Dental fillings are a quick and easy fix for patients who are in pain due to a cavity or toothache, and that’s all they are to most people. That being the case, most people don’t want to think too much about their restorations on a daily basis.
However, your restorations won’t last you forever, so it’s worth considering carefully how long you can expect them to protect your teeth. If you’re interested, here’s a guide that may be able to help you.
How Long Do Dental Fillings Last?
Like a lot of dental work, there are quite a few different factors that can contribute to how long you can expect dental fillings to last. Maintaining your dental fillings well is important, as is the placement of the filling in the mouth. The most important factor is what the filling is made out of—whether it’s metal amalgam or composite resin.
Both materials are popular among dentists, and metal amalgam tends to last longer than tooth-colored composite. The former tends to have an average of a 15-year lifespan, while composite resin tends to last for around 7.
Which Material is Best?
Since it’s come up, it’s worth talking briefly about which material could be good for you. As we mentioned before, amalgam tends to last the longest. However, silver fillings are pretty obvious, making them a bad pick for teeth that you’re likely to see. Tooth-colored composite fillings will blend in much better, making them the more aesthetic choice.
How Do I Know that a Dental Filling is Failing?
If you wait for your dental filling to fall out to replace it, you’ll have to deal with an uncomfortable phase where you don’t have anything protecting your tooth. That being the case, it’s important to watch carefully for signs of dental filling failure and to ensure that it’s replaced before then.
Odds are that you’ll be able to feel your implant failing before it actually does; you’ll feel the sting of tooth decay long before the issue becomes pressing. You should also make it a point to see your dentist often because they’ll be able to use dental X-rays to catch issues before they become serious.
About the Author
Dr. J.D. Robison is a dentist who believes that one of the most important parts of his job is being able to put his patients at ease and offer them the incredible dental care that they need. Dr. Robison has studied at Purdue University, University of Michigan, and University of Detroit Mercy. He has also completed hundreds of hours of continuing education from the Dawson Center for Advanced Dental Studies and the Las Vegas Institute, among others.
If you have any questions about dental fillings, he can be reached at his website or by phone at (734) 453-6320.