Considering white fillings or composite bonding in Skopje? Both use composite: a resin with tiny glass or ceramic particles, applied soft, shaped and hardened with a blue light. Whether it suits your tooth depends on the size and position of the damage, and is agreed after your examination.
What white fillings and composite bonding can do for you
They restore the tooth’s shape
Decay is removed and the tooth rebuilt, so you can chew normally.
A shade close to your own
Matched to the colour of your tooth, unlike silver amalgam.
Front and back teeth
Composite fillings suit small and medium-sized cavities and minor cosmetic repairs.
Composite bonding (dental or tooth bonding) uses the same material for small cosmetic repairs to front teeth, usually with little or no enamel removed. It can help with chipped edges, small gaps between teeth, short or uneven-looking teeth and some discolouration. Results depend on your starting point.
Is a white filling the right choice for you?
When a white filling usually makes sense
- Decay has made a hole (a cavity) that fluoride and better cleaning alone cannot fix.
- A tooth is chipped, slightly cracked or worn.
- An old filling is broken or worn, or has new decay underneath.
Intact, working fillings are usually left alone; see when old fillings need replacing.
When to wait or choose something else
- White spots with no hole are early decay that can often be stopped with fluoride, less sugar and better cleaning, then monitored.
- If much of the tooth is missing, an inlay or onlay (a laboratory-made filling) or a crown (cap) may protect it better.
- If decay has reached the nerve, with throbbing or lingering pain after hot or cold, the tooth needs root canal treatment or sometimes extraction.
- For a bigger change in shape or colour, veneers may suit you better.
- Inflamed gums or untreated decay need treating before cosmetic bonding (gum disease treatment).
How a white filling is placed, step by step
- Examination and plan. The tooth is examined and, if needed, X-rayed to check the depth of decay. You then discuss the options together.
- Anaesthetic, if needed. For a deeper filling, the area is numbed with a local anaesthetic.
- Removing the decay. Decayed and weakened tissue is removed; with very deep decay, this may be done selectively to protect the nerve.
- Preparing the tooth. The tooth is kept dry and an adhesive applied so the composite sticks.
- Building up in layers. Composite is placed in thin layers, each hardened with a blue light.
- Shaping and polishing. Your bite is checked and adjusted if needed, and the surface polished.
Bonding follows similar steps, with careful shade matching, and usually takes about 30–60 minutes per tooth.
How many visits? A single filling or bonding usually takes one visit; treating several teeth may take a few appointments. Laboratory-made inlays and onlays usually need two.
Does a filling hurt? Anaesthesia and comfort
A local anaesthetic numbs only the area being treated, and you stay awake. The injection stings briefly; you may then feel warmth or tingling. Serious reactions are very rare.
Small, shallow fillings and most bonding can often be done without anaesthetic; you and the dentist decide.
If you feel anxious, let us know when you book. Before each step we will tell you what comes next, and we can agree a hand signal for a pause. More tips: Your first visit.
After your filling: recovery and aftercare
- The composite sets straight away, so you can eat once any numbness wears off (to avoid biting your cheek or tongue). Chew carefully at first.
- Mild sensitivity to hot and cold and sore gums are common and usually settle within 1–2 weeks. Paracetamol or ibuprofen, taken as the leaflet directs, may help.
- If your bite feels high or biting hurts, call us for a small adjustment.
- Brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, then spit rather than rinse. Clean between your teeth and limit sugary snacks between meals.
- After bonding, avoid biting your nails or pens. Coffee, tea, red wine and smoking can stain composite over time.
- Have regular check-ups, where edges can be polished or repaired.
Call us if a filling breaks, or if pain throbs or lingers after hot or cold. Seek help without delay for facial or jaw swelling, fever or chills. If you find it hard to breathe or swallow, call 194 (ambulance) or the European emergency number 112, or go to hospital.
More on home care: brushing and cleaning between your teeth.
Risks, limitations and alternatives
White fillings are routine, but they have limitations:
- Sensitivity afterwards, usually temporary.
- A high bite or pain when biting, corrected with an adjustment.
- Nerve inflammation after a deep filling, sometimes needing root canal treatment or extraction.
- Chipping, breaking or staining of composite, especially bonding on front teeth.
- New decay at the edges, one of the main reasons fillings are replaced.
- A limited lifespan. No filling lasts forever. In a study cited by the American Dental Association (ADA), about eight in ten white fillings in back teeth were still functioning after 10 years.
Large fillings, a heavy bite or grinding, high decay risk and less thorough cleaning all shorten a filling’s life, so prevention is part of the treatment.
What are the alternatives?
| Option | When it is considered |
|---|---|
| Monitoring and fluoride | Early white spots with no hole |
| Repairing the filling | Only part of it is damaged |
| Glass ionomer cement | Temporary fillings, or teeth hard to keep dry |
| Amalgam (silver) filling | Where permitted and clinically justified |
| Inlay, onlay or crown | A large cavity or a cracked tooth |
| Veneers | Larger cosmetic changes |
How much does a filling cost, and what affects the price?
The price varies by tooth and depends on:
- the size of the filling and how many surfaces it covers
- the tooth’s position (front or back) and the number of teeth
- the material, and whether the filling is made in the mouth or in a laboratory
- whether an X-ray, local anaesthetic or removal of an old filling is needed
- for bonding, the shaping and layering needed to match the shade
After the examination, and before treatment, you receive a written plan with your options and costs. General information is on our Prices page.
The practice has a contract with the Health Insurance Fund (FZO) for primary dental care, so if you are insured, you can register with Dr Kiril Milanovski as your chosen dentist (izbran stomatolog).
Fillings and composite bonding in Skopje: why choose Dr. Milanovski?
‘Save the tooth’ is the practice’s motto: keeping your natural teeth comes first. A timely filling is often a simple way to do that.
- The practice places white fillings, including in back teeth, replaces old and worn fillings, treats decay and makes composite veneers.
- Fillings and composite veneers are made with 3M ESPE Filtek Z550, a nano-hybrid composite.
- Before treatment, you go through the options with Dr Kiril Milanovski and make an informed decision.
- Open since 2015, the practice is at Bul. Jane Sandanski 96 in the Aerodrom district of Skopje.
White fillings and bonding: frequently asked questions
White fillings vs silver (amalgam) fillings: what is the difference?
A white (composite) filling is tooth-coloured and bonds to the tooth. Amalgam is silver-coloured, hard-wearing and quicker to place, and contains mercury bound with other metals. In many cases modern composites last about as long, though they fail more often in large back-tooth fillings and when decay risk is high. The US FDA advises pregnant or breastfeeding women, children, and people with kidney problems, a neurological condition or a mercury allergy to avoid new amalgam where possible.
How long do white fillings and bonding last?
Many white fillings last 10 years or more, but this depends on their size and position, your bite and home care. Bonding usually needs touching up or replacing after 3–10 years.
What is composite bonding, and how much does it cost?
A small cosmetic repair to front teeth using composite: fixing a chipped tooth, closing a small gap or evening out an uneven shape. The cost depends on the number of teeth and the work involved. To compare it with veneers, see Veneers vs composite bonding vs crowns.
Should I have my old fillings replaced?
Not if they are intact, cause no problems and you are not allergic to the material. Unnecessary replacement removes healthy tooth tissue and can irritate the nerve, and removing amalgam briefly increases mercury vapour exposure. Replacement makes sense when a filling is broken, worn or has decay underneath.
Can I have a filling while pregnant?
Yes. According to the ADA, necessary dental treatment and local anaesthetic are considered safe at any stage of pregnancy, and delay can make problems worse. Materials without mercury, such as composite, are recommended. Tell us if you are pregnant; cosmetic bonding can wait until after the birth.
If a cavity, a chipped tooth or an old filling is bothering you, book an examination and we will look at your options together.
Sources
- Cleveland Clinic – Dental fillings
- Oral Health Foundation – White fillings
- American Dental Association – Materials for direct restorations
- Cleveland Clinic – Dental bonding
- FDI World Dental Federation – Minimally Invasive Intervention for Caries Management (policy statement, revised 2026)
- US FDA – Recommendations for certain high-risk groups regarding mercury-containing dental amalgam (2020)
- American Dental Association – Pregnancy (oral health topic)
- NHS – Local anaesthesia