Standard fillings are intended to repair a small-to-medium-sized cavity for a long time. As time passes, normal wear and tear and the bacteria in your mouth can work to weaken the filling. In some cases, you might even be able to notice a filling is about to fall out. As a general rule of thumb, the larger and older a filling is, the more likely it is to fail.
Here at Baxter Dental our dentists offer a few common warning signs to look out for if you suspect one of your fillings is going bad:
— One of the more common symptoms is a sharp pain when biting down or chewing with the tooth. This might also be associated with a change in texture or a gray color develops in the surrounding enamel. This usually means bacteria has invaded the seam between the filling and the healthy tooth enamel.
— A filling located near your tongue might also start to develop a sharp or abnormal texture. This is usually a sign that bacteria have weakened the cement holding the filling in place. As it develops, it can loosen the cement and can actually start to push the filling out of the socket in the enamel.
— If the bad filling is small and no new decay has set in our dentist might be able to repair the problem by removing a small amount of additional enamel. Then a new filling is cemented into place.
If you suspect that one of your fillings is going bad, or you have recently lost a filling, please call Baxter Dental in Baxter, Minnesota at 218-829-4207 to schedule an appointment. Our dentists are always ready to help restore your smile!