Many patients mistakenly believe that once a tooth is cured, you can forget about it forever. However, even the most high-quality and expensive seal has its own service life. On average, it ranges from 5 to 10 years, although much depends on the quality of home hygiene.
Self-diagnosis will not replace a visit to the doctor, but it will help you not to miss the alarm signals.
Here are 4 signs that you should make an appointment with a dentist in the near future.:
1. The tooth began to react painfully to hot, cold or sweet
You notice pain (even fleeting) from ice cream or hot tea. Or there is a "nagging" reaction to sweets. This is a classic sign of a leak-proof restoration. The sooner you arrive, the higher the chance that the nerve (pulp) will be preserved.
2. The color has changed or a black border has appeared around the seal
Composite restoration may darken over time — this is acceptable. But if you see that
a dark border has appeared along the border of the filling's contact with the hard tissues of the tooth – from gray to black-brown — you need to consult
a dentist. Such a modified border is a decree
Despite the fact that the edges have peeled off and the restoration has ceased to be airtight. Into this gap
bacteria (primarily Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus), as well as low molecular weight dyes from food (chromogens), penetrate, which leads to the development of secondary dentine caries, often asymptomatically.
3. You can feel the edge of the filling with your tongue (chipped, cracked, dimpled)
How it feels: The tooth surface used to be smooth. Now you
you feel a step, a hole, a roughness or a sharp edge with your tongue. This may mean that the filling is chipped (as the material loses strength over time); it is also possible that the wall of the tooth itself is chipped (especially if the tooth was previously depulpated or thinned walls remained). If the chip is small, it can be "polished". But most often, a complete replacement of the restoration is required. In case of severe damage, the dentist will recommend that you cover the tooth with an artificial crown.
4. The filling is loose or food gets stuck between the teeth.
If you notice that the filling is loose (or has already fallen out) when brushing your teeth or chewing, you can't wait any longer. If you notice that food has become stuck between your teeth or dental floss clings to the filling during cleaning, breaks or gets stuck between your teeth, this is a sign that the filling is no longer sealed or a latent carious process has developed on the side surface of the tooth.
If you notice at least one of the four signs, try to contact your dentist for an examination as soon as possible. Don't expect pain!
Remember that the carious process and even pulp inflammation are often completely painless, and the occurrence of spontaneous pain practically guarantees the need for endodontic treatment (nerve removal and root canal filling).
Regular (every 6-12 months) examinations by a specialist make it possible to identify early signs of a violation of the hermeticism of restoration or the development of a secondary carious process, which may not be obvious to the patient.
