Fillings, Crowns And Tooth Repair In West Perth

No. A cracked tooth may need a crown, as healthdirect says, but a small crack may only need watching, a filling or an onlay. It depends on where the crack runs, how big it is, what you feel and how much healthy tooth remains (healthdirect, dental injury).

A crown covers the whole tooth, so more of the tooth is shaped. An onlay covers part of it and keeps more of the natural tooth. A crown suits a cracked, heavily filled or root-treated tooth, and some can be made the same day with CEREC. Sometimes the right call is to watch a small crack that isn’t causing symptoms, and review it.

Don’t wait if a cracked tooth hurts, is sensitive or has a piece missing. Keep any pieces, avoid chewing on that side and phone us. Grinding is one possible cause of cracks and broken fillings (healthdirect, teeth grinding), so we’ll also ask how you sleep and whether you clench. Our MiCrown® page goes into crowns in more detail.

• healthdirect (Australian Government). Dental injury
• healthdirect (Australian Government). Teeth grinding (bruxism)

Sometimes. CEREC lets us design and make certain ceramic crowns during one appointment, for selected cases. Other teeth need a temporary crown while a dental laboratory makes the final one, which is done over a second visit.

Which method suits your tooth depends on how much sound tooth is left, where it sits, how you bite and the material that suits it. We don’t treat either route as better: a laboratory crown can be the right choice for a tooth, and same-day isn’t available for every tooth. Ask what each would involve for you before you choose.

Same-day isn’t always quicker overall, and a crown is only one part of the treatment. A root canal, a build-up under the crown and a temporary crown are separate items where they apply. Ask for an itemised quote that lists each one, so you can compare like with like, and check what your fund pays. A crowned tooth can still need root canal treatment later, and a crown can chip or come loose, so we explain the aftercare when it is fitted.

Not while they’re sound, unless you choose to after hearing the risks and benefits. The Australian Dental Association says replacing sound amalgam fillings hasn’t been shown to improve general health, and that the weight of evidence doesn’t link amalgam in the general population with chronic disease or vague symptoms such as tiredness (ADA Policy 6.18, 2026).

A silver filling is worth replacing when it has failed: it’s cracked, worn or leaking, there is decay under it, or the tooth around it has cracked. A confirmed allergy to amalgam, or something in it, is another recognised reason. You can also choose replacement. Every replacement takes a little more healthy tooth with it (ADA, teeth.org.au), so there should be a reason you’re comfortable with.

If one does come out, we use a rubber dam, strong suction and a water spray to limit mercury vapour and particles, and your dentist will explain the steps planned for you. Removal isn’t a treatment for tiredness or other illness, and no method makes exposure zero. A sound filling isn’t urgent, so take the time you need. Our guide to old silver fillings goes into the detail.

• Australian Dental Association. Policy Statement 6.18 – Safety of Dental Amalgam (amended April 2026)
• Australian Dental Association, teeth.org.au. Dental fillings

It varies, and nobody can promise a number of years. How long a filling lasts depends on which tooth it is, what it’s made of, how you bite and how well you clean around it. Nothing lasts forever.

The material makes a difference. A Cochrane review found that composite fillings in back teeth fail more often than amalgam (Worthington et al., 2021). The review rated that evidence as low certainty, and its trials used older composite materials, so newer composites may do better. Porcelain wears well and can be shaded to match your teeth (healthdirect, fillings). Composite can stain, and it’s easier to repair or add to.

New decay around a filling often comes back to how often sugar reaches your teeth (healthdirect, tooth decay), and grinding can crack fillings, so your routine matters as much as the material. Each time a filling is replaced a little more tooth is lost (ADA, teeth.org.au), so we aim to make each repair last and check it at your reviews. Ask what we’d expect for your tooth and what each material costs to maintain.

• Worthington HV, et al. Direct composite resin fillings versus amalgam fillings for permanent posterior teeth. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2021. PubMed 34387873
• healthdirect (Australian Government). Dental fillings
• Australian Dental Association, teeth.org.au. Dental fillings
• healthdirect (Australian Government). Tooth decay

Yes, some. Cutting out an amalgam filling gives off mercury vapour and fine particles, which is why the way it is done matters (Spencer, 2000). No method makes exposure zero, so we say plainly that the steps keep it low, not that it’s gone.

We use a rubber dam, a thin sheet that isolates the tooth, strong suction close to the tooth and a steady water spray. Taking the filling out in sections, so less of it is ground down, is another common step. The ADA sets expectations for mercury hygiene and amalgam waste (ADA Policy 6.18, 2026) and publishes clinical handling guidance (ADA mercury and amalgam resources).

Before the visit, your dentist will go through the steps planned for you and how many fillings it’s sensible to replace at once. The ADA advises placing less new amalgam for children, in pregnancy and breastfeeding, and in kidney disease, and elective removal is usually put off in pregnancy, so tell us if any of these apply. Removing a sound filling isn’t urgent, and it isn’t a treatment for tiredness or other illness.

• Spencer AJ. Dental amalgam and mercury in dentistry. Australian Dental Journal. 2000. PubMed 11225523
• Australian Dental Association. Clinical focus: updated resources on mercury and amalgam
• Australian Dental Association. Policy Statement 6.18 – Safety of Dental Amalgam (amended April 2026)

Tell us before any treatment. Reactions to dental materials are rare, though they do occur, for instance to nickel or to an ingredient of amalgam. A confirmed allergy to amalgam is an accepted reason to replace an amalgam filling (ADA Policy 6.18, 2026), and it shapes the materials we plan around.

Allergy testing isn’t done at the practice. Your doctor or an allergy specialist can arrange it, and you can bring the results to us. If you’re not sure whether a past reaction was to a dental material, your doctor can help work that out. Tell us what happened: when, what you noticed and what was being done at the time.

Once we have a result, the plan steers around the material involved where that’s possible. Without a confirmed allergy, we wouldn’t suggest replacing a sound filling for a suspected reaction alone, because each replacement removes more tooth (ADA, teeth.org.au). Ask us what each option is made of, and list your allergies and medicines on your forms so every dentist who sees you has them.

• Australian Dental Association. Policy Statement 6.18 – Safety of Dental Amalgam (amended April 2026)
• Australian Dental Association, teeth.org.au. Dental fillings

Your fee depends on the tooth, the material and the method, and we give you item numbers and an estimate before treatment starts. We can’t quote a price here, because it comes from your examination. For a sense of scale, one published survey gives national averages for two common items.

In March 2023, CHOICE reported an Australian Dental Association fee survey to 1 July 2022. It put the average for a two-surface filling in a back tooth (item 532) at $220, with a range of $171 to $305, and the average for a full veneered crown (item 615) at $1,678, with a range of $1,250 to $2,100. These are survey averages, not this clinic’s fees, and they leave out other items such as a root canal, a build-up or a temporary crown.

Fund benefits depend on your policy: which items it lists, its annual limits and any waiting periods. Medicare doesn’t cover most dental services. We can claim eligible items on the spot through HICAPS with participating funds. Ask us for the item numbers before you start, and ask your fund what you’ll have left to pay, including for replacing a filling that isn’t broken, which policies may treat differently.

• CHOICE. How much does the dentist cost? (reports the ADA 2022 dental fee survey; last updated 9 March 2023)

Yes, most replacement fillings are tooth-coloured, and no dental material is harmless for everyone, white fillings included. Small and medium cavities usually get composite resin, and larger repairs may suit a ceramic inlay, onlay or crown. You’ll hear what each is made of, and its trade-offs, before you choose.

On one common worry, BPA, the Australian Dental Association states there is no evidence that long-term exposure from dental materials is linked to harm (ADA Policy 6.27, 2025). Preferring a metal-free material is a reasonable choice, and you don’t need a medical reason. We won’t call any material toxic or pure.

The trade-offs are real. Composite in back teeth fails more often than amalgam on average (Worthington et al., 2021), composite can stain and porcelain can chip. Bonding also needs a dry tooth and careful technique. If you have a known allergy, tell us. For a larger repair, ask whether ceramic would hold up better for your bite and what it costs. Check-ups, cleans and other repairs are covered in our wider range of dental services.

• Australian Dental Association. Policy Statement 6.27 – Bisphenol-A in Dental Restorative Materials (amended October 2025)
• Worthington HV, et al. Direct composite resin fillings versus amalgam fillings for permanent posterior teeth. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2021. PubMed 34387873