When Do Dental Fillings Need Replacement?

What Are Dental Fillings?

Dental fillings in East York, Toronto, ON, are oral materials that repair and restore damaged teeth. Tooth fillings are remarkable solutions in restorative dentistry for preserving natural tooth structures. Ideally, when your tooth is damaged, the first thought should not be to extract it. Instead, you can visit us at Danforth Village Dental Care to get dental fillings and save your natural tooth.

What Do Dental Fillings Do?

A dentist will typically use cavity fillings to treat dental cavities. While tooth fillings are the most common for treating dental cavities, they can treat other dental issues like:

1. Cracked, chipped, or broken tooth
2. Teeth sensitivity
3. A hole in your tooth
4. A toothache
5. Darkening or browning on portions of your teeth
6. Lost tooth filling

The Process of Getting a Dental Filling

Dental fillings do require numbing. A dentist in East York, Toronto, ON uses local anesthesia to numb your mouth and renders the procedure painless. Besides, by the time you are seeking treatment, you may already be experiencing a severe toothache. After numbing your mouth, the dentist will proceed to drill out the damaged part of your tooth. This step is necessary to remove all the portions of your tooth affected by the infection. The dentist will then clean your tooth, ensuring you do not have any bacteria residue behind that may lead to dental decay in the future.

Determining the type of dental filling you prefer for your treatment is crucial. The types differ based on the material in use. You can either get gold, silver, composite, or porcelain dental fillings. They all work well for treating damaged and diseased teeth. When you choose your material of choice, the dentist will use it to fill and seal your tooth. The idea is to create a tamper-proof coating on the tooth, preventing the re-entry of bacteria after the treatment.

In some cases, it is not enough to get a dental filling. The dentist may recommend crowning the treated tooth with a dental crown to reinforce its strength. It is usually the case if a sizeable portion of your tooth structure suffered damage.

How Long Do Dental Fillings Last?

Dental fillings cannot last a lifetime. Their durability differs based on the material. For instance, porcelain fillings last longer than composite fillings. Generally, oral fillings last anywhere between 5 And 20 years. However, it is paramount that you care for your teeth properly once you get them, so you increase their longevity. After a few years, ensure you visit your dentist to check the status of your dental fillings to repair or replace them.

When Should Dental Fillings Be Replaced?

Dental experts repair and replace dental fillings when loose, broken, chipped or missing. Some of the factors that may necessitate replacing a filling are:

1. Wear and tear – as you use your teeth for everyday tasks like chewing, you should anticipate wearing down your fillings.
2. Loose filling – more so if the procedure was done improperly.
3. Missing tooth filling – a dental filling can dislodge from your mouth, completely detaching from the tooth.
4. Infection or risk of infection

How to Know You Need to See a Doctor for Filling Repair and Replacement

Although you may not properly diagnose the state of your dental fillings, the following signs should prompt you to talk to your dentist in East York, Toronto, ON about replacing them:

1. Cracked filling – by looking at or feeling the dental restoration, you can know whether or not it is cracked or broken.
2. Toothache – after getting dental fillings, you should not experience pain in the treated tooth. A toothache may indicate a re-infection on the treated tooth.
3. Heightened tooth sensitivity – particularly common when you drink cold beverages or eat hot foods.
4. Discolored filling – if your dental filling starts to change color, it could mean that you have an infection on the tooth. It is easier to identify filling discoloration if you have a tooth-colored dental filling, for instance, composite or porcelain filling.
5. Dental injury – an injury in your mouth can damage a filling, breaking, or cracking it.
6. An old dental filling – if it has been a long time since you first got your dental fillings, consider visiting a dentist in East York, Toronto, ON to replace them.