An Old Dental Filling Might Be Prone to Failure

Having a tooth repaired with a dental filling often helps to preserve the surrounding dental structure while also preventing the bacterial tooth decay from spreading to the interior of the tooth. This method of treatment will help restore the tooth’s natural strength to also reduce the chances of suffering a dental fracture.

It’s also worth noting that most dental fillings have a finite lifespan. As time goes on it’s possible for the bond between the dental filling and the surrounding tooth enamel to weaken. As this starts to happen you might notice a change in color, or a sharp pain when biting down with the tooth.

This process can be accelerated by poor oral hygiene habits, an inconsistent daily oral hygiene routine, or failure to attend your routine dental checkups with one of our dentists, Dr. Barry D. Kinney or Dr. Coragene I. Savio.

Sometimes the bacteria can work their way into the microscopic gap between the dental filling and the healthy tooth enamel. This could allow a new cavity to develop dangerously deep within the tooth.   

If you suspect one of your dental fillings is in distress, you should seek dental care. In many of these cases, we can repair the tooth with a new dental filling or by replacing the entire tooth enamel layer with a dental crown.

In an extreme case where an area of tooth decay has compromised the pulp of the tooth, our dentist might need to perform a root canal. Once the decayed materials have been removed he can rebuild the internal structure needed to secure a dental crown.  

If you live in the San Francisco, California, area and you have an old filling in distress, you should not delay in calling 415-647-7077 to have it examined and treated at Barry Kinney.