Composite fillings, also called white or tooth-coloured fillings, are bonded directly to the tooth and set hard with a curing light before you leave. That means there is no waiting period before you can use the tooth, but there are a few things worth knowing to get the best from them.
The First Day
Wait for the Anaesthetic to Wear Off
The filling itself is fully set, but your lip, cheek or tongue may be numb for a couple of hours. Eating during that time makes accidental biting easy, and the resulting ulcer is more uncomfortable than the appointment was.
Expect Some Sensitivity
Mild sensitivity to cold, and sometimes to biting, is common for a few days to a couple of weeks, particularly after a deeper filling. It should gradually settle. A toothpaste for sensitive teeth can help in the meantime. For the first day or so, it is also sensible to go easy on very hot or very cold food and drinks, and on anything particularly hard, crunchy or sticky, while the tooth settles.
Check the Bite
Once the numbness has gone, the filling should feel level. If it feels high, if you hit it first when you close, or if the sensitivity is sharp on biting, call us. A small adjustment takes a couple of minutes and prevents ongoing discomfort.
Sensitivity That Is Not Normal
Contact us if you notice:
- Pain that increases rather than settles over the following weeks
- Lingering pain after hot or cold, lasting more than 30 seconds
- Throbbing or spontaneous pain, particularly at night
- Pain when releasing your bite, which can indicate a crack
- Any swelling near the tooth
These can indicate the nerve is inflamed, which occasionally happens after a deep filling and may require root canal therapy.
Everyday Care
The basics apply, with a few specifics:
- Brush twice daily with a soft brush and fluoride toothpaste. Aggressive scrubbing wears both the filling and the tooth
- Clean between your teeth every day, as decay recurring at the edge of a filling is the most common reason fillings are replaced
- Choose a non-abrasive toothpaste. Some whitening pastes are abrasive enough to dull the polished surface over time
- If you use a mouthwash, choose an alcohol-free one. Alcohol can soften the surface of composite resin over time, making it wear and stain more readily, and strongly coloured rinses can also discolour it
- If you have several fillings or a higher risk of decay, we may recommend a fluoride gel or high-fluoride toothpaste to protect the tooth around them
- Avoid using your teeth as tools, and take care with ice, hard nuts and olive pits
Staining, and How to Limit It
Composite resin picks up stain more readily than natural enamel, especially at the margins. The main culprits are coffee, tea, red wine, dark cola, curry and tobacco.
You do not have to give them up. Rinse with water afterwards, wait around 30 minutes before brushing if the drink was acidic, and keep up regular professional cleans, which include polishing that lifts surface stain. Composite resin veneers on front teeth need the same attention.
One point that surprises people: whitening does not lighten composite. If you plan teeth whitening, do it before front fillings are placed so the shade can be matched to your new colour. If you whiten afterwards, the filling may end up looking darker than the surrounding tooth and may need replacing.
Grinding and Composite
Composite is strong but not indestructible, and sustained grinding forces will chip and wear it faster. If we have noted signs of grinding and clenching, a night splint protects your fillings along with your natural teeth. It is a small investment compared with repeatedly replacing restorations.
How Long Should a Composite Filling Last?
There is no fixed lifespan. It depends on the size and position of the filling, how heavily you bite, whether you grind, and how well the margins are kept clean. Small fillings in low-stress areas generally last longer than large ones rebuilding a chewing surface.
At every check-up and clean we examine your fillings for wear, staining at the margins, chips and any sign of decay underneath, often with the help of X-rays. Replacing a filling before it fails is usually simpler than dealing with the consequences afterwards.
When a Filling Needs More Than Replacing
Each time a filling is replaced, a little more tooth structure is lost. Once a filling becomes large, the remaining walls of the tooth may be too thin to support another one reliably. At that point we may recommend an onlay or a crown instead, and with CEREC many of these can be made and fitted in a single visit.
If a filling comes out altogether, keep the area clean, chew on the other side and book promptly. Our page on a lost filling explains what to do in the meantime.
A Quick Checklist
- Wait until numbness wears off before eating
- Tell us if the bite feels high
- Expect mild sensitivity for a few days
- Brush gently, clean between teeth daily
- Limit staining foods and drinks, and rinse afterwards
- Whiten before placing front fillings, not after
- Wear a splint if you grind
- Keep your regular check-ups
Composite Compared With Other Materials
People sometimes ask whether an amalgam filling would last longer. Amalgam is durable and has a long history, but it is not tooth-coloured, requires more removal of healthy tooth to hold it in place mechanically, and is used far less in Australia now.
Composite bonds to the tooth, which allows a more conservative preparation and supports the remaining structure. It is also repairable: a chipped composite can often be added to rather than replaced entirely, which preserves tooth structure.
For larger cavities, ceramic inlays and onlays sit between composite and a full crown, offering greater strength than a large filling while removing less tooth than a crown. We will talk through which suits the specific tooth.
Questions About Your Filling?
If something does not feel right after a filling, we would rather hear from you than have you wait. Call Precision Dental on (07) 3852 1160 or book online.
