How To Care For Your Dental Filling

If you recently acquired a dental filling to repair a decayed or damaged tooth, you may be wondering what to expect throughout your recovery time. Dental fillings are extremely durable, but there are habits you can form to help them last as long as possible. At Charlotte Emergency Dental, we want to provide you with the best dental filling aftercare procedures to help your filling last for many years to come. 

A dental filling is most commonly used to treat a cavity or to repair cracked and worn down teeth. During your dental filling appointment, your dental expert will remove any tooth decay by cutting through the enamel using a drill. You may be given a local anesthetic before the procedure if you have sensitive teeth. They will finish the procedure by placing the filling and polishing it off to match the shape of your natural tooth. 

After the filling, your tooth may be prone to enhanced sensitivity when coming in contact with pressure, air, and sweet or cold foods. We recommend avoiding these types of foods for one to two weeks while your new filling is settling and your tooth continues the healing process. In some cases, your filling can be too high causing a sharp pain after the anesthetic wears off. If your tooth continues to be extremely sensitive after two weeks, call us at Charlotte Emergency Dental and our dentist will complete a thorough examination of your filling to make sure that it is healing properly. 

Although fillings are durable, they do not last forever. As pressure is applied to the filling from chewing over time, it can fall out, leak, crack or wear out. This occurs when you bite down too hard, or you clench and grind your teeth frequently. If your filling is cracked, bacteria and food can get underneath and build up to turn into tooth decay. Unfortunately, you may not notice the pain until the decay has already built up significantly. This is why it is important to get your fillings checked regularly through 6-month dental appointments, and they can be replaced when needed. 

To help maintain your filling you should visit your dentist for regular cleanings, floss daily, and use fluoride toothpaste. The average lifespan of a filling is 12 years, however, that can be shortened to only 5 years if you do not follow proper dental filling aftercare procedures! If you have any questions regarding care for your filling, call us at 704-525-3939. We are happy to help!