What does a high filling mean?
A) When you have a high filling, the tooth gets compressed more deeply into the periodontal ligament beneath your teeth whenever you bite down. The periodontal ligament widens and becomes inflamed. You begin to feel tenderness or pain at the site of the new filling.
What happens if a filling is too big?
Once a filling becomes too wide or too deep, the integrity of the tooth is compromised. Large fillings destabilize teeth and, over time, biting forces from the opposing teeth can cause cracks, breakage, inflamed roots and pain. Biting forces can cause the tooth to crack at the base.
How large can a filling be?
Another standard is the width of the filling. Some say that a filling shouldn’t be any wider than ⅓ of the distance between the cusps (high points) of a tooth. Others allow for up to 50% of this distance.
What can a high filling cause?
High fillings can wear down the enamel, causing tooth decay and cavities. In some cases, the filling can even loosen, or crack another tooth. This requires further dental care on top of filing the filling down.
Can a high filling fix itself?
How Do I Fix a High Filling? In most cases, high fillings will need to be ground down and leveled by the applying dentist. Usually, grounding down the high filling will result in diminished pain and increased comfort.
Can a big hole in tooth be filled?
Using a metal alloy, porcelain, or dental resin, your dentist can fill in the hole left behind by bacterial infection (the cavity). These materials are durable, and they can stabilize your damaged tooth. Obviously, if your tooth has a big hole in it, it’s not going to be as structurally secure as it was before.
Can a large filling cause a root canal?
A large filling can also weaken the tooth and, should this filling fail, it may be the case that the tooth is no longer able to support a cavity and a root canal treatment may be needed as a result or a crown may be needed in order to replace the filling.
How much does a large filling cost?
Metal filling, also called silver amalgam: $50 to $150 for one or two surfaces of the tooth and $120 to $300 for three or more surfaces. Composite resin fillings, also called clear or tooth colored: $90 to $250 for one or two tooth surfaces and $150 to $450 for three more surfaces.
Why does my tooth feel bigger after a filling?
Sometimes a filling can cause the affected tooth to be taller than your other teeth. This can make it painful to close your mouth due to extra pressure on the affected tooth. In some cases, biting down can even crack the filling, so contact your dentist as soon as you notice a problem with your bite.
Can dentist tell if filling is too high?
Determining If the Filling Is Too High If you feel some sensitivity, soreness, or pressure on certain sections of the teeth, it’s a good indicator of a high filling. Because of the uneven bite caused by the filling, you’ll find that many simple tasks become difficult or even downright unpleasant.