Dental fillings are long-lasting, but they don’t always last forever. Tooth-colored composite fillings usually last about 10 to 15 years, sometimes longer with excellent hygiene and a bit of luck.
When a dental filling reaches the end of its life, you’ll need to have it replaced. But with such a variable lifespan, how do you know the time has come for a new filling?
First, it’s important to keep up with regular dental check-ups. Your dental hygienist and dentist will keep an eye on your fillings and let you know if one’s ready for replacement. We also recommend keeping an eye out for the five key signs your old filling is failing.
Five Signs It’s Time to Replace Your Filling
Some patients notice all of these signs that an old filling is failing, and some notice only one or two:
1. Tooth Sensitivity
As your filling wears out, you may begin to experience tooth sensitivity, especially when drinking hot or cold beverages. This sensitivity usually starts off fairly mild – a slight sting when you sip that fades away seconds later. As time goes on, it may become more noticeable, even to the point that you start avoiding icy drinks or hot coffee.
As fillings begin to fail, they often separate from the surrounding tooth enamel. This exposes nerve endings, leading to increased sensitivity. A failing filling can also trap plaque and bacteria, which can cause gum disease and encourage your gums to recede. Gum recession contributes to sensitivity, too.
If you don’t have your failing filling replaced promptly, what begins as sensitivity can soon intensify into dental pain. You may feel a jolt of pain when you eat something crunchy or when you chew in a certain way. Some patients report feeling sharp pains at night. This is common with people who grind or clench their teeth while sleeping.
2. Trapped Food
When a filling becomes worn, it may pull away from the surrounding tooth, or the edges may wear or chip away, leaving a larger-than-normal gap between the filled tooth and its neighbor. Food can easily get stuck in this enlarged gap. You might find yourself picking food out from around your tooth after every meal. You may also find that, when you floss, you’re pulling larger chunks of food out of the space.
A “food trap,” as this situation is called, can be quite an annoyance. As food becomes wedged between your teeth, it may press on your gums, leading to pain. Stuck food also encourages the growth of oral bacteria, leading to increased dental decay and gum disease.
In the short term, you can use interdental brushes or a Waterpik to clean between your teeth more effectively. But don’t delay contacting your dentist if you’ve developed a food trap. It’s almost certainly a sign you need a new filling.
3. Visible Damage
If you’re able to see your dental fillings, keep an eye on them over time so you’re more likely to notice any visual changes. If you notice any of the following, it’s time to talk to your dentist about replacing dental fillings:
- Obvious cracks in or around the filling
- Tooth enamel darkening around the filling
- Obvious chips are missing from the filling material
- An obvious, dark demarcation line around the edges of the filling
As fillings age, it’s common for them to develop open margins. This is when the filling begins gradually separating from the surrounding tooth material, essentially creating a tiny, narrow channel.
Open margins are often visible before you begin noticing any other signs of filling damage, like sensitivity or stuck food. But make no mistake about it – a filling with open margins does need to be replaced. Otherwise, the bacteria that get caught in the tiny gap will start causing decay.
4. Rough or Sharp Feelings
Some fillings are difficult to see, like those in your upper molars or situated on a back surface of your top front teeth. However, you can typically feel these fillings with your tongue. Your tongue is usually quick to notice any changes in your teeth or fillings. You may notice one starts to feel extra rough or even a little sharp if it has chipped.
It’s funny how quickly your tongue “gets used to” the way a certain filling feels. A rough or sharp spot you notice on Monday may be out of your mind by Friday, but that doesn’t mean it’s no longer a concern. Don’t ignore these feelings or simply hope they go away. They’re some of the most common cracked filling symptoms and are certainly reasons to call your dentist.
Even if you’re not in pain, bacteria and plaque can build up around a rough or sharp filling, accelerating tooth decay. The goal is to have the filling replaced before you become uncomfortable.
5. Bad Breath
Do you have bad breath that seems to persist even after you brush or floss? Your partner or family members might comment on it. You might also notice it yourself when you check your breath or put on a mask. Bad breath is one of the most noticeable cracked filling symptoms.
There are many possible causes of bad breath, including tooth decay, gum disease, and tonsil stones. However, if you’ve had a cavity filled in the past, failing fillings are an important bad breath cause to consider. The odor comes from food particles and oral bacteria that get caught around the cracked, rough, or chipped filling. Brushing may remove some of it, but not always all of the smelly bacteria hiding in the deeper crevices.
Using an antiseptic mouthwash can help alleviate bad breath in the short term. It can help address oral bacteria that brushing alone doesn’t reach. However, the only permanent solution is to have the filling replaced. Replacement is necessary to prevent tooth decay, which will only serve to make bad breath more stubborn.
Caring For Your Fillings
The better you care for your fillings, the longer they’ll last. Here are some of the best ways to care for your fillings:
- Brush twice a day, spending plenty of time on your filled teeth.
- Floss daily.
- Keep up with regular dental cleaning appointments to reduce tartar buildup around fillings.
- If you grind or clench your teeth at night, talk to your dentist about a mouthguard to keep fillings from cracking.
- Keep sugary drinks to a minimum to prevent decay around fillings.
- Avoid crunching on ice or chewing on hard items, like pen caps.
- Talk to your dentist about using a fluoride mouthwash to keep the enamel around dental fillings extra strong.
If you’re struggling with bad breath, tooth pain, trapped food, or tooth sensitivity, filling replacement may be on the horizon. Dental fillings don’t last forever, but they are easy for your dentist to replace, especially if you call as soon as you notice signs of damage. Your dentist will simply drill out the old filling material, remove any decay, and insert a new filling. Local anesthetics make the process pain-free.
When it comes to replacing dental fillings, Orange City Modern Dentistry is dedicated to our patients’ health and comfort. Contact us to schedule an appointment or to learn more about our services. We’re happy to answer all of your questions, from “How long do fillings last?” to “Why does my tooth hurt?”