Dental Fillings in Bandra West, Mumbai

A filling restores a tooth damaged by decay, fracture or wear. The decayed tissue is removed and the space rebuilt, most often with tooth-coloured composite resin bonded directly to the tooth. At Bliss Skin & Dental Polyclinic in Bandra West, fillings are placed after an examination and, where needed, radiographs — because decay between teeth is invisible to the naked eye and is the commonest place it starts.

Benefits of dental fillings

• Stops decay progressing towards the nerve, where treatment becomes far more involved
• Restores the tooth’s shape and chewing function
• Tooth-coloured composite is matched to your own shade
• Bonded directly to the tooth, so less healthy tooth structure has to be removed than with older materials
• Usually completed in a single appointment and functional immediately
• Far cheaper and simpler than what is needed if decay is left

Areas treated

• Chewing surfaces of molars and premolars, where grooves trap plaque
• Between the teeth, where decay is invisible without a radiograph
• At the gumline, where abrasion and acid erosion cause notching
• Front teeth, where appearance governs the material
• Chipped edges and corners of front teeth
• Replacement of old fillings that have fractured, worn or begun to leak

Conditions treated

When a filling is needed

• Decay, whether or not it is causing symptoms
• A chipped or fractured tooth
• Wear at the gumline from abrasion or acid erosion
• Replacement of an old filling that has fractured, worn or is leaking at the margin

Decay does not hurt until it is well advanced. By the time a cavity is painful, the options are usually more involved than a filling.

The procedure, step by step

Local anaesthetic where needed, removal of the decayed tissue, preparation of the cavity, placement of the material in layers, shaping, and adjustment of the bite. A composite filling is set with a curing light and is fully functional immediately. Most fillings take one appointment.

Downtime and recovery

• Wait until the numbness wears off before eating, to avoid biting your cheek or lip
• Some sensitivity to cold for a few days is normal, particularly with deeper fillings
• If the bite feels high or you cannot bite comfortably, come back — an unadjusted filling causes ongoing pain and can crack a tooth
• Clean normally, including between the teeth

Results timeline

Composite fillings commonly last several years to well over a decade, depending on size, position, bite forces, grinding, diet and hygiene. No filling is permanent, and a large filling in a heavy chewing position has a harder life than a small one.

Cost of dental fillings in Bandra

Bliss does not publish treatment prices. A figure quoted before an assessment is a guess, and a published price goes stale and then misleads. You are given a written estimate after the examination and before treatment starts, and you are told before anything changes.

What the figure reflects:

• The size of the cavity and how many surfaces of the tooth are involved
• The material used
• Which tooth it is and how accessible it is
• Whether a liner or base is needed under a deep filling
• Whether an inlay or onlay is more appropriate than a direct filling
• Whether radiographs are needed to assess the extent

Dental fillings compared with the alternatives

Materials

Composite resin (tooth-coloured)

Bonded directly to the tooth, matched to its shade, and conservative in how much tooth needs removing. The standard choice for most situations, front and back.

Glass ionomer

Releases fluoride and bonds chemically. Useful at the gumline, in children, and as a temporary or a base beneath another restoration.

Amalgam

Silver-coloured, very durable and long-established, now used far less because of appearance and because composite requires less tooth removal. Existing sound amalgam fillings do not need replacing simply because they are amalgam — replacing a sound filling removes more tooth for no clinical gain.

Inlays and onlays

Laboratory-made restorations for cavities too large for a direct filling but not requiring a full crown.

When a filling is no longer enough

Where too little sound tooth remains, a filling has nothing to hold on to and will fail repeatedly. At that point an onlay or a crown is the more predictable answer. Where the decay has reached the pulp, root canal treatment is needed first. You should be told this before the filling is placed rather than after the second one fails.

Risks, suitability and important considerations

Preventing the next one

• Fluoride toothpaste twice daily, spitting rather than rinsing afterwards
• Clean between the teeth daily — this is where most adult decay starts
• Reduce the frequency, not just the quantity, of sugar. Grazing is worse than a single serving.
• Regular examinations so decay is found while a filling is still the answer

Dental fillings at Bliss, Bandra West

The clinic is on the 2nd floor at 6 Hilton Apartment, 35-A Hill Road, opposite Elco Shopping Centre in Bandra West, a short walk from Hill Road and within easy reach of Bandra station, Khar, Santacruz and Mahim.

Frequently asked questions

Are tooth-coloured fillings as strong as silver ones?

Modern composites perform well in most situations and require less tooth removal. For very large cavities in heavy chewing areas an onlay or crown may be more predictable than any direct filling.

Should I replace my old amalgam fillings?

Not if they are sound. Replacing a functioning filling removes more tooth structure for no clinical benefit. Replace them when they fail, or if you want to for appearance, understanding that trade-off.

Does having a filling hurt?

It is done under local anaesthetic where needed. Some sensitivity for a few days afterwards is common, especially with deeper fillings.

Why is my tooth sensitive weeks after a filling?

Occasionally a deep filling irritates the pulp, or the bite needs adjusting. Either way it should be checked rather than waited out.

How long do fillings last?

Several years to well over a decade, depending on size, position and how you look after them. None are permanent.

Can a cavity heal on its own?

Very early enamel demineralisation can remineralise with fluoride and better hygiene. Once a cavity has formed in the tooth structure, it does not heal and needs restoring.

I have no pain. Do I really need a filling?

Yes. Decay is painless until it reaches the nerve, and by then a filling is usually no longer the option.

Who carries out this treatment

Dental and orthodontic treatment at Bliss Skin & Dental Polyclinic is led by Dr. Farhan Parkar, BDS, MDS (Orthodontics), registered with the Maharashtra State Dental Council under number A-18082. He completed his BDS at M A Rangoonwala College of Dental Sciences, Pune in 2009 and a three-year full-time MDS residency in Orthodontics at Manipal in 2013, and has practised since 2009, including a period working internationally. He is an author of a 2013 text on cone beam computed tomography in orthodontics.

Registration numbers are published here deliberately. Any patient in Maharashtra can verify a dental practitioner with the state council, and we would rather you did — here and at any other clinic you are considering.

Book an appointment

Call +91 93221 22111, message the clinic on WhatsApp, or book online. Bliss Skin & Dental Polyclinic, 2nd Floor, 6 Hilton Apartment, 35-A Hill Road, Opposite Elco Shopping Centre, Bandra West, Mumbai 400050.

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Related treatments at Bliss

• Dentist

Sources and further reading

• Indian Dental Association — Your Oral Health