• Usually numb the area around the tooth with an injection – but some small fillings may not need an anaesthetic.
• Remove any decay, together with any old filling material, using a small, high-speed drill.
• Remove any weak unsupported part of the tooth which might break later.
• Wash and dry the tooth by blowing water and then air onto it (the dentist will be holding something which looks like a water pistol).
• Etch the surface to be restored with a gel solution, to help the filling stick firmly.
• Coat the surface that is to be restored with a bonding agent (which acts like glue) and then place the filling material – this is placed into the cavity that is to be filled and it is shaped and contoured as required.
• Harden the filling by pointing a bright (ultraviolet) light at it, inside your mouth (you will see the dentist and dental nurse protecting their eyes) – this is called ‘curing’.
• Trim and polish the filling as necessary.