Teeth Filling in Dubai: Cost, Types and How Long They Last (2026)

Quick answer: A tooth-coloured composite filling at Smile On Dental Clinic in Al Satwa costs AED 250 to AED 600 per tooth, depending on the size of the cavity and how many surfaces of the tooth are involved. Most fillings take 30 to 60 minutes in a single visit under local anaesthetic. A well-placed composite filling usually lasts 7 to 10 years, and many last longer.

Key takeaways

• Composite (white) fillings are the standard choice in Dubai today. Silver amalgam is rarely used, and a global treaty has agreed to phase it out by 2034.
• The price depends mostly on cavity size and the number of tooth surfaces filled, not only on the material.
• A small cavity treated early costs a few hundred dirhams. Left alone, the same tooth can need a root canal and crown costing several thousand.
• Most UAE insurance plans with dental cover treat fillings as basic treatment, so they are often partly covered.
• Large cavities may need an inlay or onlay instead of a direct filling, which takes two visits.

How Much Does a Tooth Filling Cost in Dubai?

A composite filling in Dubai typically costs AED 250 to AED 600 per tooth. A small one-surface filling on a front tooth sits at the lower end. A large filling covering two or three surfaces of a back tooth sits at the higher end. Lab-made ceramic inlays and onlays, used for larger cavities, cost more.

Filling type	Typical Dubai range (AED per tooth)	Best for
Composite (white)	250 to 600	Most cavities, front and back teeth
Glass ionomer	200 to 450	Small cavities, children, near the gum line
Amalgam (silver)	150 to 350	Rarely offered now
Ceramic inlay	900 to 1,800	Large cavities inside the tooth
Ceramic onlay	1,200 to 2,500	Large cavities that include a cusp

At Smile On, composite fillings cost AED 250 to AED 600 per tooth. You get a written quote after the exam and X-ray, before anything is done, so you know the cost before you sit in the chair.

What affects the price of a filling?

Four things decide most of the cost:

• Cavity size. A deep cavity takes longer to clean and rebuild.
• Number of surfaces. A filling on one surface costs less than one that wraps around two or three sides of the tooth.
• Tooth position. Back molars are harder to reach and take more chewing force, so they need more careful layering.
• Material. Composite and glass ionomer are placed directly. Inlays and onlays are made in a lab and cost more.

Does insurance cover fillings in Dubai?

Often, yes. Fillings are treated as basic, medically necessary dental care, not cosmetic work. Plans that include dental cover usually pay part of the cost, subject to your co-payment and annual limit. Smile On works with most major UAE health insurance providers. Bring your insurance card and our front desk can check what your plan covers before treatment.

Signs You May Need a Filling

You may need a filling if a tooth hurts with sweet, hot, or cold food, or if you can see or feel a hole. Many cavities cause no pain at all in the early stages, which is why they are often found at a routine check-up.

Common signs include:

• Sharp twinges when you eat something sweet or drink something cold
• A dark spot, stain, or visible hole in a tooth
• Food catching in the same place between two teeth
• A rough or broken edge you can feel with your tongue
• An old filling that has cracked, chipped, or fallen out
• Pain when you bite down on one particular tooth

If the pain is constant, throbbing, or wakes you at night, the decay may have reached the nerve. That usually needs more than a filling, so book an appointment soon.

Types of Dental Fillings Compared

The right filling depends on the size and position of the cavity. For most adults in Dubai, composite is the first choice because it matches the tooth and bonds to it.

Composite (tooth-coloured) fillings. Made from a resin with fine glass particles, shaded to match your tooth. The dentist bonds it in thin layers and hardens each one with a blue curing light. Because it sticks to the tooth, less healthy tooth needs to be removed. It is the filling used for most cavities at Smile On.

Glass ionomer fillings. A softer, tooth-coloured material that releases fluoride, which helps protect the tooth around it. It suits small cavities, baby teeth, and areas near the gum line. It wears faster than composite on chewing surfaces.

Ceramic inlays and onlays. Used when a cavity is too large for a direct filling but the tooth does not yet need a full crown. A digital scan or impression is taken, the piece is made in a lab, and it is bonded in at a second visit. They are strong and can last 15 years or more.

Amalgam (silver) fillings. A mix of metals that includes mercury. They are durable but dark, and they need more of the tooth to be cut away to hold them in place. In November 2025, the countries in the Minamata Convention on Mercury agreed to phase out dental amalgam worldwide by 2034. Most Dubai clinics, including Smile On, already use composite as standard.

White fillings vs silver fillings

	Composite (white)	Amalgam (silver)
Appearance	Matches the tooth	Dark grey, visible
Bonds to the tooth	Yes	No, held in mechanically
Tooth removed	Less	More
Contains mercury	No	Yes
Typical lifespan	7 to 10+ years	10+ years
Availability in Dubai	Standard	Rarely offered

Should you replace old silver fillings?

Not just because they are silver. An amalgam filling that is intact and has no decay around it can stay. Replacement makes sense when the filling is cracked, leaking, has decay underneath, or when the tooth around it has started to fracture. Your dentist can check this with an exam and X-ray.

What Happens During a Filling Appointment?

A standard filling is done in one visit of 30 to 60 minutes. Most people go straight back to work afterwards.

1. Exam and X-ray. The dentist checks the tooth and uses a digital X-ray to see how deep the decay goes.
2. Numbing. A local anaesthetic numbs the tooth and gum. You feel pressure and vibration, not pain.
3. Removing the decay. The soft, decayed part of the tooth is cleaned out and the cavity is shaped.
4. Bonding and layering. For a composite filling, a bonding agent is applied, then the filling is built up in layers, each hardened with a curing light.
5. Shaping and polishing. The filling is shaped to match your bite and polished so it feels smooth.
6. Bite check. You bite on a thin paper to make sure the filling is not too high.

If you feel anxious about dental work, sedation dentistry is available at Smile On.

Filling vs Crown vs Root Canal: When Is a Filling Not Enough?

A filling works when enough healthy tooth is left to support it and the nerve is still healthy. Once decay reaches the nerve or destroys most of the tooth, a filling alone will fail.

Situation	Usual treatment	Typical Dubai cost (AED)
Small to medium cavity, nerve healthy	Filling	250 to 600
Large cavity, weak walls, nerve healthy	Inlay, onlay, or crown	1,200 to 3,500
Decay has reached the nerve	Root canal, then crown	3,000 to 7,500
Tooth cannot be saved	Extraction and implant	4,500 to 8,000+

The cost difference is the main reason dentists push for early treatment. A cavity found at a six-monthly check-up is usually a simple filling. The same cavity found a year later, after it starts to hurt, may need a root canal treatment and a crown. You can read more about when a tooth needs one in our guide to dental crowns.

How Long Do Fillings Last?

A composite filling usually lasts 7 to 10 years, and many last longer. A 2014 review of posterior composite fillings, led by Opdam and published in the Journal of Dental Research, found an annual failure rate of 1.8% at 5 years and 2.4% at 10 years. The two main reasons fillings failed were new decay and fracture.

The same review found that people at high risk of decay had failure rates nearly twice as high. In practice, the habits that prevent new cavities are the same ones that make fillings last:

• Brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and clean between your teeth daily
• Keep sugary drinks and snacks to mealtimes
• Wear a night guard if you grind your teeth
• Avoid biting ice, pens, or hard shells
• Have a check-up and teeth cleaning every six months

Aftercare: What to Expect After a Filling

Composite fillings are fully set before you leave, so you can eat once the numbness wears off, usually after two to three hours. Avoid chewing on the numb side before then so you do not bite your cheek or tongue.

Mild sensitivity to cold or biting is common for a few days and usually settles within one to two weeks. Call the clinic if:

• Your bite feels high or uneven after the numbness has gone
• Sensitivity gets worse instead of better
• You feel a sharp, lingering pain or a throbbing ache
• The filling feels rough, chipped, or loose

A high filling is a five-minute fix. Leaving it can cause soreness in the tooth, so do not wait for it to settle on its own.

Typical Patient Scenarios

The cavity found at a check-up. A 28-year-old comes in for a routine cleaning with no pain. An X-ray shows a small cavity between two back teeth. A one-surface composite filling takes 30 minutes and costs at the lower end of the range.

The old silver filling that cracked. A 47-year-old notices a sharp edge on a lower molar. The old amalgam has cracked and there is decay underneath. The filling is replaced with composite in one visit. Because the decay was found before it reached the nerve, the tooth did not need a root canal.

The child with a first cavity. A 7-year-old has a small cavity in a baby molar. A glass ionomer filling is placed, which releases fluoride and suits a tooth that will fall out in a few years. Our team also explains how to protect the new adult teeth coming through.

Questions to Ask Before Getting a Filling in Dubai

1. Which material will you use, and why? You should understand why composite, glass ionomer, or an inlay suits your tooth.
2. How many surfaces will the filling cover? This affects the price.
3. Is the X-ray included in the quote? Ask for the total cost, not only the filling.
4. Will my insurance cover part of it? Ask the clinic to check before treatment.
5. What happens if the filling fails early? Ask how follow-up and repairs are handled.

Dental Fillings at Smile On Dental Clinic, Al Satwa

Smile On Dental Clinic is a DHA-licensed multi-specialty clinic on 2nd December Street in Al Satwa, close to Jumeirah, Sheikh Zayed Road, and Bur Dubai. Our dental fillings are planned with digital X-rays and placed in a single visit for most cavities, using tooth-coloured composite as standard. When a cavity is deeper than it first looks, our Specialist Endodontist and prosthodontic team are in the same clinic, so root canal treatment, inlays, onlays, and crowns can be handled without a referral elsewhere. Children are seen by our paediatric dental team. You receive a written quote before treatment, and our front desk can check your insurance cover in advance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

• Opdam NJM, van de Sande FH, Bronkhorst E, et al. Longevity of posterior composite restorations: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Dental Research, 2014;93(10):943-949.
• Minamata Convention on Mercury, Sixth Conference of the Parties (Geneva, November 2025): agreement to phase out dental amalgam by 2034.