A white filling and composite bonding are the same material, tooth-coloured composite resin, used for different reasons: a filling replaces tooth lost to decay or damage, bonding changes how a sound tooth looks. Irish clinics publish white fillings from €120 to €210 and bonding from €175 to €375 a tooth at the same practices. Whitening changes colour but not shape, and aligners move teeth rather than reshape them, which is why people often combine them with bonding.
Clinic prices re-read on each clinic's own website on 29 October 2026. Every figure links to its source.
Key points
Both are direct composite restorations: the dentist places resin, shapes it and cures it with a light in one visit. The difference is why. A filling replaces part of a tooth that decay or a fracture has taken away, often on a back tooth. Bonding is placed on a front tooth that is structurally fine, to lengthen an edge, close a gap, cover a mark or change the shape. The work is more about sculpting and shade-matching, which is why clinics price it higher.
| Clinic | White (composite) filling | Composite bonding |
|---|---|---|
| Kiwi Dental, Carlow (source) | €120–€200+, by size | From €175 |
| Smiles Dental, Dundalk (source) | From €145 | From €325 (composite veneers) |
| Riverforest Dental, Leixlip (source) | €150 simple to €195 complex | €300 |
| Shelbourne Dental Clinic, Dublin (source) | €150 / €180 / €210 small, medium, large | €325–€375 |
Per tooth, as published on 29 October 2026. VAT not stated.
One line to know for tax: Revenue says routine dental care, including fillings, doesn't qualify for relief, while its non-routine list includes veneers and "Rembrandt type etched fillings" (Revenue). How your treatment is certified is for the dentist on Form Med 2.
Whitening changes the colour of your own enamel. It doesn't change the shape, close a gap or fix a chip, and it has no effect on composite or porcelain. Truly Dental's advice is to whiten first, then have the bonding colour-matched to the new shade, because the colour of bonding can't be changed once it's placed (Truly Dental). Published whitening prices: Riverforest home whitening €300 (source), Kiwi Dental full kit with custom trays €325 (source), Shelbourne €350 (source), Boyne Dental €350 (source), Smiles at-home kit €405 or Zoom in-chair €835 (source).
If your only complaint is colour, whitening alone is the cheaper route. If it's colour and shape, the usual order is whitening, then bonding.
Aligners and braces move teeth: they close gaps by shifting the teeth together and straighten crowding. Bonding leaves teeth where they are and adds material to hide a gap or even out edges. Edge bonding is often used after straightening to tidy worn or uneven edges; Truly Dental describes it as "generally indicated as a treatment for uneven or short teeth (often following the straightening of teeth)" (Truly Dental). Bonding can close small gaps and reduce larger ones, but it can't fix crowding or a bite.
Published aligner prices are in a different league: Shelbourne lists Invisalign Lite at €3,850 (source) and Smiles Dental Invisalign from €4,347 (source). Orthodontic treatment is on Revenue's non-routine list for tax relief (Revenue).
A crown covers the whole tooth and is used when a lot of tooth structure is missing, after root canal treatment, or on a cracked tooth. It's lab-made and involves reducing the tooth all round. Bonding is for cosmetic changes to a tooth that is otherwise sound. Published crown prices: Riverforest from €850 (source), Kiwi Dental €900+ (source), Shelbourne €1,050 (source), Smiles from €1,105 (source). Crowns are on Revenue's non-routine list.
Composite bonding lasts years, not decades: see how long it lasts. What it costs by county is on the cost page.
Send one selfie and see what composite bonding could look like on your teeth, then meet a Dental Council-registered dentist near you. Free, no obligation.
Free smile previewThe same material, used differently. A white filling replaces tooth lost to decay or damage. Bonding is added to a sound front tooth to change its shape, length or surface. Clinics price bonding higher because of the shaping and shade work.
At Shelbourne Dental Clinic, white fillings are €150 to €210 and bonding €325 to €375 a tooth; at Riverforest Dental, fillings €150 to €195 and bonding €300 (Shelbourne Dental Clinic fees, Riverforest Dental (Leixlip) prices).
Yes, if you want whiter teeth. Composite doesn't respond to whitening gel, so clinics such as Truly Dental recommend whitening first and matching the bonding to the new shade. How long to wait between the two is on whitening before bonding.
Small gaps, yes, by adding composite to the edges of the teeth either side. Larger gaps can be reduced, but crowding and bite problems need aligners or braces.
No. Revenue lists fillings as routine dental care, which doesn't qualify. Crowns, veneers, Rembrandt-type etched fillings and orthodontics are on the non-routine list.
Prices and facts on this page were checked against these published pages on 29 October 2026. We are not affiliated with any clinic or organisation listed.