Do Fillings Really Last Forever?

Do Fillings Really Last Forever?

 

There’s a pretty good chance you’ll end up with at least one cavity in your life – over 90 percent of us get one at some point. With the odds that high you’ll probably end up with at least one filling, if you don’t have one already.

 

Most people assume that fillings are something you only need to worry about once: you get them and they’re there for life. But that’s not quite true. In fact, most fillings only last around a decade before problems start to set in.

 

We’ve placed countless fillings at our West Chester office, and in that time we’ve seen plenty of fillings fail because they weren’t replaced soon enough. This is especially true of metal amalgam fillings – they’re the ones that are a problem after about a decade.

 

Metal Fillings: What Makes Them Less Stable?

 

While a metal filling isn’t dangerous, despite what the internet might lead you to believe, they still can go bad and cause problems to their teeth. There are some fundamental differences between metal amalgam and your teeth, and those differences can end up being a serious source of trouble.

 

The Problem With Dental Cement

 

It probably comes as no surprise, but metal fillings can’t bind themselves directly to your teeth. Instead, they have to be cemented in place. Metal fillings themselves can last for a really long time, but the cement wears out much faster.

 

When filling cement wears out it leaves behind a small gap between your tooth and the filling that can be a very appealing space for bacteria. It doesn’t take long for plaque to make its way into that gap, and when it does you’re going to have cavities before you know it.

 

The worst part about filling cavities is how difficult they are to notice. In many cases a cavity caused by worn cement can go undetected until it eats its way right through the tooth. This can lead to permanent damage, or even the need for a root canal or tooth extraction.

 

Microfractures: An Invisible Menace

 

There’s another problem with fillings that has nothing to do with cement or gaps: it’s the difference in density between tooth and metal.

 

Your teeth are meant to flex ever so slightly so that they don’t break under pressure. Each tooth grows with a certain weight distribution in mind, and when that distribution is disrupted, say by a chunk of metal, it can do damage to the tooth.

 

The biggest risk for a metal-filled tooth is microfractures. These invisibly small cracks form when metal fillings push back against the flexing of your teeth, and the longer a metal filling stays in place the more damage it can end up doing.

 

Microfractures aren’t visible, and they can result in cavities in a similar way to worn cement. Bacteria is able to get inside the tooth and start causing trouble from the inside out, which makes it incredibly hard to find fractures and the cavities they create until it’s too late.

 

A Better Filling Option

 

When patients come to us with old fillings, or when they need a new one, we don’t use metal amalgam. It’s simply an outdated material that doesn’t do the best possible job! We use tooth-colored dental composite for our fillings.

 

Dental composite is a mixture of plastic and glass that perfectly mimics the look and feel of natural teeth. That’s not the only reason it’s great, though.

 

  • Dental composite is able to move just like the bone that makes up your teeth. There won’t be any risk of microfractures with these new fillings!
  • Composite is also able to bind directly to your teeth, so you won’t need any cement to hold it in place. This results in a stronger filling that stays put easier, and it eliminates the risk of having a “leaky” filling.

 

If you have a metal filling that’s been in your mouth for a while you owe it to yourself to have it checked out at the office of Dr. K.C. Sykora, DDS. Knowing your filling is safe and healthy is far better than finding your whole tooth is in bad shape in a few years!

 

Don’t Delay!

 

Your oral health can be destabilized by the slightest problem, so don’t tempt fate. Give our West Chester office a call today to schedule a checkup. You can reach us at 610-314-7534 or you can request an appointment online. We look forward to seeing you soon!