Did you ignore all the warnings about consuming excess candy before bed? Do you now find yourself needing a tooth filling? Well, there’s good news because you can now get a tooth filling that lasts and learn how to take care of it.
We’re sure you know the benefits of getting a tooth filling early. A tooth filling will help treat tooth decay. The tooth filling also stops the spread of decay and replenishes the strength of the tooth.
The average lifespan of a tooth filling can last for years. However, there are actions you need to take to prolong the lifespan of the tooth filling.
In this article, you’ll learn how long a tooth filling can last. You’ll also learn about the various factors that affect the longevity of a tooth filling. You’ll also learn ways to increase its lifespan and how often to replace the tooth filling.
How Long Will a Tooth Filling Last?
On average, a tooth filling can last up to 15 years. However, certain factors can prolong or reduce the longevity of the tooth filling.
Additionally, the material that makes up your tooth filling matters, as the material will also determine the timeline of the tooth filling. Hence, knowledge of the material will guide how you care for the tooth filling.
Some options a tooth filling dentist in Ontario may recommend include:
- Amalgam
- Ceramic
- Glass Ionomer
- Composite
- Gold
Amalgam Filling
The amalgam dental fillings are also known as silver fillings. However, silver isn’t the only metal in an amalgam filling. Instead, the amalgam filling is an amalgamation of other metals with silver.
Some other metals in an amalgam filling are tin, copper and mercury. The amalgam fillings are one of the most affordable on the market. Consequently, Dentists have been applying this filling for over 150 years.
Regarding how long the amalgam tooth filling will last, the historic fillings can last for at least 15 years. Constant care can make the filling last longer. However, we advise that you see a dentist for a regular check-up.
As available as the amalgam filling is, there is a drawback. One of the constituents of an amalgam filling is mercury. This element can prove problematic for some people. Hence, you shouldn’t get amalgam fillings if you are:
- Pregnant or breastfeeding
- Allergic to mercury
- Possess a kidney problem
- Under the age of 6
Ceramic Filling
The structure of a ceramic filling comes from a type of porcelain. The average ceramic filling can last up to 15 years with the proper care.
Ceramic fillings are among the most expensive tooth fillings on the market. The fillings are rarer to find and aren’t common. The reason for its rarity is due to the processing location. The manufacture of ceramic fillings occurs at milling machines or dental labs.
The process of applying a ceramic filling is through gluing. First, a powerful adhesive glues the ceramic filling unto the tooth. In some cases, ceramic fillings can become permanent dental fillings. However, this process is much more expensive.
Glass Ionomer Filling
The glass ionomer comes from a combination of glass and acrylic. The filling is placed directly on the tooth.
However, these glass fillings are weaker in comparison to other fillers. In addition, the fillings fill small cavities around the gum area. Therefore, glass fillings aren’t ideal for chewing surfaces. Due to their fragile nature, the glass ionomer fillings last about 5 years.
Composite Fillings
The composite fillings are popular among teens and young adults. The fillings come from a combination of ceramic resins and acrylic. Hence, the fillings can undergo customization to match the surrounding teeth’ colour.
This tooth filling can last about 7 years and chemically bond to the surrounding teeth with glue. However, the composite filling can sometimes last as long as 10 years if they’re smaller.
Alternatively, the composite filling materials can fill tiny gaps between teeth and fix chipped teeth.
Gold Fillings
Gold fillings are among the most expensive tooth fillings to have. The fillings are more expensive than the composite and amalgam fillings.
However, with great expense comes great usage as these tooth fillings can last about 20 years. So the next time you smile, showing your gold filling, that’ll be an expensive grin.
Related Article: Dental Fillings: Materials – Gold, Ceramic, Amalgam, and More
Why You Should Consider a Tooth Filling
Based on Statistics Canada’s Canadian Health Measures Survey (CHMS), Health Canada released a study on Canadians’ oral health. The findings revealed that 86 percent of Canadians visit a dentist’s office at least once every two years, and 75% do so yearly.
The research is a tremendous improvement compared to the early 1970s when fewer than half of the population saw a dentist annually.
Over the past 40 years, all Canadians’ tooth decay rates have significantly decreased. Some of this tooth decay decline is due to the rise in long-lasting tooth filling. Following Health Canada’s Report on the Findings of the Canadian Health Measures Survey’s oral health component:
- Dentist visits as a percentage of the population climbed from 49.5 to 74.5 percent annually
- The proportion of children who had at least one tooth that was decaying dropped from 74 to 23.6 percent
- From 96.6 to 58.8 percent, the proportion of teenagers having at least one decaying tooth fell.
- The average number of children’s teeth decaying dropped from 6 to 2.5.
- The ratio of adults without any natural teeth dropped from 23.6% to 6.4%
The above statistics show how long a tooth filling can last with the proper attention. Of course, the number of dentist visits and checkups plays a role in these statistics.
How Often Will You Need to Replace Your Tooth Filling?
Your luck may be incredible and you may never need to replace your tooth filling. However, there’s a high chance that you will replace them.
Over time, your filling will wear down, or it might even crack. Therefore, these tell-tale signs and more are indicators that determine when to replace your tooth filling. Occasionally, a filling may fall out after a while and need immediate replacement.
Furthermore, you may need to do a regular check-up with a dentist. You’ll be unable to notice early signs of deterioration on the filling. However, a dentist can find out and tell you on time, which may prolong the durability of the tooth filling.
During a visit to the dentist, they will use a device known as an explorer to inspect your mouth. They’ll spot any early signs of wear on the tooth filling and alert you.
They’ll check to ensure that the seal of the filling is still secure. They can also identify locations where bacteria can evade and cause further decay.
Early replacement can also ensure that your tooth filling lasts longer. The early replacement may seem costly, but it will save you from further tooth decay in the long run.
Furthermore, dental x-rays can expose any bacterial infection under the filling. Hence, if there are signs of bacteria already compromising the filling, it’s time for a replacement.
Factors that Determine How Long a Tooth Filling Lasts
Some factors play vital roles in determining how long your tooth filling will last, regardless of the longevity. Likewise, these factors will decide how often you’ll have to change your tooth filling.
Oral hygiene
Oral hygiene is the most critical factor in ensuring the duration of your tooth filling. You have to brush your teeth regularly, at least twice a day. Furthermore, food particles can lodge in the crevasses of your jaw and shorten the tooth filling timeline. If these particles stay in between your teeth for long, they can start to decay.
Decay leads to the wearing down of the coating and structure of your tooth filling. Furthermore, the decay can spread to the surrounding teeth through improper care, causing more cavities. Hence, regular brushing of your teeth will eliminate the presence of these particles.
In addition, you can further maintain the dental fill by using a recommended toothbrush from a dentist. It’s more pertinent to get a recommendation from the dentist that puts in the tooth filling.
Lastly, apply a dentist-recommended mouthwash after brushing your teeth to flush out the tiny spaces within your teeth and between your gums. The combination of frequent brushing and the use of mouthwash will elongate the durability of your tooth filling.
Diet
How long your tooth filling lasts will depend on what you eat. The composition of your diet can severely alter the state of your tooth filling.
Sugary foods are the biggest enemies of your tooth filling. Sugary foods can cause microorganisms to grow on the tooth filling, leading to dental plaque. Dental plaque is a build-up of bacteria that can eat into the surface of a tooth filling.
Watch how you eat hard foods like nuts, candy and other hard fruits. Biting down on these hard foods can increase the wear and tear on the tooth filling. This constant wear and tear can damage the filling.
Furthermore, you’ll have to reduce your consumption of certain food substances like chewing gum, beef jerky and other sticky foods. Reducing these habits will maintain your dental filling. These sticky foods tend to pull on the tooth fillings and cause damage.
Material of Tooth Filling
If you’re using composite fillings, you need to ensure the colour of your tooth filling lasts by limiting your consumption of beverages like tea and coffee. These beverages can stain the composite fillings.
Furthermore, be mindful of chewing on non-edible materials like pencils and fingernails. These materials possess hard exteriors that can create abrasions on the tooth filling.
Visit any tooth-filling dentist in Ontario today and get the right tooth-filling today. We are also available around the clock to answer your questions and schedule appointments.
How to Increase the Lifespan of a Tooth Filling
Various tips ensure that your tooth filling lasts a long time. These tips will save you money and save you from multiple trips to the dentist’s office. Here are some tips that can guide your dental filling journey.
- Upon installing the filling, watch what you eat and what you do with your teeth in the first 24 hours. The tooth filling will still be very sensitive and prone to easy damage.
- Be mindful of the way you brush your teeth around the area. Use a recommended toothbrush that won’t be too hard or soft on the filling.
- Make your dental filling feel permanent by visiting the dentist regularly at any sign of discomfort. Such frequent visits will reduce the chances of replacing the filling.
- Eat a balanced diet with the proper nutrients for your body but a low reaction to your filling. Avoid highly acidic foods to prevent corrosion of the tooth filling.
- Extend the tooth filling lifespan by avoiding sodas or highly sugary drinks. The sugary substances can build biofilm on the filling.
- Replace the filling once you notice an obvious crack
- Get a warranty for your tooth fillings to insure them in case of sudden damages
Alternative Tooth Fillings
There are cases when a tooth cracks and requires a filling, but there isn’t enough tooth structure to support a filling. Also, there might not be enough significant damage to your tooth to warrant a crown.
In this case, an indirect filling is the ideal fix. This indirect filling is a replacement tooth filling that lasts without a traditional filling. More so, the indirect filling requires two visits to the dentist.
During the first visit, the decay or bad tooth removal occurs. Next, an impression of the tooth and its shape is taken and sent to a dental laboratory. This dental laboratory makes the indirect filling or restoration (which is a technical term for a tooth filling)
A temporary filling occupies the space until it’s time to replace the tooth filling with the indirect restoration. So, upon your second visit, you’ll have the temporary filling thrown out and have the indirect restoration put in. This indirect filling becomes a permanent fixture and can last up to 30 years.
Related Article: How Long Before You Can Eat After a Filling?
Final Words
There are many ways to make your tooth filling last. In this article, you’ve learnt about the different types of tooth fillings. We’ve also shown you the factors that can affect the longevity of your tooth filling.
You can also apply the tips to ensure that your tooth filling lasts a long while. Also, remember the dentist is your friend. Do not hesitate to visit Osmin Denture for all tooth filling and related needs. We’re always here to help!