Stop decay in its tracks with durable, natural-looking composite fillings that blend seamlessly with your smile. Trusted by families across Greater Dayton for over 40 years.
BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT CALL: (937) 435-4150Here’s the thing: nobody wants to hear they have a cavity. But if you do, catching it early and treating it with a high-quality filling is the easiest, most conservative way to protect your tooth from further damage. When tooth decay is left untreated, it doesn’t just stop. It continues to eat away at the healthy enamel and dentin, eventually reaching the sensitive nerve at the center of the tooth. What could have been a simple filling suddenly turns into the need for a root canal or even an extraction.
At Centerville Dental Center, we prefer to use tooth-colored composite resin for our restorations. Gone are the days when getting a cavity filled meant having a dark silver patch in your smile. Our composite fillings are carefully shade-matched to your natural teeth, making them virtually invisible to the untrained eye once they are placed. Whether you’re dealing with a new cavity, replacing an old metal filling, or repairing a chipped tooth, our goal is always the same: to restore the strength of your tooth while keeping your smile looking completely natural.
If you’re experiencing tooth sensitivity, pain when chewing, or have noticed a dark spot on a tooth, don’t wait for it to get worse. Call our Centerville dental office at (937) 435-4150. We’ve been providing gentle, effective restorative care for patients in Centerville, Oakwood, Springboro, Carroll, and Kettering since 1983.
While traditional amalgam (silver) fillings were the standard for decades, modern dental technology has given us a better option. Here is why we exclusively use composite resin for our patients.
The most obvious benefit of a composite filling is how it looks. We carefully select a shade of resin that matches the exact color of your natural tooth enamel. Once the filling is placed, cured, and polished, it blends in so well that you — and anyone else — won’t be able to tell where the tooth ends and the filling begins. This is especially important for cavities on teeth that are visible when you smile or laugh.
Because composite resin chemically bonds directly to the surface of the tooth, we don’t need to remove as much healthy enamel to secure the filling in place. Traditional silver fillings require the dentist to create a larger, undercut shape in the tooth just to hold the metal mechanically. With composite, we only remove the decayed area, leaving more of your natural, healthy tooth structure intact.
That chemical bond does more than just hold the filling in place — it actually helps to restore the structural integrity of the tooth. The resin supports the remaining tooth walls, making it more resistant to fracture when you bite and chew. While a filling isn’t as strong as a dental crown, composite provides excellent durability for small to moderate restorations.
Metal is an excellent conductor of temperature. That’s why patients with large silver fillings often experience sharp sensitivity when eating hot soup or drinking ice water. Composite resin is an insulator, not a conductor. This means it protects the sensitive inner layers of your tooth from extreme temperature changes, resulting in a much more comfortable experience when you eat and drink.
Your Questions, Answered Honestly.
Will getting a filling hurt? We go out of our way to make sure it doesn’t. We use a highly effective local anesthetic to completely numb the tooth and the surrounding area before we begin. You may feel some pressure or vibration, but you should not feel any sharp pain. If you have dental anxiety, let us know—we are very experienced in helping nervous patients feel relaxed and in control.
Should I replace my old silver fillings? If your old amalgam fillings are still intact, sealing the tooth properly, and not causing any issues, there is usually no medical need to replace them. However, if an old filling is cracked or leaking, or if there is new decay underneath it, it must be replaced. Some patients also choose to replace their silver fillings with composite simply for cosmetic reasons. We can evaluate your old fillings during a preventive exam and give you our honest recommendation.
How much does a filling cost? The cost of a filling depends on the size of the cavity and which tooth is affected. Almost all dental insurance plans cover a significant percentage of the cost for fillings. Our front desk team will verify your benefits and give you a clear breakdown of your out-of-pocket costs before we do any work. If you don’t have insurance, we offer flexible financing options to ensure you can get the care you need.
Since 1983, Centerville Dental Center has been the trusted choice for families in Centerville, Oakwood, Springboro, Carroll, Kettering, and the Greater Dayton area. We believe that conservative dentistry is the best dentistry. That means we focus on catching problems early, preserving as much of your natural tooth as possible, and using the highest quality materials available to ensure your restorations last.
When you come to us for a filling, you’re not just a name on the schedule. We take the time to explain what we see on your X-rays, discuss your options, and make sure you are completely comfortable before we begin. If you suspect you might have a cavity, don’t wait for it to start hurting. Call our office at 9346 Dayton Lebanon Pike, Centerville, OH 45458, and let us help you protect your smile.
Getting a filling is one of the most straightforward procedures we perform at our Centerville office. In most cases, the entire process takes between 30 and 45 minutes per tooth. This includes the time it takes for the local anesthetic to take full effect, removing the decayed portion of the tooth, placing the composite resin, curing it with a special light, and finally polishing the filling so it feels perfectly smooth against your tongue and fits your natural bite.
With proper care, a tooth-colored composite filling can last anywhere from 7 to 10 years, and often longer. The lifespan of your filling depends heavily on your oral hygiene habits, your diet, and where the filling is located in your mouth. Fillings on molars that endure heavy chewing pressure may wear down slightly faster than fillings on front teeth. Brushing twice a day, flossing daily, and keeping up with your regular checkups at Centerville Dental Center will help ensure your fillings last as long as possible.
Yes, one of the great advantages of composite resin fillings is that they are fully cured and hardened by a special blue light before you even leave the dentist’s chair. This means the filling itself is ready for normal use immediately. However, because we use local anesthesia, your lips, tongue, and cheeks will likely remain numb for a few hours after your appointment. We strongly recommend waiting to eat anything until the numbness has completely worn off so you don’t accidentally bite your tongue or cheek.
It is very common to experience some mild sensitivity to hot or cold temperatures for a few days after getting a filling. The tooth has just undergone a minor surgical procedure, and the nerve inside the tooth can be temporarily irritated. This sensitivity should gradually improve each day. If the sensitivity is severe, lasts longer than a week or two, or if you feel a sharp pain when you bite down, please call our office. It usually just means the filling is sitting a microscopic fraction of a millimeter too high and needs a quick, simple adjustment to perfect your bite.
In the early stages, cavities often have no symptoms at all, which is why regular dental exams and X-rays are so important. By the time a cavity starts to hurt, the decay has usually progressed significantly. Common signs that you may have a cavity include sensitivity to hot, cold, or sweet foods, a lingering toothache, pain when you bite down, or visible dark spots or holes on the surface of your tooth. If you notice any of these symptoms, don’t wait — schedule an appointment at our Centerville office right away so we can treat it while the cavity is still small.