Dental Fillings in Greensboro, NC

Left untreated, a cavity does not stay small. Decay spreads deeper into the tooth, and what starts as a minor repair can turn into a painful infection or a tooth that needs a crown or a root canal instead of a simple filling. Treating a cavity early, while it is still small, is faster, more comfortable, and less expensive than waiting.

At Locklear Dentistry, we numb the area completely first, so the actual filling is painless, and most visits take about an hour from start to finish. We remove the decayed structure, clean the tooth, and rebuild it the same day with a durable, tooth-colored composite that bonds directly to your natural tooth and blends in seamlessly, so nobody can tell it is there.

Tooth-colored composite has become the standard of care for a reason. Unlike old amalgam, or silver, fillings, composite does not expand and contract with hot and cold the way metal does, which over time can crack a tooth or open tiny gaps where new decay sneaks in. Composite also bonds to the tooth itself rather than simply sitting in the cavity, which means we can preserve more of your healthy natural tooth structure during preparation.

With good brushing, flossing, and regular checkups, a composite filling holds up for many years, though smaller fillings and those on less heavily used teeth tend to last the longest. If you already have old metal fillings and would like them replaced with a more natural-looking, metal-free option, we are happy to talk through that with you as well.

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