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Westgate Dental Arts

Failed Fillings

When a filling needs to be replaced, it's often best to restore and protect the tooth by switching to a crown instead of placing another filling. Switching to a crown when a filling has broken or worn out protects you and strengthens your tooth.


Filling can weaken teeth	A crown covers and protects

Why not replace the filling with another filling?

Sometimes, we can replace your filling with another filling, but this can weaken the tooth because more tooth structure must be removed to hold the new filling. This means that a larger filling must be used to replace the old one. Large fillings weaken your tooth and leave it more vulnerable to damage.

Replacing a filling with another filling can remove so much supporting tooth structure that the tooth can break.

This is especially true if decay has formed underneath the old filling, requiring us to remove the decayed areas also.

Benefits of a crown

Placing a crown can prevent these problems. A crown covers and protects the tooth. It seals out plaque and bacteria and restores the strength and shape of the tooth.

Determining the need for a crown

When we evaluate a filling that needs replacement, we consider both the size of the filling and the amount of healthy tooth structure that remains. To determine if a crown is right for you, we'll perform a thorough exam.

There are several kinds of crowns, including gold, resin, porcelain fused to metal, and porcelain. If we find that a crown is the most appropriate treatment for your situation, we'll talk with you about the best kind for your situation.