Decay has damaged a tooth. How much is left decides the treatment — and the treatment decides which material choice you face next.
First: how much tooth is left?
A cavity is decay eating into the tooth. It does not heal on its own, and it does not stop — so the only real question is how much healthy tooth remains, and therefore what will hold up long term.
Small to medium cavity, plenty of solid tooth left → a filling. Large cavity, or the tooth is already mostly filling material → an inlay, onlay or crown, so the remaining walls are protected instead of loaded. Decay has reached the nerve → the nerve must be treated first (see Infected nerve). Nothing restorable left → extraction, then replace the tooth.
Your treatment options
Option
When it is the right choice
Pros
Cons
Then choose your material
Filling
Small to medium decay, with strong walls remaining
One visit; cheapest; keeps most of the tooth
Not for large cavities — a big filling turns the tooth into a shell that cracks
We do not mark a favourite here: which of these is right for you is decided by the state of your tooth, not by preference. Once the treatment is chosen, the material is a real choice — and there we do have a clear preference.
Our bias, stated plainly: whichever of these you need, if it is a molar or premolar we will steer you to a metal-based restoration. Nobody sees it, and it will outlast the tooth-colored alternative.
Only the very earliest stage — a white spot in the enamel, before a hole forms — can remineralise with fluoride and good cleaning. Once there is a cavity, it will only get bigger. Waiting turns a filling into a crown, and a crown into a root canal.
Yes. Pain arrives when decay reaches the nerve — which is the point where you need a root canal instead of a filling. Painless is the good stage to treat, not a reason to wait.
It is cheaper today and more expensive over a lifetime. A gap lets neighbouring teeth tilt and the opposing tooth over-erupt, and replacing the tooth properly costs more than saving it would have. Extraction is the right answer only when the tooth truly cannot be restored.
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We collaborate with models and content creators: you record honest videos about your treatment experience, and we cover the dental work.
This guide is general information, not personal medical advice. Every mouth is different — always discuss your situation with a dentist before deciding on treatment.
