A straight forward filling is usually the best option for small restorations. Fillings can be made tooth coloured for a more aesthetically pleasing result.

In cases where there is very little left of the original tooth, a stronger restoration is needed and often an inlay or a crown may be more appropriate. A crown is a shell that sits on top of the original tooth. The tooth is first prepared by the dentist and then a bespoke shell is made in a dental laboratory, before being cemented in place. Crowns and in-lays can be made tooth coloured for a more aesthetically pleasing result.

This option is used to treat infection or irreversible inflammation of a tooth nerve (‘pulp’) by the removal of the pulp from the root canals of the tooth. When a tooth becomes infected (often as a result of a large cavity or deep filling), the nerve cannot be repaired by the body’s immune system. The infected nerve must be removed from the root canals, and the canals disinfected and sealed to clear the infection and prevent it from returning. Some dental infections cause toothache which may be very mild to very severe. However, many dental infections are pain free, and you may know nothing about an infection until your dentist spots the signs.