Composite resin
Composite resin is a tooth-coloured or white filling material. It can be used for fillings in both the front and back teeth. It is commonly used to fix broken or decayed teeth and for cosmetic dental treatments, such as veneers.
Composite fillings are glued to the surface of the tooth, which is called bonding. Because composite resin is bonded to the tooth’s surface, less tooth structure needs to be cut away for composite fillings to be placed. This means more natural tooth structure can be kept with composite resin fillings.
The colour of the material can be matched to the colour of the tooth being fixed. When the colour is well matched, the filling may not be able to be seen by other people looking at your teeth.

Before and after a composite resin filling in a molar tooth. Getty Images.
Left Cavity cut into the tooth after removing tooth decay.
Right Cavity filled with a tooth-coloured composite resin filling.
This filling was completed using a rubber dam to isolate the tooth from the rest of the mouth.