In the filling of a buccal area tooth, wherein a polymerizable dental material containing a cross-linked bead poller is filled into the tooth and permitted to set, wherein the bead polymer has an average particle diameter of 2 to 100 .mu.m an inorganic filler content of to 50% by weight and a degree of swelling of 50 to 2000%, measured in THF, and is synthesized from A: 10 to 78% by weight of C.sub.1 -C.sub.2 -alkyl (meth)acrylate B: 5 to 10% by weight of C.sub.3 -C.sub.12 -alkyl (methacrylate) C: 1 to 30% by weight of cross-linker D: 10 to 75% by weight of an inorganic filler, and E: 0 to 30% by weight of at least one other ethylenically unsaturated monomer. The cross-linked bead polymer is new, has a solid consistency, is storable and is especially useful for filling teeth in the buccal area.