Going
to the dentist might not be fun for some people, but after you go,
you feel a sense of security knowing that everything in your mouth is
fixed, clean, and healthy.
However,
sometimes old filings can cause problems that you didn't expect. Just
because you had a cavity repaired does not mean that your tooth will
remain healthy for years to come. Sometimes, fillings can fail, and
catching the problem early can help you avoid pain and expense later
on.
Amalgam
Problems
Do
you have some old silver-colored fillings lingering in your mouth?
These fillings used to be quite popular, and many people still have
them because they were less costly than ceramic or white-colored
resin fillings. Ceramic or resin fillings are standard now because
they preserve the color of the tooth and help your dentist to keep as
much healthy tooth as possible during restoration.
However,
silver amalgam fillings cause trouble because they are not bonded to
your tooth. Instead, they are placed in, using the surrounding tooth
structure to support the filling. Because they are not actually
bonded to the tooth surface, it is easier for the areas around the
filling to wear away or for the tooth itself to weaken and fracture.
Filling
Failure
Resin
fillings are strong, but they are not invincible. They eventually
begin to wear out, and your dentist checks them to make sure they are
still bonded and in good condition when you come in for dental
exams. New ceramic (zirconia) restorations are the most ideal on
posterior teeth (back molars).
These
fillings can fail under significant stress. If you grind or clench
your teeth, resin fillings wear out more quickly. Your dentist might
need to provide you a night guard to help protect your teeth and your
fillings from damage due to bruxism.
Fillings
also have a higher failure rate if they are larger. Cavities become
large when they are not caught and treated early. It's common for
people to develop larger cavities between their teeth due to lack of
flossing. When you have a larger filling, the dentist needs to drill
further into the tooth to remove decay, and the drill gets closer and
closer to the nerve of the tooth.
The
nerves in teeth do not like to be disturbed. After a large filling is
set, you might experience sensitivity that gets better as your tooth
heals. However, sometimes the stress of a large filling in a tooth
can eventually cause the health of the nerve to decline. When this
happens, the large filling is no longer sufficient, and you may need
a root canal procedure.
Increased
Decay
Occasionally,
fillings no longer function as they should because the decay starts
to spread around or behind the filling. This usually happens because
of poor dental hygiene or increased exposure to acidity.
For
example, a pregnant woman who has bad morning sickness might
experience decay around the edges of a filling. This decay can be
hard to detect, but as soon as it starts, the filling should be
replaced to prevent rapid decay from progressing, since the area
around and underneath the filling is much softer than your strong
enamel.
You
might experience tooth sensitivity or a dull ache in the area of the
tooth as decay begins to occur. At first, this might only happen when
you eat ice-cream or when you floss near the filling. See
a dentist as
soon as you notice any change to prevent further damage to your
tooth.
For
more information about how to respond when your old fillings fail,
contact the office of Michael G Landy DDS. We are happy to serve
you and your dental health needs.
