Dental & Smile Design
Start with the reason for restoring the tooth
A filling repairs tooth structure lost to decay or damage. Composite bonding uses tooth-coloured resin directly on a tooth to repair or reshape it. NHS guidance describes fillings as repairs for cavities and notes that the material should follow clinical need. A cavity, chipped edge and elective shape change are different jobs even when they use composite resin.
The current cluster cannot support a clean range
Medifinder does not currently have enough clean, like-for-like per-tooth filling or bonding rows to calculate a reliable UAE range. Cleaning-labelled and unclear rows are not treated as filling prices; clinic listings remain visible for individual review.
The current positive-price rows are dominated by custom and cleaning-labelled services, with only isolated session or package labels. Cleaning is not a filling, so those rows must not create a filling or bonding range. The page therefore uses an honest fallback until explicit per-tooth restorative rows are available, while retaining individual clinic listings for review.
Compare like-for-like tooth restorations
Fillings and bonding are comparable per tooth only when their clinical purpose, surfaces and material match. Current rows in this cluster include cleaning labels and unclear custom units, so the page must fall back rather than publish a contaminated range. Cleaning is not a filling and should remain on its own canonical page.
| Quote type | What it means | What to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Per tooth / filling | One direct restoration on a named tooth. | Purpose, surfaces, material, decay removal and bite adjustment. |
| Composite bonding per tooth | Direct resin used to repair or reshape one tooth. | Area covered, preparation, finishing and review policy. |
| Cleaning-labelled row | A different preventive service, not a filling comparison. | Do not use it to calculate a filling or bonding range. |
Name the tooth, surfaces and purpose
Ask whether the quote addresses decay, a chipped area, an old restoration or elective reshaping. Confirm the tooth and surfaces, material, any decay or old-filling removal, shaping, curing, polishing and bite adjustment. Cleaning, root-canal treatment, laboratory restorations and crowns should be itemised separately.
- Examination and required imaging
- Tooth, surfaces and reason for treatment
- Filling or bonding material
- Removal of decay or old material where needed
- Shaping, curing, polishing and bite check
- Separate cleaning, root-canal or crown work
Extent and purpose change the restoration
The amount and location of tooth structure involved, number of surfaces, decay or fracture depth, existing material, selected resin and whether the job is functional repair or cosmetic reshaping can change the plan. A larger or structurally weakened tooth may need assessment for another restoration rather than a bigger bonding quote.
Assessment comes before direct restoration
The dentist assesses the tooth and may recommend imaging based on the clinical question. A direct restoration can involve removing damaged material, preparing the surface, placing and shaping the filling or resin, curing where applicable, polishing and checking the bite. The exact steps depend on the tooth and purpose.
A direct restoration has structural limits
Not every damaged or discoloured tooth is suited to a filling or bonding. Ask about decay, cracks, bite load, gum health and alternatives. Contact the dentist if the restoration breaks or feels loose, the bite remains uncomfortable, or persistent pain, swelling, marked sensitivity or another concerning change develops.
Ask how the dentist separates repair from appearance
Ask for the diagnosis or cosmetic goal, the surfaces and material, alternatives, maintenance and what happens if a larger restoration is found necessary. Verify the dentist and facility with the relevant UAE regulator. Treat before-and-after images as examples, not outcome promises, and compare itemised plans.
Cleaning addresses plaque, calculus and surface stain rather than repairing a cavity. Veneers and crowns are different restorations with separate preparation and laboratory questions. Use the canonical related pages to compare the actual job instead of merging all tooth-coloured services.