White Filling Costs UK: What You'll Actually Pay

White fillings cost between £100 and £250 at most private dentists in the UK. At UrgentCare Dental, they're £99 to £250 depending on the size - smaller cavities at the lower end, larger restorations at the higher end.

That's the number you came here for. Now let's talk about what you're actually getting.

Why White Instead of Silver

The old silver amalgam fillings worked, and millions of people still have them. But there are good reasons white composite has become the standard.

The obvious one is appearance. Amalgam fillings look like little metal patches in your teeth - fine when they're tucked away in a back molar, more noticeable when you laugh or yawn. White composite is colour-matched to your natural tooth, so once it's placed, it essentially disappears.

But the differences go deeper than looks.

Composite bonds directly to your tooth structure. It forms a genuine adhesive connection with the enamel and dentine, which means your dentist can often preserve more of your natural tooth when placing it. Amalgam doesn't bond - it's held in mechanically, so the cavity has to be shaped in a specific way to lock the filling in place. That often means removing healthy tooth structure just to create the right shape.

There's also the expansion issue. Metal expands when it's hot and contracts when it's cold. Every time you drink hot coffee or eat ice cream, an amalgam filling is subtly moving. Over years, this can create tiny cracks in the surrounding tooth structure. Composite doesn't have this problem - it stays dimensionally stable regardless of temperature.

Then there's the repair question. If part of a composite filling chips or wears down, your dentist can often add to it - bonding new material onto the existing filling. With amalgam, the whole thing typically needs to come out and be replaced.

And yes, there's the mercury question. Amalgam contains mercury, and while dental authorities maintain that the amount is safe, plenty of people would simply rather not have it in their mouths. Composite contains no mercury at all.

The result is a filling that looks better, preserves more of your healthy tooth, doesn't stress the tooth with temperature changes, can be repaired rather than replaced, and doesn't contain mercury. For most people, that combination makes the choice straightforward.

What Affects the Price

The size of the cavity is the biggest factor. A small filling on one surface of a tooth is straightforward work - maybe twenty minutes, minimal material. That's your £99-£120 territory.

A larger filling that wraps around multiple surfaces of the tooth takes longer, uses more material, and requires more skill to shape properly. That's where you get into the £150-£250 range.

Location in your mouth matters too. Back molars are harder to access and take more chewing force, so fillings there need to be placed and shaped carefully. Front teeth are easier to reach but need precise colour matching since they're so visible.

What's Included

When you pay for a filling at UrgentCare Dental, that covers everything - the examination to assess what's needed, the local anaesthetic so you don't feel anything, the actual filling placement, and the shaping and polishing at the end.

Some practices charge separately for the examination or X-rays. Worth checking what's included when you're comparing prices, because a £90 filling plus a £50 exam plus £25 for X-rays adds up differently than a £150 all-in price.

How Long They Last

White composite fillings typically last five to ten years, sometimes longer with good care. That's a bit less than amalgam, which can last fifteen years or more, but most people find the aesthetics worth the trade-off.

The main enemies of filling longevity are grinding your teeth at night, chewing ice or hard sweets, and not keeping up with brushing and flossing around the filled tooth. Look after them and they'll look after you.

When a filling does eventually need replacing, it's the same process again - out with the old, in with the new. Not a big deal.

When You Might Need Something Else

Sometimes what looks like a filling situation turns out to need something more. If the cavity is very large and there isn't much tooth structure left, a crown might be the better option - it caps the whole tooth rather than just filling a hole.

If decay has reached the nerve of the tooth, you might need root canal treatment first, then a filling or crown on top.

Your dentist will be straight with you about what's actually needed. Sometimes people come in expecting a major procedure and it turns out to be a simple filling. Sometimes it's the other way around. The examination tells the real story.

Getting It Sorted

Fillings are genuinely routine. You'll be numb so you won't feel the work, the whole thing takes maybe thirty to forty-five minutes, and you'll walk out with a tooth that looks and functions normally again.

The main thing is not to wait too long. A small cavity that needs a £99 filling today can become a large cavity that needs a £250 filling in six months, or a damaged tooth that needs a £650 crown in a year. Decay doesn't fix itself, and it doesn't stay the same size.

If you know you've got a tooth that needs attention, or it's been a while since anyone had a proper look, booking an examination is the sensible move. You'll know exactly what you're dealing with, exactly what it'll cost, and you can get it sorted before it becomes a bigger problem.

Your teeth will thank you.