Dental restorations naturally wear down over time due to daily use, and several factors influence how long they last, including their size, location, and type. Fillings, for example, can gradually lose effectiveness as years of chewing pressure cause stress on the material. This may lead to secondary decay around the filling, which can weaken the tooth and eventually require a crown for added protection.

Other issues—such as sports injuries or chronic teeth grinding (bruxism)—can also shorten the lifespan of restorations by causing excessive wear or damage. During regular dental checkups, your dentist can monitor existing restorations, catch problems early, and recommend solutions like a custom night guard if grinding is a concern.

If it’s time for your routine cleaning and exam or you’re worried about a specific restoration, please contact your dentist to schedule an appointment.

You can be confident that the team at Sacred Dental will always recommend the most conservative treatment option for your individual needs. Dental fillings and crowns both play an essential part in protecting your smile and keeping it healthy and functional. But they are not interchangeable procedures. In general, Dr. Young recommends a crown when more than half the tooth is compromised. This can be the result of decay, cracking, excessive wear from grinding, or dental injury. A crown is a restoration that offers full coverage of a tooth and protects it in a way that a filling can’t. If we attempt to put a filling in a tooth that requires a crown, we put the tooth at even greater risk because a filling that is too large will cause the tooth to break. Unfortunately, when this happens, the tooth is often no longer savable and will need to be removed. Please call our office to learn more about our beautiful, durable crowns.

This all depends on the situation. In certain situations a bridge may make more sense. For example, if teeth adjacent to the missing tooth/teeth have decay, need crowns, have compromised bone, or if finances are an issue than a dental bridge would most likely be the better solution. If the teeth adjacent to the missing tooth/teeth are free from decay and existing restorations and there is adequate bone than a dental implant would typically be the most advisable course of treatment. 

There are several factors that can dictate how many teeth a bridge can replace. Generally, it depends on the location. For a front bridge in the front of the mouth we can typically replace up to four missing teeth. For a bridge in the back of the mouth we can usually replace up to two teeth. This is also dependent on the anchor teeth having adequate bone to support the missing teeth/tooth.

There are different benefits and advantages to each so it really depends on what is important to you. A partial is a removable appliance that replaces missing teeth. A bridge is cemented in permanently. While a bridge is more expensive than a partial, it functions more like natural teeth since it is cemented in place.