Why do I need a crown when I?m only replacing a filling?

Once you get a cavity you will be “maintaining” that tooth for life. Similar to a car getting bald tires, over time, fillings break down and need to be replaced. Fillings need to be replaced for a number of reasons. These reasons could include things such as cavities, broken teeth, open margins, or cracks in the tooth.

Once a tooth gets a filling, that tooth can get another cavity. Some people think they can’t get another cavity in a tooth once it’s been filled. Unfortunately, this is not true. It’s important to keep your teeth clean and visit your dentist regularly so you can catch cavities early, before they cause you pain. Pain in a tooth is bad; it means the nerve is inflamed and you may need a root canal.

When you see your dentist, they will check your teeth for cavities and also breakdown and wear of your fillings. Your fillings should seal your tooth 360 degree’s around the entire filling. If you get a gap between your tooth and filling, or an open margin, then bacteria can hide inside that gap and can form a cavity. If your dentist sees fillings that are breaking down, they will recommend replacing them so you can reseal the area and avoid from getting another cavity.

Your teeth are under constant pressure from the bite forces in your mouth. Some people’s bite forces are so strong that they can, over time, break their teeth. If your tooth is broken into the second layer of your tooth, or the dentin layer, you must restore the tooth to avoid from nerve exposure or getting a cavity.

Amalgam, or silver fillings, are constantly expanding. This expansion of the material pushes on the tooth and can cause cracks or splitting of the teeth. Like a crack in a car windshield, these cracks will continue to grow and can result in a tooth needing a root canal or extraction. To avoid this, you would need to have your filling replaced.

So why would replacing a filling require a crown? Your tooth is designed with area’s that are built to crush and grind your food. They withstand a lot of pressure and force with day to day wear. If this area of the tooth is compromised for any reason, then placing a filling would not be a wise decision. This is because the forces will break down the filling very fast and it would not be worth doing a filling. Your teeth need a certain amount of tooth structure to hold the filling and to stand up to the pressures your mouth exhibits onto the teeth. A crown will cover your tooth and protect it all the way around from such pressures so you have a long lasting, esthetic, comfortable restoration.

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