This new blog will analyze the most frequent causes that make dental fillings fall out.
Types of dental fillings:
Depending on the material:
Dental amalgams are the oldest fillings or reconstructions, dating back 30 years. The durability of these is very high, being able to last in the patient’s mouth for an average of 20-25 years. One of the drawbacks of this type of material is its metallic color. This metal often, and over the years, stains the inside of the tooth, acquiring a grayish color. These amalgams are held inside the tooth. Because retention cavities are made, there is no chemical bond to the tooth.
Numerous studies support that they are not toxic to the human body, but it is increasingly common for patients to request dental amalgam removal to improve their dental aesthetics.
– Resins or composites: They are the most aesthetic and most current fillings because they can be chosen precisely according to the color of the tooth to be treated. This type of dental filling is applied through chemical adhesion to the tooth. Over the years, this type of resin has suffered from darkening due to its porosity.
Temporary fillings: These are materials used to seal a cavity or a root canal temporarily. They must remain in place during treatment because their loss can cause the tooth to break due to its fragility or become contaminated.
– Sealants: It is a filling that prevents dirt from accumulating in adult teeth at the bottom of the pits and grooves of the teeth of the smallest of the house.
According to the size:
– Obturation: usually, it is a filling of small size that affects only one wall. Sometimes it is not necessary to put anesthesia to perform this filling.
– Reconstruction: this type is used when there is damage due to caries or breakage of 2 or more walls of the tooth.
– Dental inlay: It is a type of reconstruction made in the laboratory to measure the tooth. It is more laborious and expensive, but sometimes it solves the shape, anatomy, and color better than reconstruction.
Causes of dental fillings falling out:
Once the different types of dental fillings have been explained, we will analyze the most frequent causes of the stuffing.
1º Adhesion failure: As we explained above, resins or composites need an excellent technique of chemical adhesion to the tooth. These factors influence: the actual practice of the dentist who performs it, the use of a rubber dam, the materials used, the size of the cavity to be replaced.
2nd Secondary caries: One of the most complex treatments in dentistry is the reconstruction of interproximal caries (between 2 teeth). These treatments are complicated because they need to be done correctly to not create secondary cavities under the new filling over the years.
The first thing is to remove caries that affect the tooth correctly. This can be done correctly if magnification methods are used, such as magnifying glasses or the dental microscope, which increase visibility, and you can see if it has been removed. Caries correctly.
The second is that a good point of contact between the teeth is made. This contact point is a small surface where both teeth meet and prevent food packing. This point of contact must allow the dental floss to “go up and down” without forcing it and with a small STOP. If it is difficult to go up or down, the contact point is too strong. It will not allow food to come out. On the other hand, if the contact point is open or does not exist, it will be a trap where food will accumulate, and in the long run, it will create secondary caries that can affect both pieces.
3º Changes in occlusion: When a dental filling is made, it is given the correct shape and anatomy to chew against the opposing piece. This adjustment is made in microns with tracing paper, and logically this bite can change over the years, favoring more significant contact in the filling area and causing it to fall or break. It is also essential to replace the missing pieces because there is an overload in the rest of the teeth that can cause the dental filling to fall out.
4º Fatigue of the restorative material: Like all existing materials, not only in Dentistry, over the years, they undergo changes that can cause them to deteriorate over time and use.
5th Bad choice of material: Not all materials are the same, nor do they behave in the same way. Not to mention low-quality materials or unrecognized brands.
6th Bruxism: This is also one of the most frequent causes of fillings falling out. The squeezing or grinding, more well known by Bruxism, causes the material to be subjected to more forces than allowed, getting it to fracture or wear out prematurely.