Why Would a Filling Need to Be Replaced?

Visiting a dentist is the only way to find out the condition of your teeth, and there are many things you can find out during a dental visit. One thing your dentist might tell you is that you need a filling replaced. While many people think fillings will last forever, and in some cases they do, fillings generally do need to be replaced at some point. Here are some of the common reasons this occurs. 

Part of it is missing

A filling that is made of amalgam or metal will usually last longer than a composite resin filling. Metal is harder and more durable, while composite fillings are weaker. If you have any composite fillings, parts of them can fall out. This could happen for many reasons, but a common reason is from applying too much pressure to the tooth. If you were eating a really hard piece of candy, for example, the pressure from biting on the filling could cause it to fall apart.

There is moisture behind it

If the filling is weak, loose, or partially missing, moisture can get behind the filling. When this happens, the moisture can contain bacteria, which can cause decay. As the decay forms on your tooth, it will eat away at your tooth, and this will generally cause a filling to become loose. Usually the only way to fix this is to replace the filling.

The tooth gets another cavity

A filling is used to replace the portion of the tooth that is removed when a cavity forms. If another cavity forms on this particular tooth, the dentist will not usually just add another filling. Instead, the dentist will probably recommend removing the old filling and putting in a new one that covers all the holes where decay was and where the old filling was.

There are times when a filling will not be sufficient, though, and this can occur if a cavity has taken over too much of a tooth. If this happens, there will not be enough tooth structure to support a big filling. The dentist may then recommend putting a crown over the tooth to save it.

If you have a filling that needs to be replaced, it is probably for one of these reasons. To learn more, visit a dental clinic in your city. The dentist can check all of your fillings and make sure none of them need to be replaced.

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