Key takeaways
- A filling restores a tooth after decay is removed; composite (tooth-coloured) and amalgam (metal) are the main materials.
- The EU banned new amalgam fillings from January 2025; the UK still permits amalgam where clinically justified, with restrictions.
- Trial evidence suggests amalgam fillings in back teeth fail less often than composite, though the evidence is low-certainty; recurring decay is composite's main failure mode.
- When decay runs deep or a filling fails, the ladder escalates: root canal treatment, then a crown or onlay.
- Fillings are rarely worth a trip on their own, but they are often found and fixed during a bigger treatment plan abroad. Get every one itemised.
Nobody flies abroad for a single filling. But fillings appear on treatment plans abroad constantly, usually discovered during the examination for something bigger, and they raise real questions: which material, how long will it last, and when is a filling no longer enough? This guide answers those questions from the published evidence. It is general information, not medical advice; your dentist gives the clinical advice.
What it is
A filling restores a tooth after the dentist removes decay. The cavity is cleaned, then packed with a material that rebuilds the tooth's shape and seals it against further decay.
Two materials dominate. Composite is a tooth-coloured resin, bonded to the tooth and near-invisible. Amalgam is the traditional silver-coloured metal mix, used in back teeth for over a century. The choice between them has recently become regulatory as well as clinical: according to the NHS Business Services Authority, the EU banned new amalgam fillings from 1 January 2025, while the UK continues a phase-down that still allows amalgam when clinically justified, but not for baby teeth, children under 15, or pregnant or breastfeeding women unless strictly necessary.
That split matters for treatment abroad: in EU countries you should expect composite or other non-amalgam materials for new fillings, whatever you have had before. Fillings sit within almost every larger plan, so it is worth understanding them before reading our broader dental treatment abroad guide.
Am I a candidate
You are a candidate for a filling when decay has breached the enamel but the tooth is still worth restoring directly: enough sound structure remains, and the pulp (the nerve inside) is healthy. That judgement is your dentist's, made with an examination and X-rays, because decay between teeth or under old fillings is often invisible to the eye.
The more useful question is when a filling is not enough. If decay has reached the pulp, or a large old filling has failed and taken tooth structure with it, patching again may not hold. The escalation ladder described in Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust's endodontic guidance runs from failed or deep restorations to root canal treatment, and then to a crown or onlay to protect what remains. If a clinic proposes jumping straight up that ladder, ask why; if one proposes yet another patch on a repeatedly failed tooth, ask the same.
How it works
A routine filling is a single visit:
- Numbing. Local anaesthetic around the tooth. The tooth is numbed with local anaesthetic, so you should not feel pain during the drilling.
- Decay removal. The dentist drills out the decayed tissue and shapes the cavity.
- Filling. Composite is placed in layers, each hardened with a curing light, then bonded to the tooth. Amalgam, where still used, is packed into the cavity.
- Shaping and polishing. The dentist adjusts the filling until your bite feels right, then polishes it.
Material choice is worth an informed conversation rather than a default. A Cochrane review of eight randomised trials found that amalgam fillings in back teeth failed less often than composite, with composite carrying a higher risk of secondary caries, that is, new decay around the filling; the authors rated the evidence low-certainty. A 2025 systematic review points the same way on lifespan, reporting median survival above 16 years for amalgam versus around 11 years for composite in back teeth, with secondary caries again the main way composite fillings fail.
None of that makes composite a bad choice; it is the standard of care in more and more settings, and in the EU it is now effectively the only choice for new fillings. It does mean a composite filling is not fit-and-forget. It earns its lifespan through your hygiene and regular checks.
Recovery and aftercare
Recovery from a filling is minimal. The anaesthetic wears off within hours; avoid chewing on the numb side until it does. Some sensitivity to hot, cold or pressure for a few days is common and normally settles.
Two things justify a follow-up call to the treating dentist: a bite that still feels "high" after a few days, which usually needs a quick adjustment, or sensitivity that worsens rather than fades, which can signal the pulp is irritated. If you have travelled for treatment, this is exactly the kind of small issue that should be raised through the clinic's follow-up channel rather than ignored on the flight home.
Aftercare belongs to the treating clinic. Where your treatment is arranged through GetClinic, we coordinate that follow-up, so a minor bite adjustment or a sensitivity question doesn't fall into the gap between countries. Long-term, the aftercare is unglamorous: brushing, interdental cleaning and check-ups, which matter doubly for composite given its secondary-decay risk.
Risks and how clinics manage them
Fillings are among the lowest-risk procedures in dentistry, but not risk-free.
- Secondary decay. The main long-term failure mode, especially for composite, per the Cochrane and 2025 reviews above. Managed by good placement technique, your hygiene, and regular checks that catch new decay early.
- Post-operative sensitivity. Common and usually short-lived. Persistent or worsening pain needs review, because it can mean the pulp is inflamed and the ladder may escalate towards root canal treatment.
- Fracture. Large fillings leave weakened walls of natural tooth. Where too little tooth remains, a well-judged clinic proposes an onlay or crown rather than an oversized filling that invites fracture.
- Over-treatment on multi-tooth plans. On a big treatment plan abroad, fillings are where line items multiply. The X-rays justify each one, which is a reason to ask for your imaging and per-tooth itemisation. A confident clinic shows you the decay it is treating.
Cost by country
We don't publish our own filling prices; a single figure hides everything that matters, from cavity size to material to how many teeth need work.
The externally verifiable UK benchmark: as of September 2026, fillings on the NHS in England fall under Band 2, charged at £76.60 for a course of treatment, with a mixed course charged once at the highest band reached. Private UK prices vary by practice; abroad, fillings usually appear as per-tooth line items inside a larger quote.
That per-tooth itemisation is your comparison tool. Insist on the number of fillings, the teeth involved and the material, in writing, and check what the escalation costs if a planned filling turns out chairside to need a root canal or crown instead. Our dental filling cost breakdown covers the line items to look for. The real figure for your case is the clinic's written, itemised quote, and nothing should be added to it without your express agreement.
Choosing a clinic
For fillings, clinic choice is mostly about diagnosis and restraint. You want a clinic that takes X-rays before proposing fillings, shows you what it found, explains material choice rather than defaulting silently, and tells you honestly when a tooth needs more than a filling, or less.
Ask three questions. Which material will you use for my fillings, and why? Will each filling be itemised per tooth in the written quote? If the examination changes the plan, how are additions agreed? Their answers tell you how the clinic works everywhere else too.
GetClinic's vetting is administrative verification, checking licensing, registration and claimed accreditations; it is due diligence, not a guarantee. Whether a tooth needs a filling, and what kind, is the clinic dentist's decision after examining you. Our coordinator's job is to get your records to the clinic in advance, your questions answered in writing and the follow-up arranged.
FAQ
Composite or amalgam, which should I choose?
Discuss it with your dentist, and note that in EU countries new amalgam fillings have been banned since January 2025, per the NHS Business Services Authority. Trial evidence rates amalgam's durability in back teeth slightly ahead, but composite is the modern standard in most settings, and placement quality and hygiene matter more than the label.
How long will a filling last?
The 2025 systematic review reported median survival above 16 years for amalgam and around 11 years for composite in back teeth. Individual results vary widely with cavity size, bite forces and hygiene, and no honest clinic guarantees a lifespan.
When is a filling not enough?
When decay reaches the pulp or too little sound tooth remains. The pathway in Leeds Teaching Hospitals' guidance runs from failed or deep restorations to root canal treatment, then a crown or onlay. If that is your situation, read our root canal guide before you travel.
Should old amalgam fillings be replaced with composite?
Not routinely; replacement is itself an intervention with risks, and UK policy is phase-down, not recall. If a clinic proposes swapping sound fillings wholesale, ask for the clinical justification for each tooth.
My new filling is sensitive; is that normal?
Mild sensitivity for a few days is common. A bite that feels high, or pain that worsens rather than fades, needs review by the treating dentist, so use the clinic's follow-up channel promptly.
Is this medical advice?
No. This guide is general information to help you prepare questions. Your dentist gives the clinical advice, based on an examination and X-rays of your own teeth.