A dental filling is a common type of restoration that is used to repair and restore a damaged tooth. If a tooth is affected by decay, damage, or fracturing that is not serious enough to require a dental crown, we may recommend a filling. The dental filling literally fills in the space on the tooth that is left after decay or damage has been removed. To restore the damaged tooth, our friendly dentists will first remove the injured or decayed portion of the tooth. They then clean the tooth and place the chosen filling material. After shaping the filling to fit your tooth and bite, they will harden the filling by using a special light. Once it is complete, the dental filling will effectively restore the function and health of the tooth.