Dental Fillings in Abilene, Texas

A tooth colored composite filling typically lasts seven to ten years, a porcelain inlay or onlay often lasts fifteen years or more, and silver amalgam commonly lasts ten to fifteen years. The size and position of the filling matter more than the material. A small filling on a protected surface outlasts a large one on a heavily loaded molar, because every filling has a margin where it meets the natural tooth, and that margin is where wear and new decay begin. Flossing around the margin daily, wearing a night guard if you grind, and keeping regular checkups at our Abilene, Texas dental office are what push a filling toward the longer end of its range.

Getting a dental filling does not hurt. The tooth is numbed with local anesthetic before any decay is removed, so you feel pressure and vibration but no pain. Very small, shallow cavities are sometimes treated comfortably without anesthetic at all, and we will discuss that with you rather than deciding for you. If the tooth was already aching, treating the decay usually relieves that ache. Some tenderness while the numbness wears off, and sensitivity to cold for a few days afterward, is normal. Tell us immediately if you feel anything sharp during treatment and we will add more anesthetic.

Not necessarily. An amalgam filling that is intact, well sealed, and causing no symptoms does not usually need replacing just because it is silver, and removing a sound filling means cutting away more healthy tooth. Replacement is worth doing when the filling is cracked or worn, when decay has developed underneath or beside it, when the tooth itself has cracked, or when you would simply prefer a tooth colored result. On safety, the Food and Drug Administration and the American Dental Association consider amalgam safe for most adults, while the Food and Drug Administration has advised that certain higher risk groups avoid it where a suitable alternative exists. Dr. Christie Leedy will assess each filling individually rather than recommending wholesale replacement.

The difference is how the restoration is made and how much of the tooth it covers. A direct filling is placed into the tooth as a soft material, shaped by hand, and hardened with a curing light in a single appointment. An inlay is made in a dental laboratory and bonded into the tooth, fitting within the cusps on the biting surface. An onlay is also laboratory made but extends over one or more cusps, so it covers more of the tooth. As a general rule, small and moderate cavities are best treated with a direct composite filling because it preserves the most tooth, larger areas of damage suit an inlay or onlay, and once too little sound tooth remains a dental crown becomes the appropriate restoration.

Sensitivity to cold and to biting pressure for a few days after a filling is normal and usually settles on its own within one to two weeks. The nerve inside the tooth is briefly inflamed by the removal of decay and by the heat and vibration of treatment, particularly when the cavity was deep and close to the pulp. Use a desensitizing toothpaste and avoid very hot and very cold foods on that side for a few days. Two things are worth calling us about rather than waiting: a sharp pain when you bite down, which usually means the filling sits slightly high and needs a quick adjustment, and pain that worsens after two weeks or wakes you at night, which needs assessment.

Dental fillings are treated as a restorative rather than a cosmetic procedure, so most dental insurance plans provide coverage when a filling is needed to treat decay, often at a higher percentage than crowns or bridges because fillings are classed as basic rather than major treatment. Some plans reimburse tooth colored fillings on back teeth at the amalgam rate and leave the difference to you. Our team verifies your benefits before treatment so there are no surprises. To book a dental filling appointment in Abilene, Texas, call 325-692-3344 or visit Abilene Dental at 5309 Buffalo Gap Road, Abilene, Texas 79606, open Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 4:00pm.