How Would You Know When Your Dental Fillings Need Replacements?

Dental fillings also called restorations, help replace tooth structures lost to decay. Dental fillings are durable and last for many years. Eventually, all dental fillings need replacements due to wear and tear.

The constant pressures of biting and drinking fluids besides clenching and grinding your teeth cause dental filling failure to require replacements from tooth fillings in Liberty Hill, TX, before the bacteria in your mouth recreate significant tooth damage.

How Long Do Dental Fillings Last?

The dental filling you have in your tooth determines how long it will or will not last. Your dental hygiene and mouth-related habits like bruxism also play a role in determining the lifespan of your dental filling. For example, silver amalgam and gold fillings are the most durable lasting for 15 years or more if cared for appropriately.

If you require a front tooth filling and accept your dentist’s advice to have tooth-colored fillings in the cavity, the fillers will likely not last beyond five to seven years. If you want a durable option to seal extensive decay, you can opt for indirect fillings requesting inlays or Onlays that have a lifespan of around 30 years. However, dentists don’t guarantee the lifespan because your dental hygiene routine and mouth-related habits can impact how long the fillers last in your tooth.

Dental fillings aren’t merely created for cavities. There are also helpful in repairing chipped and damaged front teeth using the same tooth-colored material composite resin to fix the minor dental flaws with your teeth. For example, if you have minor gaps between your teeth, the liberty Hill dentist recommends you have teeth gap filling to close the blank space and provide a better appearance to your smile. The filling isn’t painful, and the dentist completes it within the hour without administering anesthesia or shots. The process called dental bonding allows you to prevent orthodontic treatment costing thousands to repair the gap using tooth-colored filling material at an affordable price of approximately $ 300-$ 600.

How Many Times Can Fillings Be Replaced?

Your mouth has 700 different species of harmless bacteria. However, if you allow dental plaque to accumulate on your teeth, some of the bacteria cause tooth decay, the primary reason for developing cavities.

The bacteria in the plaque deposit toxins on your teeth to erode your tooth enamel, eventually resulting in a cavity when it penetrates the enamel. If you have restored teeth with fillings that have worn away, chipped, cracked, or fallen out, the lost fillings leave gaps for the bacteria to enter the tooth cavity.

When the seal between the tooth and the filling no longer exists, it becomes a breeding ground for bacteria because food particles remain trapped in them. You find it challenging to remove the bacteria by brushing and flossing. You must either have the tooth restored by visiting the Liberty Hill dentist with another filling or prepare yourself for extensive treatments like root canals because the bacteria eventually reach the soft center of your tooth, the dental pulp.

If you have missing fillings or suspect your fillings are loose, you must visit your dentist without delay to have them examine the tooth and restore it if required. Alternatively, if you decide to leave the suspicious filling untreated, you become prone to undergo root canal therapy or perhaps have your tooth extracted.

Dental fillings are replaceable as many times as needed if they are damaged or have fallen off. In reality, your dentist advises that you don’t wait until you experience tooth pain or notice cracks in the filling. Instead, you must keep up with your regular dental checkups and exams to help dentists detect damaged fillings and replace them to minimize the need for expensive treatments.

What Happens When Getting Replacement Fillings?

You must endure the filling procedure again when getting replacement fillings. As you seek replacements for the fillers in your tooth, you will realize that the dentist administers anesthesia before drilling & cleaning the tooth. The hole is also disinfected for bacteria and debris removal before a suitable filler is placed after a discussion with you.

If you need the replacement on a molar, you benefit from silver amalgam fillings better suited to bear the higher biting prices. Alternatively, you need fillers for front teeth; the dentist recommends composite resin to ensure the filling doesn’t impact your smile. However, whenever you notice any cracks or sensitivity in your restored tooth, you must visit your dentist for an examination to determine whether your dental fillings have failed.

Prime Dental of Liberty Hill provides dental fillings and replacements for many patients. If you need the existing fillings replaced, kindly contact this dental facility to minimize your discomfort and the need for expensive treatments.