Here's the number you're probably looking for: white fillings at private dentists in the UK typically cost somewhere between £100 and £300 per tooth. At Dentozen, a standard white filling is £175, with larger fillings at £260.
But if you've been quoted something outside that range, or you're wondering why there's such variation in the first place, or you're trying to decide whether to replace those old silver fillings with something that doesn't announce itself every time you laugh - there's more to understand here.
Why White Fillings Cost What They Cost
The technical name for a white filling is a composite filling, and the material itself is genuinely clever. It's a mixture of glass or quartz particles suspended in a resin that can be shade-matched to blend with your natural tooth colour. Once placed and hardened with a special curing light, it bonds directly to the tooth structure and becomes essentially invisible.
That bonding property is actually important beyond aesthetics. Because composite adheres to the tooth chemically, less healthy tooth structure needs to be removed during preparation compared to the old amalgam fillings, which rely on mechanical retention - essentially being wedged into a specifically shaped hole.
The cost variation you see across practices comes down to a few factors that are worth understanding.
The size of the filling matters enormously. A small filling catching early decay on a single surface of a tooth takes perhaps fifteen minutes and a modest amount of material. A large filling spanning multiple surfaces of a molar, replacing significant lost tooth structure, might take forty-five minutes and considerably more composite. The pricing reflects that difference.
When practices quote ranges like "£150 to £280" for white fillings, they're usually distinguishing between small, medium, and large. Some break it down further by how many surfaces of the tooth are involved - one surface, two surfaces, three or more.
Back teeth cost more to fill than front teeth. Molars are harder to access, take longer to work on, and bear enormous chewing forces that require the filling to be placed and shaped precisely. Front teeth are more straightforward to reach but demand careful colour matching since they're visible when you smile. Different challenges, but back teeth generally come in at the higher end of quoted ranges.
Geographic location shifts everything. A filling that costs £130 in Manchester might run £200 in Surrey for no reason other than different operating costs and local market rates. London practices charge more, but interestingly, so do some affluent commuter towns and cities like Edinburgh. North London typically sits in the middle ground - not budget, not premium, just reasonable.
Practice positioning plays a role too. Some dentists invest in premium composite materials that handle better, last longer, and match natural teeth more convincingly. Others use perfectly adequate but less expensive materials. Both can deliver good results, but there's genuine variation in what you're getting.
What Actually Happens When You Get a Filling
If it's been a while since your last filling, or you've only ever had them as a child and the memory has mercifully faded, here's what the process looks like now.
First, local anaesthetic numbs the area. This is the part people remember least fondly, but modern techniques have improved considerably. A good dentist takes their time, uses topical numbing gel first, and administers the injection slowly. It's not pleasant, but it shouldn't be traumatic either.
Once you're numb, the decay gets removed. You'll hear the drill and feel vibration and pressure, but no pain. The dentist excavates all the damaged tooth structure until only healthy tooth remains. With a white filling, the cavity doesn't need to be shaped in any particular way for retention - the composite will bond to whatever shape is there.
The tooth surface gets etched with a mild acid gel that creates microscopic roughness for the composite to grip. A bonding agent goes on next - think of it as a primer that helps everything stick together.
Then the composite itself is placed, usually in layers. Each layer gets hardened with a blue curing light before the next goes on. Building up in layers ensures the material cures properly all the way through and allows the dentist to create the right shape and contours.
Finally, trimming and polishing. The dentist adjusts the bite so the filling doesn't hit before your other teeth do, smooths any rough edges, and polishes the surface until it feels natural against your tongue.
The whole process takes twenty to forty minutes depending on the size. You can eat and drink normally once the anaesthetic wears off, usually within two to three hours. There might be some sensitivity for a few days, particularly to hot and cold, but this typically settles quickly.
White Fillings vs the Old Silver Ones
If you're of a certain age, you probably have a mouth full of silver amalgam fillings from childhood dentistry. They work - they've been working for over 150 years - but they do have some characteristics that make people think about replacing them.
The obvious one is appearance. Amalgam fillings are visible as dark spots in your teeth, increasingly noticeable as they age and tarnish. If you've ever caught yourself in a photo mid-laugh and noticed your dental history on display, you understand the appeal of fillings that don't announce themselves.
There's also the expansion issue. Amalgam expands and contracts with temperature changes more than tooth structure does. Over many years, this can create microscopic gaps where bacteria sneak in, or stress fractures in the surrounding tooth. You might have experienced this as a filling that "failed" and needed replacing, or as a crack developing in a heavily filled tooth.
Composite fillings bond to the tooth rather than just sitting in a hole, which means they actually strengthen the remaining structure rather than just filling space. They don't expand and contract as dramatically. And when they eventually do need replacing, less additional tooth structure typically needs to be removed.
The longevity comparison is roughly similar these days. Both types typically last five to fifteen years depending on size, location, and how well you look after your teeth. Amalgam may have a slight edge for very large fillings on back teeth that take heavy chewing forces, but composite technology has improved enormously and the gap has narrowed.
Replacing Old Amalgam Fillings
This is where things get nuanced, because "should I replace my old silver fillings?" doesn't have a simple universal answer.
If an amalgam filling is failing - showing wear, leaking around the edges, or has decay developing underneath - it makes complete sense to replace it with composite. You're having work done anyway, and you might as well upgrade to something that looks better and bonds to the tooth.
If a filling is sound but you want it replaced purely for cosmetic reasons, that's your choice to make, but it's worth understanding the trade-offs. Removing a perfectly good filling means drilling out healthy tooth structure along with the old material. There's a small risk of sensitivity or complications with any filling replacement. The tooth has already been through one filling procedure, and each subsequent one removes a bit more.
For many people, the aesthetic improvement is worth those small risks. For others, the pragmatic choice is to leave well enough alone and only replace amalgam fillings as they naturally reach the end of their service life.
Your dentist can assess your existing fillings and let you know which are showing signs of wear and might benefit from proactive replacement, versus which are likely to serve well for years to come.
The cost for replacing an amalgam filling with composite is the same as a new filling of equivalent size. You're paying for the work involved, regardless of what was there before.
When a Filling Isn't Enough
Not every cavity or damaged tooth can be fixed with a filling. There's a point where too much tooth structure has been lost and a filling simply won't be stable or strong enough.
For moderately large areas of damage, an inlay or onlay might be more appropriate. These are custom-made restorations, fabricated in a dental laboratory and bonded into place. They're stronger than direct fillings for larger cavities and can be made from composite, porcelain, or gold. Costs typically run £400 to £800.
For severely damaged teeth, a crown may be necessary. This caps the entire visible portion of the tooth, providing strength and protection that a filling can't match. Crown costs vary considerably, typically £500 to £1,200 depending on materials and location.
If decay has reached the nerve of the tooth, root canal treatment becomes necessary before any restoration can be placed. This removes the infected nerve tissue and seals the root canals, saving the tooth from extraction. Root canals are followed by a filling or crown to restore the visible portion.
Your dentist will advise on the most appropriate treatment after examining the tooth and usually taking an X-ray to see the full picture. The goal is always to choose the most conservative option that will actually solve the problem - fillings where fillings will work, more extensive restorations only when genuinely needed.
The Real Cost of Waiting
Here's something worth sitting with: the cost of a filling bears no relationship to the cost of not getting a filling.
Tooth decay doesn't plateau. It doesn't stabilise. It grows. A small cavity that would cost £175 to fill today will be a large cavity requiring a £260 filling in six months. Leave it another year and you might be looking at a crown. Leave it until you're in pain and the options narrow to root canal treatment or extraction.
A filling caught early is one of dentistry's genuine bargains. You're spending a couple of hundred pounds to preserve a tooth that would cost thousands to replace if you lost it, and that no replacement will ever quite match for function and feel.
The new patient examination where cavities get spotted costs £65 at Dentozen. The small filling that might result costs £175. The tooth then serves you for decades more. Compared to the alternatives, it's hard to find better value.
Getting It Done
Most practices can fit filling appointments within a few days of identifying the need. If you're currently registered somewhere and they've found decay, booking promptly makes sense. If you're experiencing sensitivity or discomfort and haven't seen a dentist recently, getting an examination sooner rather than later is wise.
Fillings aren't anyone's favourite way to spend an afternoon, but they're genuinely routine. The procedure is well-understood, the materials are excellent, and modern technique makes the experience considerably more comfortable than whatever you might remember from childhood.
And when it's done, you have a tooth that looks natural, functions normally, and should serve you well for years to come. That's the real point of all of this - not the filling itself, but the healthy tooth underneath it, preserved and protected for the long haul.