Tooth Fillings Replacement – Important facts you should know
Dr. D.Sendhil Nathan MDS, DNB Prosthodontics And Implantology
Dental Filling is a common dental treatment that helps to restore the shape and strength of a decayed tooth. The diseased tooth is repaired by extracting the cavity region and close the region with filling materials.
Besides silver fillings, you can get different cavity filling materials like Gold fillings, composite resins, porcelain fillings and Glass ionomer today. They are also highly durable and persists for around 15 years. You might aware of it.
In spite of the filling material’s durability, they need to be replaced in a timely manner. If you are not aware of this, scroll down the page to know more about this.
Why do we want to replace dental fillings?
Nothing can replace the natural strength and power of our natural teeth. Even though the cavity fillings are highly durable, they cannot last forever.
The fillings are bonded to the decayed or injured tooth with the help of a sealant. The cementing material becomes loose or wears down over a period of time. It makes a loophole between the filling material and the tooth.
This leads to bacterial colonization underneath the filling. Similarly, the food debris also begins to enter the tooth. Such penetration ends in developing cavities around the edge of the fillings or beneath the material.
Another reason that urges one to replace the existing filling is fractured or cracked teeth. When the fillings break down or worn, they are not sturdy enough to bite the hard food particles. In such cases, the overpressure applied on the filled tooth lead to cracks on it.
Such cracks may be simple crazy lines or fractures that extend to the deeper regions. Then expensive oral care treatments like Root Canal Therapy(RCT) and dental crowns are required to preserve the filled tooth.
How can you diagnose your dental fillings need replacement?
When the dental filling wears down, it makes certain discomforts in the filled tooth. Otherwise, you can notice certain physical symptoms with the filled tooth when it needs replacement.
Here are some symptoms or signs that intimate your filled tooth requires new dental fillings:
- Sharp pain in the cavity filled tooth
- The tooth becomes sensitive to hot and cold food substances
- Discomforts like intense pain while biting foods.
- Appears dark in color
- Make you feel that something is stuck in the tooth
- Feels roughness in the surface of the filled tooth
When you identify or encounter the above issues, make an appointment with your dentist immediately. Don’t ignore it as a minor or simple problem.
Conclusion
Oral cavity or tooth cracks that arise due to the weakening of dental fillings are easy to cure if they are treated in the initial stage. This is the reason why dentists suggest semi-annual dental checkups for the cavity filling teeth.
The bacteria cling or deposited underneath the fillings are hard to extract with brushing and flossing. Similarly, cracks caused by worn in dental fillings are hard to identify in the initial stages. Dental Health Professionals use imaging systems like radiographs to identify the worn spots in the filled tooth.
Hence we also advise you to visit your dentist once every six months to check the fillings.
