Repairing teeth after decay
Dental Fillings in Turkey
Dental fillings repair a tooth after your dentist removes decay, and they can also fix a broken or worn tooth. Left alone, decay can reach the nerve and cause pain or infection. So a small cavity is worth treating early. Your dentist confirms the right material only after examining the tooth in person.
At a glance
- Main materials
- Composite (white), amalgam (silver), glass ionomer, inlays and onlays
- When needed
- Usually when decay has made a hole (cavity) in the tooth
- Visits
- Often one for a direct filling; inlays and onlays are made in a lab
- Amalgam in the EU
- Barred from 1 January 2025, except for specific medical needs
- Sensitivity afterwards
- Should normally settle within a few weeks
- Inlays and onlays
- About 91% survived 10 years in one review
These figures come from research reviews and UK guidance rather than from any one clinic. Your dentist confirms your plan after an in-person examination.
How dental fillings work
Tooth decay often causes no symptoms at first. As it grows, however, it can make a hole in the tooth. At that point you will probably need a filling. By contrast, very early decay can sometimes heal with fluoride varnish or mouthwash instead.
First, your dentist removes the decay. Then they fill the space with a material that restores the shape of the tooth. The size and position of the cavity, and your dentist's advice, help decide which material suits you.
Most dental fillings go straight into the tooth in one sitting. However, larger gaps may need an inlay or onlay, which a lab makes to fit the tooth. If decay has reached the nerve, root canal treatment may come first.
- 1
Composite dental fillings
These white fillings mix glass or ceramic particles into a resin. They match your tooth colour and bond to it, so your dentist may remove less tooth. However, they take longer to place and can stain over time.
- 2
Amalgam and glass ionomer
Amalgam is a silver-coloured alloy of mercury and other metals. It is hard-wearing but does not bond to the tooth. Glass ionomer is tooth-coloured and bonds, although it is weaker than composite.
- 3
Inlays and onlays
A lab makes these from gold, porcelain, ceramic or composite. An inlay fills a larger gap, while an onlay also covers the biting surface to protect weak parts of the tooth.
When a filling is the right repair
Every tooth is different. So a dentist weighs these points after checking the tooth, often with an X-ray. Treat them as a guide rather than a checklist.
A filling may be suitable if
A different plan may be safer if
Dental fillings compared
Each material has a place. However, studies disagree on how composite and amalgam compare, so treat these points as a broad guide.
Your dental fillings journey
A direct filling often takes one visit. By contrast, an inlay or onlay needs lab work. Your dentist will confirm the plan and how many days you need.
- 1Online
Remote review
First, you send photos and any recent X-rays. Then a dentist explains which options look possible.
- 2Visit
Examination
Next, your dentist checks the tooth, often with an X-ray, and agrees the material with you.
- 3Visit
Removing the decay
After that, your dentist may numb the tooth. Then they clean out the decay and prepare the cavity.
- 4Visit
Placing the filling
Finally, your dentist fills and shapes the tooth, then checks your bite. For an inlay or onlay, a lab makes the piece first.
- 5At home
Check-ups near home
Afterwards, see a dentist for regular check-ups, ideally close to home. So they can spot a worn filling early.
Living with dental fillings
Daily care
Brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste. Spit rather than rinse, and clean between your teeth each day.
Food and drink
Keep sugary and acidic food and drink to mealtimes. In fact, new decay is a main reason fillings fail.
Sensitivity after dental fillings
A tooth can feel sensitive for a while after a filling. This should normally settle within a few weeks. If it does not settle within 4 weeks, contact your dentist.
Old amalgam fillings
You do not need to replace sound amalgam fillings. In fact, removing them can briefly release mercury vapour and may weaken the tooth.
How long dental fillings last
Most fillings need replacing at some point. For example, a 2014 study of 2,816 white fillings in back teeth found that new decay and fractures caused most failures. Also, larger fillings and a high risk of decay made failure more likely.
Evidence on composite versus amalgam is mixed. A 2021 Cochrane review found composite fillings in children failed almost twice as often. However, a 2026 Cochrane overview noted that those trials began in the late 1990s. Since then, composite failure in newer studies is about 5%, compared with almost 15% in those older trials.
Decay can start again around a filling. In the Cochrane review, this happened more often with composite than with amalgam. So daily cleaning and check-ups matter.
A filling or the tooth around it can break, especially when the filling is large. When little tooth is left, an onlay or crown may protect it better.
Mild sensitivity usually passes within weeks. However, toothache after a very deep filling may mean the nerve is unwell, and the tooth may need more treatment.
Your dentist can often repair a small defect rather than replace the whole filling. One review found similar failure rates for both, although the evidence was weak.
UK dental bodies say amalgam is safe for most people. Instead, the rules on it exist mainly to protect the environment from mercury.
What your dental fillings plan should answer
Ask any clinic, including us, for clear written answers before you book.
- 1Does this tooth need a filling, or could fluoride treat early decay?
- 2Which material do you suggest, and why?
- 3How much tooth will you remove?
- 4Would an onlay or crown protect this tooth better?
- 5Can you repair my old filling instead of replacing it?
- 6What should I do if the tooth stays sensitive?
- 7Who can check the filling when I am back home?
Dental fillings: your questions
EU law has barred amalgam since 1 January 2025, apart from specific medical needs. EU law also let some countries delay until 30 June 2026. In the UK, it is not banned. However, UK rules limit it for children under 15 and for pregnant or breastfeeding women.
Not unless they are damaged, worn or leaking. In fact, removing sound amalgam can briefly release mercury vapour and may weaken the tooth.
It depends on the size of the filling, your bite and how well you care for your teeth. Modern white fillings in many cases now last as well as amalgam.
Some sensitivity is common and should settle within a few weeks. If it lasts beyond 4 weeks, or turns into toothache, see your dentist.
When a large cavity leaves little strong tooth, a filling may not last. In that case, an onlay or crown may protect the tooth better.
Often, yes, because a direct filling usually takes one visit. Still, your dentist will confirm your plan and how many days you need after examining you.
Related guides
Medical review required before publication · General information only; it does not replace an examination, diagnosis or personalised treatment plan.
- Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust. Dental fillings (patient resource)
- NHS. Tooth decay (reviewed 2025)
- NHS. What are NHS fillings and crowns made of? (reviewed 2026)
- Oral Health Foundation. Amalgam fillings (updated 2026)
- Oral Health Foundation. White fillings (updated 2026)
- NHS Business Services Authority. In the spotlight: inlays and onlays (2019)
- Regulation (EU) 2024/1849 amending Regulation (EU) 2017/852 on mercury as regards dental amalgam (2024)
- Regulation (EU) 2017/852 on mercury, Article 10, as retained in UK law (legislation.gov.uk)
- Department of Health (Northern Ireland). Phase down plan for amalgam fillings published (2019)
- Worthington HV et al. Direct composite resin fillings versus amalgam fillings for permanent posterior teeth. Cochrane review (2021)
- Lewis SR et al. Restorative materials for direct coronal restoration of permanent posterior teeth: an overview of systematic reviews. Cochrane (2026)
- Al-Sulimmani W et al. Failure risk of composite resin and amalgam restorations: a systematic review and meta-analysis (2025)
- Opdam NJ et al. Longevity of posterior composite restorations: a systematic review and meta-analysis (2014)
- Morimoto S et al. Survival rate of resin and ceramic inlays, onlays, and overlays: a systematic review and meta-analysis (2016)
- Afrashtehfar KI et al. Failure rate of single-unit restorations on posterior vital teeth: a systematic review (2017)
- Mendes LT et al. Risk of failure of repaired versus replaced defective direct restorations in permanent teeth: a systematic review and meta-analysis (2022)
Do you need
dental fillings?
Send a few clear photos and any recent X-rays. A dentist will then review them and explain whether dental fillings, an onlay or another repair looks suitable. Your plan stays provisional until you're examined in person.