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Introduction
Most people only meet three words at the chair: filling, inlay, crown. Which one a tooth gets is not a matter of taste, it is a matter of how much sound tooth is left.
TLDR;
- Composite bonds to the tooth and suits small and medium cavities.
- Ceramic inlays and onlays suit larger cavities where a filling would flex.
- If a cusp is missing or cracked, a crown is the honest answer.
- Sound, sealed amalgams do not need replacing just for appearance.
- Fillings are usually completed in a single appointment in Tirana.
Composite fillings
Tooth-coloured composite is placed in layers and cured with light. It bonds, so less healthy tooth has to be removed than with amalgam, and it can be polished to an invisible finish. Lifespan depends far more on how big the cavity is and how heavy your bite is than on the brand of material.
Inlays and onlays
When the cavity is wide, a laboratory-made ceramic inlay is bonded into the prepared space. It resists wear better than a very large composite and keeps more tooth than a crown. Made in our laboratory, it needs a second appointment a few days later, which fits neatly into a treatment trip.
Replacing old amalgams
We replace amalgam when there is decay underneath, a crack, a fractured margin or the patient asks for aesthetic reasons after being told the trade-offs. Removing sound amalgams wholesale means cutting more tooth for no clinical gain.
What we do at Dental Oasis
We photograph and X-ray each tooth, show you what we see and explain when a filling is enough and when it would only buy a year. Because Albanian dental guidelines do not allow published prices, the costed plan comes to you privately.
Ask for a written plan, or read about crowns and caps.