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Medically reviewed by Dt. Şerife Kalken, dentist and founder · October 2026
Procedure Time
Around 20–40 minutes per tooth
Anesthesia
Usually performed under local anaesthesia
Durability
Ranges from 5–20 years depending on material
Overview
What Is Dental Filling?
A dental filling restores a decayed, chipped, or cracked tooth with a suitable material. Applied before the decay progresses further, it prevents the complete loss of the tooth.
Silver amalgam fillings can last 15–20 years, while composite (tooth-colored) fillings offer a more natural appearance. Your dentist will assess which material suits your case.
Who Is a Candidate?
Is It Right for You?
If any of the following applies to you, we recommend discussing this treatment with our dentists.
You Have a Cavity
Decay should be cleaned and filled before it progresses.
You Have a Chipped or Cracked Tooth
Small chips and cracks can be repaired with a filling.
An Old Filling Has Worn Out
Worn or discolored old fillings should be replaced.
Process
Step-by-Step Dental Filling Process
From your first consultation to the result, here is the order your treatment follows.
Examination & X-Ray
The depth and extent of the decay are determined.
Anesthesia
The area is numbed with local anaesthesia if needed.
Removing the Decay
Decayed tissue is carefully removed to create a healthy base.
Placing the Filling
The chosen filling material is placed in layers.
Shaping & Polishing
The filling is shaped and polished to match your natural bite.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
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How much is a filling in Turkey?
White composite fillings start at £70 per tooth at our clinic in Antalya. An aesthetic filling on a front tooth, shade-matched, is £75. Where a filling would be too large to hold, an inlay, onlay or crown is quoted after the X-ray. UK private fillings are typically £120–£250, so this is one treatment where the saving alone does not justify a flight.
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Do you use white fillings or amalgam?
White composite only. It bonds to the tooth, requires less healthy tissue to be removed than amalgam, and matches your natural shade. We do not place amalgam.
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Can you replace my old silver fillings?
Yes, from £70 per tooth including removal. But we will give you an honest opinion first: if an amalgam filling is sound and the tooth is comfortable, replacing it removes more healthy tooth. We would rather tell you that than take the booking.
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How many fillings can be done in one appointment?
Several — typically three to four in a single visit, depending on which quadrants they are in. Same-day treatment either way.
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Will it hurt?
The treatment is done under local anaesthetic, so no. Some cold sensitivity for one to two weeks afterwards is normal, particularly on deeper fillings, and settles on its own.
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How long do fillings last?
Seven to ten years on average for composite. Large fillings, heavy grinding and poor hygiene shorten that.
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What if the cavity turns out to be deeper than expected?
We stop and tell you before continuing. Sometimes a deep cavity needs a liner and monitoring; sometimes it needs root canal treatment. What we will not do is quietly upgrade the treatment and hand you a bigger invoice.
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Can I fly the same day?
Yes. There is nothing about a composite filling that affects flying, and it is fully set before you leave the chair.
Cost
What a Filling Costs in Antalya
White composite as standard — we do not place amalgam. Priced per tooth, and quoted after the X-ray rather than guessed from a photograph.
| Treatment | GBP | USD | EUR |
|---|---|---|---|
| White composite filling Per tooth, one to three surfaces | from £70 | $95 | €80 |
| Aesthetic (front tooth) filling Per tooth, shade-matched | from £75 | $100 | €90 |
| Composite bonding Per tooth, reversible | from £120 | $165 | €140 |
| Replacing an old amalgam filling Per tooth, including removal | from £70 | $95 | €80 |
| Consultation and X-ray Free, in clinic and online | Free | Free | Free |
A single filling in the UK is typically £120–£250 privately, so the saving on one tooth is small. Fillings make sense as part of a trip you are making anyway — most patients have them alongside a hygiene visit, whitening or crown work.
Your visit
How Long It Takes
Fillings are same-day treatment. Several can be done in one appointment.
Step 1
X-ray and examination
Decay between teeth is invisible to the eye. A bitewing X-ray shows what is actually there, which is why we will not quote a filling from a photograph.
Step 2
Anaesthetic and cleaning
The decayed tissue is removed under local anaesthetic. If the cavity turns out to be deeper than the X-ray suggested, we stop and tell you before continuing.
Step 3
Layering and curing
Composite is placed in layers and light-cured, then shaped to your bite. Shade is matched to the tooth, not to a standard white.
Step 4
Polish and bite check
Polished and checked against your bite. You can eat immediately — composite is fully set when you leave.
What is included
What the Price Covers
Airport transfer
We collect you from Antalya Airport in our own clinic vehicle and take you back at the end. No third-party shuttle, no extra charge.
All imaging
Panoramic X-ray and, where the plan needs it, CBCT 3D imaging. Taken in the clinic, included in the treatment price.
Medication
Anaesthetic, antibiotics and any post-operative medication you need during your stay.
Follow-up checks
Every review appointment during your visit, and remote follow-up by WhatsApp once you are home.
Hotel — arranged separately
Health tourism rules in Türkiye changed, and clinics can no longer book accommodation for patients. We refer you to partner hotels near the clinic that hold agreed rates for our patients, and you book directly with them.
Flights
Not included. We plan your appointment dates around the flights that suit you, rather than the other way round.
Guarantee
What We Guarantee, in Writing
Our Written Guarantee
The implant itself carries a lifetime guarantee. Zirconia crowns and bridges, E-max crowns, porcelain veneers and Hollywood smile restorations carry a five-year guarantee against fracture and debonding under normal use; a fractured unit is remade at no cost for the restoration. You receive the guarantee in writing with your treatment documents. Travel and accommodation for a return visit are not included, and if you grind your teeth, wearing the night guard we provide is a condition of the guarantee.
Honest answers
When a Filling Is the Wrong Answer
Worth knowing before you book
- If more than about half the tooth is gone, a filling will not hold. A very large composite flexes, leaks and eventually fractures the remaining tooth wall. An onlay or a crown is more expensive up front and cheaper over ten years.
- If the decay has reached the nerve, you need a root canal first. Filling over an inflamed nerve buys you a few weeks and a worse problem. We will tell you if the X-ray suggests that is likely, and again during treatment if it turns out to be the case.
- Replacing sound amalgam fillings for cosmetic reasons costs you tooth. Every replacement removes a little more. If an old filling is intact and the tooth is not symptomatic, our advice is usually to leave it — even though replacing it would be an easy sale.
- Sensitivity for a week or two afterwards is normal. Sensitivity that is getting worse after two weeks is not, and you should tell us.
- Fillings do not last forever. Seven to ten years is a realistic average for a composite filling. Grinding, large cavities and poor hygiene shorten it.
Related Treatments
Often Explored Alongside This Treatment
Send us your X-ray and we will tell you where you stand
A dentist reviews it and you get a written plan. No charge, no deposit, and no obligation to travel.