Stage 1 of 4 · Enamel only
A chalky or brown spot in the groove. No feeling. At this stage decay can often be arrested with fluoride, cleaning and diet changes.
Legacy Dental Arts / Eagle RiverExplore your care
Restore
Tooth-colored fillings that disappear into your smile.
When decay or a small fracture needs repair, we restore the tooth with composite materials matched to your natural shade—strong, conservative, and invisible.
Signature experience · The Fillings Studio
See decay start, and see it stopped.
A cross-section of a back tooth: watch a cavity grow from a stain in the groove to a lesion near the nerve, then follow a tooth-coloured filling from the cleaned cavity to the polished result, and compare the materials used.
Drag the slider to watch a lesion grow from a stain in the groove, through enamel, into dentin and toward the nerve.
Stage 2 of 4 · Through the enamel
The lesion has reached the junction with dentin and begins to spread sideways beneath the surface. Still usually without symptoms.
Stage 3 of 4 · Into dentin
Decay moves faster in dentin and can be felt with cold or sweet foods. A filling now keeps the repair small.
Stage 4 of 4 · Near the pulp
The nerve may become inflamed; toothache, lingering sensitivity or an abscess can follow. A larger filling, a crown or root canal treatment may be discussed.
The tooth
The tooth
Enamel
Hard, but not alive.
Decay begins when acid from plaque bacteria dissolves enamel. Early enamel lesions can be halted and re-mineralised; a filling is only needed once the surface has broken down.
The tooth
Dentin
Softer, and connected to the nerve.
Once decay crosses into dentin it spreads sideways under the enamel and moves faster. This is when a tooth can start to feel cold, sweet or pressure.
The tooth
Pulp
Nerve and blood vessels.
Deep decay close to the pulp can inflame it. A filling placed in time keeps bacteria away from the pulp; left too long, root canal treatment or a crown may be needed instead.
The filling
Decay
Softened, infected tooth structure.
The lesion is removed with a drill or hand instruments until only sound tooth remains, keeping as much healthy enamel and dentin as possible.
The tooth
Gum
The seal around the neck of the tooth.
Decay at the gumline needs the same approach; keeping this edge clean protects both the tooth and any filling.
Step through a tooth-coloured filling: the cleaned cavity, the bonding layer, composite placed and cured in layers, and the polished result.
Step
Step · Cleaned cavity
After numbing, the decay is removed until only sound tooth remains. The cavity is shaped only as much as the decay requires.
Step · Bonding layer
The walls are conditioned and a bonding agent is applied, so the composite grips the enamel and dentin.
Step · First layer
Composite is placed in increments. The first layer fills the deepest part against the dentin.
Step · Second layer
Each increment is hardened with a blue curing light before the next, which keeps shrinkage low and the seal tight.
Step · Final layer
The last increment rebuilds the chewing surface, including the grooves that let the tooth meet its opposite.
Step · Polished
The bite is checked and the surface polished smooth. Shaded to the tooth, the filling blends into the smile.
Select a part
The tooth
Enamel
Hard, but not alive.
Decay begins when acid from plaque bacteria dissolves enamel. Early enamel lesions can be halted and re-mineralised; a filling is only needed once the surface has broken down.
The tooth
Dentin
Softer, and connected to the nerve.
Once decay crosses into dentin it spreads sideways under the enamel and moves faster. This is when a tooth can start to feel cold, sweet or pressure.
The tooth
Pulp
Nerve and blood vessels.
Deep decay close to the pulp can inflame it. A filling placed in time keeps bacteria away from the pulp; left too long, root canal treatment or a crown may be needed instead.
The filling
Prepared cavity
The cleaned space to be filled.
A composite cavity needs no undercuts: the material bonds to the walls, so the preparation can be as small as the decay allows.
The filling
Bonding layer
A thin adhesive that seals the walls.
The surface is conditioned and a bonding agent is applied so the composite grips enamel and dentin chemically.
The filling
Composite
Tooth-coloured resin placed in layers.
Each increment is shaped, then hardened with a curing light, so the filling shrinks less and sits tight against the walls. It is shaded to match the tooth.
The tooth
Gum
The seal around the neck of the tooth.
Decay at the gumline needs the same approach; keeping this edge clean protects both the tooth and any filling.
The same cavity filled three ways. Each material has a place; your dentist will explain which fits the tooth, the bite and your priorities.
Material
Material
Composite resin
Tooth-coloured, bonded to the tooth, placed in one visit. The most conservative preparation; needs good moisture control to bond well.
Material
Amalgam
A silver-coloured alloy with a long track record. Strong in back teeth, visible when you smile, and held by the shape of the cavity rather than a bond.
Material
Ceramic inlay
A custom piece made outside the mouth and bonded in, for larger cavities. Very colour-stable and wear-resistant; more steps and cost than a direct filling.
Described by material, not by brand. Suitability, longevity and cost depend on the tooth, the size of the cavity and your bite; no material is best for every tooth.
Illustrations are conceptual and not to scale. They do not show your anatomy, a specific product or a treatment plan, and they are pending clinical review. Only an examination can tell how far decay has spread in a tooth.
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Located in
Eagle River, Alaska02
Comfort
Complimentary nitrous03
Payment
Most insurance · Cherry Talk to us
Not sure what you need? Tell us what you’re noticing and we’ll take it from there.
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Modern materials
We use tooth-colored composite resins and, for larger restorations, bonded porcelain. They bond directly to the tooth, so we remove less healthy structure than old silver fillings required.
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What to expect
Most fillings are completed in a single visit. We numb the area, remove the decay, sculpt and cure the composite, and polish it smooth. With nitrous oxide available at no charge, the visit is easy even for anxious patients.
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When a filling isn’t enough
If a tooth is badly broken or has a large old filling, a crown may protect it better. We’ll show you on the intra-oral camera and explain the options.
Begin with a conversation
Care that starts where you are.
Call (907) 622-7874 to arrange your visit. New patients welcome from Eagle River, Anchorage, and the Mat-Su Valley.
Request a visit →