Why Would a Filling Wear Out?

In the past, we’ve discussed how we take care to ensure that patients at Alta Loma Dental Care will know whether there’s a problem with their fillings. This week, we want to pass along some new research that examined the causes of filling failure and how to guard against it.

Smoking and alcohol were found to be major contributors to filling failure. The study only examined the rates of filling failure among male smokers, but failure was more common for them after just two years (fillings usually last for about ten) and in people who drank alcohol of both sexes. People who came from families with a history of failed dental fillings also had a higher failure rate, which suggests that there may be a hereditary factor. For these people, it is especially important to maintain oral hygiene and regular appointments, where we will test whether their fillings need to be replaced.

The study also had some good news. It seems that the new white fillings made of resin composites work just as well as amalgam ones. This is encouraging because amalgam’s silvery-grey color was dissatisfying to patients who wanted their teeth to look natural and because some people complained the metal became too hot or cold.

Alta Loma Dental Care is at 7283 Carnelian St, Alta Loma, California, 91701. To schedule an appointment, call 909-987-6268 or visit Alta Loma Dental Care and fill out a contact sheet.