned about having an amalgam filling placed a ceramic inlay or crown may be a better long term solution than a composite filling.

Crowns

Crowns are custom made restorations used to restore extensively damaged teeth. They fit over the prepared tooth providing a bracing effect to reduce the chance of your tooth breaking.
Crowns can be made from a variety of materials including porcelain, porcelain fused to a gold alloy substructure and gold alloy alone. Each material has it’s own benefits and Phil will advise you as to which material is most suitable for your tooth.

Bridges

A bridge is used to replace a missing tooth by attaching to the teeth surrounding the space  left by a missing tooth. Bridges provide an effective and durable solution for replacing missing teeth. Bridges can be attached to prepared teeth and implants.
If the gap can be filled using a dental implant this is often preferred to a bridge as the implant is self supporting and doesn’t require any treatment of the teeth adjacent to the gap.

Implants

Please click here for information about dental implants.

Dentures and Partial Dentures

Dentures and parital dentures are removable prostheses used to replace missing teeth. They provide a cost effective method for replacing teeth when multiple teeth (partial) or all teeth (full denture) have been lost from the upper or lower jaw. Loose dentures can be anchored in place by  dental implants.

Please contact our receptionist on 07 571 2860 or click here to enquire about an appointment with Phil.