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Dental FAQs from Harte Dental in Milton, MA
We are happy to answer questions about our services and procedures.
These are a selection of some common questions that patients have. If your question isn't answered here, please contact our office. It's important to us that our patients understand their dental care.
Dental Fillings in Milton, MA
The tooth is typically numbed during the procedure when necessary, which helps keep you comfortable while the cavity is being treated.
After treatment, some people experience temporary sensitivity or tenderness.
Contact Harte Dental if you experience severe pain, worsening discomfort, prolonged sensitivity, swelling, or a bite that feels unusually high.
There is no single lifespan for every filling.
The longevity of a filling depends on factors including:
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Size of the restoration
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Location of the tooth
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Filling material
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Oral hygiene
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Diet
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Bite forces
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Grinding or clenching
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Recurrent tooth decay
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Regular preventive dental care
Fillings should be monitored during routine dental examinations so your dentist can identify signs of wear, leakage, fracture, or recurrent decay.
Yes. Fillings can occasionally loosen, fracture, wear down, or fall out.
The underlying tooth can also change over time.
If you lose a filling, contact Harte Dental so we can evaluate the tooth.
Avoid chewing hard foods on the affected side until the tooth has been evaluated, particularly if the tooth feels sensitive or weakened.
Call our office to schedule an evaluation.
A broken filling does not automatically mean that the tooth needs a crown. Depending on how much healthy tooth remains, your dentist may be able to repair or replace the filling.
If substantial tooth structure has been lost, a dental crown or another type of restoration may provide better protection.
Yes.
A tooth that initially has enough healthy structure for a filling may require a different restoration years later if the filling becomes very large, additional tooth structure breaks, recurrent decay develops, or the tooth otherwise becomes weakened.
Your dentist will recommend the restoration that is appropriate for the tooth's current condition.
Tooth decay generally becomes more difficult to treat once it progresses and causes increasing loss of tooth structure.
A cavity that may initially require a relatively small filling can potentially become larger and eventually require more extensive treatment.
Depending on how far the problem progresses, treatment could potentially involve:
Small cavity → Larger filling → Crown → Root canal treatment and crown → Extraction
Not every cavity will follow this exact progression, and the appropriate treatment varies by tooth. The important point is that early detection can often allow for more conservative treatment.