If you have a cavity in your tooth from tooth decay or from other damage such as a chipped or fractured tooth it is recommended that your tooth is restored. Cavities get bigger over time, so the sooner they can be identified and fixed the better. Typically it is only when a decaying cavity is very large that it would develop symptoms of pain you would notice. This is why regular check ups are important – to spot early problems and restore them whilst they are small.

Without treatment, a cavity or fractured tooth can lead to pain, infection, or possibly loss of the whole tooth. Furthermore restoring a tooth improves your ability to chew and break down food – chewing is the important first step of digestion and extracting the nutrients from food.

Treatment for broken teeth or cavities

For a small or moderate sized cavity, we will usually recommend a composite (white) filling, or sometimes a silver filling. If a cavity is very large and much of the natural tooth has been lost, we will likely recommend a crown or onlay.