Fillings seal a small hole in your tooth, i.e., a cavity, caused by decay. Fillings prevents the decay (a bacteria-induced infection) from spreading further into your tooth. If untreated the infection can continue on to the sensitive inner pulp (nerve) tissue located in the root canal. Should that happen, you would need root canal treatment. We only do non-metallic, composite fillings. Composite fillings are tooth colored providing a natural looking smile. Therefore, doing routine cleanings is important to check for decay.