How much tooth structure decides

A filling is used to repair a cavity. Composite is tooth-coloured and is increasingly used, while amalgam is silver-coloured.

A crown is used for a badly broken-down tooth. The first crown visit usually includes reshaping the tooth, taking an impression for the laboratory, and cementing a temporary crown.

The crown route usually takes two visits and involves a laboratory impression and a temporary crown. Those are treatment steps beyond placing a filling material to repair a cavity.

Dental fillings and crowns do not last for life and may need replacement. Keeping natural tooth structure where possible is part of the restorative decision.

Repeated acid exposure can weaken enamel until it breaks down into a cavity. Untreated decay can lead to pain, infection, and tooth loss.

Early decay can show as a white spot where minerals have been lost. At that stage, enamel can repair itself with minerals from saliva and fluoride toothpaste or fluoride applied by a dental professional.

The practical dividing line is whether the tooth has a cavity that can be repaired with a filling or is badly broken down and needs a crown. A crown also requires tooth reshaping and laboratory preparation.