How Long Do Dental Fillings Last? Wear, Chewing Habits and When Replacement Is Discussed

The hygienist has finished, the chair tilts back up, and the dentist pauses over a lower molar. A small metal filling sits there, older than the patient’s marriage, its edges slightly ditched like a worn doorstep. Nothing hurts. The note in the chart reads: monitor. And the patient, driving home, is left with the question that brings so many people to search engines: how long do dental fillings last, and is that quiet molar living on borrowed time?

The honest answer is that a filling has no expiry date printed on it. It is a small engineering joint between a manufactured material and living tooth, chewed on perhaps a thousand times a day, bathed in acid after every snack, and flexed by every yawn and clench. Some fail in a few years. Others outlive the dentist who placed them.

What follows is what the evidence actually shows about that lifespan, which habits shorten it, and how dentists decide between watching, repairing and replacing.

How long do dental fillings last, and why do they fail at all?

A filling is a material packed or bonded into a cavity after the decayed tooth structure has been cleaned away, restoring the tooth’s shape and, crucially, sealing it from bacteria. That seal is the part that ages. The filling material itself rarely dissolves or crumbles on its own; what gives way is the margin, the thin line where filling meets tooth.

Think about a single day in the life of a molar. Hot coffee, then iced water. Filling materials and tooth enamel expand and contract at different rates with temperature, so every swing tugs gently at that margin. Add the pressure of chewing, which concentrates force on the edges of a restoration, and over years the joint can open by a fraction of a millimeter. Bacteria need far less than that.

Once plaque bacteria colonize a gap, they produce acid and start new decay beside or beneath the old filling. Dentists call this secondary caries, meaning new decay that forms around an existing restoration. In the largest meta-analysis of posterior composite fillings, tracking more than 2,800 restorations across 12 clinical studies, secondary caries and fracture were the two dominant reasons a filling was judged to have failed (Opdam and colleagues, Journal of Dental Research, via PubMed).

Fracture works differently. A filling that is large relative to the remaining tooth acts like a wedge. Under repeated loading either the filling cracks or, more worryingly, the surrounding cusp of tooth does. Wear, meaning gradual loss of height at the chewing surface, is a third and slower process, more noticeable in people who grind.

So when someone asks how long dental fillings last, the useful reframing is this: how long will the seal hold, and how much load is this particular tooth carrying? Those two questions explain most of the variation between a filling that lasts four years and one that lasts forty.

How long do dental fillings last by material? A side-by-side look

Averages hide a great deal, but they are a fair starting point. The figures below come from clinic patient guidance and from the systematic reviews cited at the end of this article. Treat them as typical ranges reported in the literature, not as a warranty on any individual tooth.

Material	What it is	Typical lifespan reported	Main way it tends to fail
Composite resin (white filling)	Tooth-colored plastic and glass mixture bonded to the tooth and hardened with a blue light	About 5–10 years on average (Cleveland Clinic); many survive well beyond a decade in long-term studies (Opdam et al., PubMed)	New decay at the margin, chipping, wear in heavy grinders
Amalgam (silver filling)	Alloy of silver, tin, copper and mercury packed into a shaped cavity	About 10–15 years on average (Cleveland Clinic); lower failure rates than older composites in trials (Cochrane review, PubMed)	Margin breakdown, cusp fracture of the tooth around a large filling
Glass ionomer	Cement that releases fluoride and bonds chemically to tooth	Generally shorter than composite or amalgam; often used for small, low-load areas or as a temporary measure (Cleveland Clinic)	Wear and washout in chewing areas
Gold or ceramic inlays and onlays	Laboratory-made pieces cemented into or onto the tooth	Generally longer than direct fillings; sources vary on exact ranges	Cement failure, ceramic chipping

Two caveats matter. First, the Cochrane comparison favoring amalgam drew on trials of composites from earlier generations, and bonding systems have changed considerably since. Second, every one of these ranges was measured in real mouths with real habits, so a small composite in a front tooth of a careful flosser sits at one end of the curve while a four-surface molar filling in someone who grinds sits at the other. The material is one variable among several, and rarely the biggest.

How long do white fillings last? What the composite research shows

White fillings, properly called composite resin, are now the default in most practices, and they have been studied intensively. The most useful single number comes from the Opdam meta-analysis on PubMed: posterior composite fillings showed an annual failure rate of roughly 1.8 percent at five years and about 2.4 percent at ten years. Turn that around and it means the large majority of back-tooth composites were still in service after a decade, which is a more optimistic picture than the 5–10 year clinic average alone suggests.

The same analysis is candid about what pulls a composite off that curve. Two factors stood out. People with a high risk of decay, judged by their history of cavities, saw their fillings fail sooner, largely through secondary caries. People who grind or clench their teeth saw more fractures. The material was doing its job; the environment was harsh.

Composite also has quirks of its own. It is bonded rather than packed, which means the tooth surface must be kept dry during placement, and the resin shrinks very slightly as it hardens under the curing light. Both introduce small stresses at the margin from day one. Over years, composite can pick up stain from coffee, tea and tobacco and can wear faster than enamel under heavy load. None of these is a failure in itself, and a stained edge is not a leaking edge.

Size matters too. A filling that replaces one surface of a tooth has far less margin to defend than one that wraps around three. Dentists sometimes describe this as the restoration doing more of the tooth’s work as it grows, and the evidence bears that out: multi-surface composites failed sooner in the pooled data than single-surface ones.

So how long do white fillings last? Long enough that, for a small cavity in someone with good hygiene, a decade is a reasonable expectation rather than a hope, with the understanding that regular checks are what turn a small leak into a small repair.

How long do amalgam fillings last, and is the mercury a reason to replace them?

Amalgam, the silver-colored filling, is the veteran of the two. It is an alloy in which liquid mercury binds powdered silver, tin and copper into a hard, stable mass. Cleveland Clinic’s patient guidance gives a typical lifespan of about 10–15 years, and the 2014 Cochrane review on PubMed found that in randomized trials comparing the two materials in back teeth, amalgam fillings failed less often and developed less secondary decay than composite fillings placed at the same time.

Amalgam earns that record partly through forgiveness. It does not need a perfectly dry field, it tolerates moisture during placement, and its surface corrodes very slightly over time in a way that can actually tighten the seal at the margin. It also wears at a rate closer to enamel than early composites did.

Its weaknesses are mechanical and cosmetic. Amalgam does not bond to tooth; it relies on the cavity shape to hold it, which historically meant removing slightly more healthy tooth to create that shape. Over decades a large amalgam can act as a wedge in a molar, and the surrounding cusps, not the filling, sometimes crack. The color darkens and can gray the tooth around it.

The mercury question comes up constantly. The NHS explains that amalgam is considered safe for the general population, and that restrictions on its routine use in young children and during pregnancy or breastfeeding are precautionary rather than based on demonstrated harm. Drilling out an intact amalgam releases more mercury vapor in that moment than leaving it does, and it always costs tooth structure. Mainstream guidance therefore does not support removing sound amalgam fillings purely because of their mercury content.

How long amalgam fillings last, in other words, is usually a question about the tooth around them. An intact silver filling with a sound margin on a radiograph is not a problem waiting to happen; it is a problem already solved, and the treating dentist is the right person to say whether that still holds.

Why chewing habits and grinding shorten a filling's life

The single behavioral factor that appears again and again in the longevity research is bruxism, the medical term for grinding or clenching the teeth, often at night and often unconsciously. The Opdam meta-analysis found bruxism roughly doubled the failure risk of posterior composite fillings compared with people who did not grind, mostly through fracture rather than decay.

The mechanics are intuitive once you picture them. Normal chewing applies force in short bursts with the food acting as a cushion. Grinding applies force tooth against tooth, for seconds at a time, hundreds of times a night, with the filling margins taking the brunt. Mayo Clinic notes that many people with sleep bruxism are unaware of it until a partner mentions the noise or a dentist notices flattened chewing surfaces, worn enamel and chipped restorations.

Daytime habits do quieter damage. Chewing ice concentrates enormous force on a tiny point and shocks the material with cold at the same instant. Hard candies, unpopped popcorn kernels, and the ends of pens have all sent people back to the chair with a fractured filling. Using teeth to tear tape or open packaging loads them in directions they were never designed for.

What can be done sits firmly with the dental team. For confirmed grinding, Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic describe custom-fitted night guards or splints, which spread force across the arch and protect both enamel and restorations. Whether one is appropriate, and how it should be made, is a clinical judgement based on the wear pattern, the jaw joint and any sleep or stress factors behind the grinding.

For everyone else, the practical message is unglamorous: let food be the cushion. A filling that never meets ice, kernels or a clenched jaw at three in the morning has already removed the biggest threat the evidence identifies.

Do fillings need to be replaced, or can they simply be watched?

Many people assume that an old filling is a filling due for replacement. Modern dental practice leans the other way. A restoration is generally left alone as long as the margin is sealed, no new decay shows on radiographs, the filling is intact and the tooth is comfortable. Age by itself is not an indication.

Who is usually offered replacement? People whose radiograph or examination shows new decay under or beside the filling. People whose filling has fractured, fallen out or lost a corner so that the tooth is no longer sealed. People with a tooth that has cracked around a large filling. And people with persistent pain or sensitivity that the dentist traces to a leaking restoration rather than to gum recession or a cracked cusp.

Who is usually asked to wait? People whose filling is stained but sealed. People whose margin shows slight ditching, meaning a small groove at the edge, without softness or decay when probed. People who dislike the look of an amalgam in a tooth that is otherwise healthy; that is a legitimate conversation, but it is a cosmetic choice with a structural cost, and a good clinician will lay that out plainly. People with a chipped edge that can be repaired rather than removed.

The reason for this caution is sometimes called the restorative cycle. Every time a filling is removed, some healthy tooth goes with it, the cavity grows, the new filling is larger and carries more load, and the odds of the next failure rise. A tooth that starts with a small filling in early adulthood and is re-drilled every decade can arrive at a crown, then a root canal, then extraction. Watching a sound old filling, with regular checks, is how dentists slow that cycle.

The decision, of course, belongs to the person in the chair and the dentist examining them. The evidence simply says that waiting is often the more conservative answer, not the negligent one.

What dentists actually check when they look at an old filling

The examination of an aging restoration is more systematic than the quick tap it may appear to be, and knowing what is being assessed makes the words monitor or replace easier to understand.

The margin comes first. The dentist runs a fine probe around the edge where filling meets tooth, feeling for a catch, a gap or softness. A smooth, continuous edge is reassuring; a probe that sinks into a soft spot suggests decay has started beneath. Slight ditching without softness is common in older amalgams and is not, on its own, a reason to intervene.

Radiographs come next, typically bitewing X-rays that show the crowns of upper and lower back teeth together. Decay under a filling often cannot be seen or felt from the surface, but on a radiograph it appears as a darker shadow beneath the bright restoration. Cleveland Clinic’s guidance on cavities notes that this hidden decay is one of the main reasons routine radiographs are taken at intervals the dentist sets according to individual risk.

The bite is checked with marking paper to see whether the filling has worn low, leaving neighboring teeth to take more load, or whether a cusp beside it is now carrying too much. Cracks are looked for with bright light, magnification and sometimes a dye that settles into fissures. Photographs may be taken so that a ditched margin can be compared at the next visit rather than judged from memory.

Symptoms are weighed alongside all of this. Brief cold sensitivity may point to exposed root surface rather than the filling; a sharp pain on biting and release is more suggestive of a crack. The point is that the dentist is assembling a picture from several sources, which is why a filling that feels fine can still be recommended for replacement, and a filling that looks worn can safely be left alone.

What happens at the appointment when replacement is discussed

Replacement is rarely the only option on the table, and a useful conversation usually starts by sorting the choices from least to most invasive.

The gentlest is refurbishment: polishing a rough or stained surface, smoothing a chipped edge, or sealing a shallow marginal defect without removing the filling. Next is repair, in which only the defective part of the restoration is cut away and new material bonded to the remainder. Long-term studies of posterior composites on PubMed describe repair as a legitimate way to extend a filling’s life, and it removes considerably less tooth than starting over.

Full replacement is chosen when decay runs beneath the filling, when the restoration is fractured through, or when the material has degraded broadly. The procedure resembles the original: local anesthetic to numb the tooth, removal of the old filling and any soft decay, cleaning and shaping of the cavity, then placement of the new material. Composite is built up in layers and set with a curing light; amalgam is packed and carved. The visit typically takes the better part of an hour for a single tooth, longer for several.

Sometimes the examination reveals that a filling is no longer the right tool. If the remaining tooth walls are thin or cracked, the dentist may recommend an onlay, a lab-made piece that covers the chewing surface and cusps, or a full crown, a cap that encases the whole tooth above the gum. If decay has reached the pulp, the living tissue at the tooth’s center, a root canal to remove that tissue may be needed before any restoration.

Each step up brings more protection and more tooth removal, and each has trade-offs the treating dentist should walk through: how much tooth remains, how the person bites, how well the site can be kept dry, and what has failed before. The choice belongs to that conversation, not to a general article.

What the following days and weeks usually look like after a replacement filling

The first sensation after a replacement is usually no sensation at all. Local anesthetic keeps the lip, cheek and tongue numb for a few hours, which is why dentists advise waiting to eat until feeling returns; biting an unfelt cheek is a common and avoidable small injury.

Once the numbness lifts, mild sensitivity to cold, sweet or pressure is common. Cleveland Clinic’s guidance describes this settling over days to a few weeks as the tooth’s pulp calms down from the vibration and heat of drilling. Deeper fillings, which sit closer to the pulp, tend to take longer. Sensitivity that eases week by week is the expected pattern; sensitivity that intensifies is not, and is covered in the section on when to call.

The material shapes the early rules. Composite is fully hard the moment the curing light switches off, so people can chew on it that day. Amalgam continues to harden for about 24 hours after placement, and Cleveland Clinic advises avoiding hard chewing on a new amalgam during that window.

A high spot is the most frequent reason for an early return visit. If the new filling sits fractionally above the neighboring teeth, the person notices it first when biting, often as a tooth that feels too tall or a dull ache that starts a day or two later. This is a quick adjustment with a fine drill, not a sign of failure, and it is worth mentioning promptly because a tooth that takes the full bite alone can become tender.

Gum soreness around the tooth for a few days is also ordinary, especially if a rubber dam clamp or a matrix band was used to shape the filling. Normal brushing and flossing can and should continue; the margin of a new filling is exactly where plaque control matters most. By two to three weeks, a well-placed filling should feel like part of the tooth, and most people forget which one was replaced.

Habits that help a filling last: what the evidence supports

Because secondary decay is the leading cause of filling failure, the habits that protect a filling are essentially the habits that prevent cavities in the first place. None of them is exotic, and the evidence behind them is strong.

Fluoride toothpaste twice a day, last thing at night and one other time, is the foundation, as the NHS tooth decay guidance sets out. Fluoride strengthens enamel at the very margin where a filling is most vulnerable and can arrest early decay before it needs drilling. Spitting rather than rinsing after brushing leaves more fluoride in contact with the teeth.

Sugar frequency matters more than sugar quantity. Every sugary sip or bite triggers roughly twenty to thirty minutes of acid production by plaque bacteria; six snacks spread through the afternoon keep the mouth acidic for hours, while the same sugar eaten at one meal does far less harm. Limiting sugar to mealtimes is one of the most protective changes a person can make for both teeth and fillings.

Cleaning between the teeth, with floss or interdental brushes, reaches the margins that a toothbrush skims past, particularly on fillings that extend between two teeth. A dry mouth, whether from medicines, mouth breathing or medical conditions, removes saliva’s natural buffering and sharply raises decay risk; anyone noticing persistent dryness should mention it to their dentist and prescribing clinician, who can consider causes and options.

Regular check-ups close the loop. The NHS notes that the interval between visits is set individually, from three months for people at high risk to as long as two years for those at low risk, so that small marginal defects are found while repair is still simple. Add the habit of not chewing ice or hard objects, and of raising suspected grinding with the dentist, and the controllable risks in the longevity research have all been addressed.

What people often get wrong about how long fillings last

Misunderstandings about fillings tend to cluster around a few themes, and each one can lead to either needless treatment or a missed problem.

The first is that a filling is permanent. It is not, and no dentist can make it so. Clinic guidance and the systematic reviews cited here all describe fillings as restorations with a service life, which is why monitoring is built into routine care rather than being a sign that something went wrong.

The second is the opposite error: that old fillings should be swapped out on schedule, like tires. An intact filling with a sealed margin and a clear radiograph does not benefit from replacement, and the tooth pays for every re-drilling with lost structure. Age is a reason to look closely, not a reason to act.

The third is that silver fillings should be removed because of mercury. The NHS explains that amalgam is considered safe for the general population; the restrictions that exist for young children and during pregnancy are precautionary. Removing a sound amalgam exposes the person to more mercury vapor in that moment than leaving it in place, and mainstream guidance does not support removal for that reason alone.

The fourth is that no pain means no problem. Decay beneath a filling is often silent until it reaches the pulp, which is precisely why dentists rely on probing and radiographs rather than symptoms.

The fifth is that white fillings are simply better or simply worse. The Cochrane review favored amalgam for durability in back teeth, but on older composites; newer materials and bonding perform well in long-term data. The right choice depends on the tooth, the person and the operator’s ability to keep the site dry.

The last is that a chipped filling means a whole new filling. Repair is often possible and is frequently the more conservative path. Asking about it is reasonable; deciding is the dentist’s job.

Risks of replacing a filling, risks of leaving one, and the alternatives in between

Every choice about an aging filling carries risk in some direction, and a neutral account has to look both ways.

Replacing a filling removes tooth. Even careful removal of an old restoration takes a margin of sound enamel and dentin, the softer tissue beneath enamel, with it. The new cavity is larger, the new filling bears more load, and the odds of fracture in the future rise slightly with each cycle. Deep drilling near the pulp can irritate it; most such irritation settles, but occasionally a tooth that was comfortable before replacement develops lingering sensitivity or, less commonly, needs a root canal afterwards. Any procedure under local anesthetic also carries the small, well-described risks of the injection itself, including temporary bruising or, rarely, altered sensation.

Leaving a failing filling carries the mirror-image risk. Decay that has slipped under a margin does not stop on its own. It advances through dentin toward the pulp, often without pain, until infection reaches the nerve. At that point the choice is no longer between repair and replacement but between root canal treatment and extraction, and the tooth may have lost too much structure to hold a filling at all. Mayo Clinic’s guidance on cavities describes this progression toward abscess, meaning a pocket of infection at the root tip, as the reason untreated decay is not a wait-and-see condition.

Between these poles sit the alternatives that a good conversation should cover. Sealing or refurbishing a minor marginal defect. Repairing only the failed portion. Placing an onlay or crown when the walls of the tooth are too thin for a filling to protect them. Or, when the filling is sound and only the appearance troubles the person, continued monitoring with photographs at each visit.

Which of these is right for a given tooth cannot be decided from a description. It depends on radiographs, on the bite, on the person’s decay history and on what has already failed, all of which the treating dentist has in front of them.

Questions to ask your care team about an aging filling

The most useful appointments are the ones where the person in the chair understands why a recommendation was made. These questions tend to draw out that reasoning without requiring any dental vocabulary.

• What exactly did you see on this filling: a gap, softness, a shadow on the X-ray, a crack, or just staining and wear?
• Is this something you would watch, repair or replace, and what tips the balance for this particular tooth?
• If we wait, what would you expect to change, and how soon would you want to look again?
• Could the defect be repaired rather than the whole filling removed, and what are the trade-offs of each approach for this tooth?
• How much of the tooth is left around the filling, and is a filling still the right kind of restoration, or is an onlay or crown being considered?
• Which material would you use if it were replaced, and why for this position in the mouth?
• Do you see signs that I grind or clench, and if so, is a night guard something you would recommend investigating?
• What in my decay history or hygiene is raising the risk to this and other fillings, and what would you change first?
• What should I expect in the days after treatment, and what would be a reason to call rather than wait?
• How often do you want to see me for check-ups and radiographs given my risk, and what does that interval depend on?

Writing the answers down helps more than it seems; the dentist’s reasoning is often clearer on paper than it felt in the chair. If a recommendation to remove several intact fillings at once is made without a specific finding on each tooth, asking for the finding is reasonable. Conservative dentistry has good evidence behind it, and a clinician working from that evidence will generally welcome the question.

When to call your doctor or dentist

Most changes in an old filling unfold slowly and are caught at routine visits. A few developments, though, warrant a call rather than waiting for the next scheduled appointment, because they can signal that decay or a crack has moved beyond the filling itself.

Contact your dentist promptly if a filling falls out or a piece of filling or tooth breaks away, even if there is no pain. The exposed dentin is soft, decays quickly and can be sharp against the tongue. Sensitivity to hot or cold that lingers for more than a few seconds after the trigger is removed, or that appears in a tooth that was previously comfortable, should also be assessed, as should pain when biting down or, characteristically, on releasing the bite, which can indicate a cracked tooth.

Seek same-day or urgent dental care if pain is severe, throbbing or wakes you at night; if the gum beside the tooth swells, or a small pimple-like bump appears on it; if there is a foul taste or discharge; or if the face or jaw swells. Mayo Clinic describes these as features of infection reaching the pulp or forming an abscess.

Go to an emergency department or call emergency services if facial swelling spreads toward the eye or under the jaw and neck, if swallowing or breathing becomes difficult, or if a high fever accompanies dental pain. These are uncommon but serious complications of dental infection that need medical treatment without delay.

After a recent replacement filling, call if sensitivity is getting worse rather than better after the first week or two, if the tooth feels too tall or is the first thing you hit when closing, or if numbness in the lip or tongue persists well beyond the day of treatment. None of these should be managed by guesswork; the treating team can examine the tooth, take a radiograph if needed, and decide what, if anything, needs to be done.

Frequently asked questions

How long do dental fillings last on average?

Composite fillings are commonly quoted at about 5–10 years and amalgam at about 10–15, according to Cleveland Clinic guidance, but the spread around those averages is wide. Small fillings in people with low decay risk and no grinding habit often last far longer; large multi-surface fillings in heavy grinders may fail sooner. Regular check-ups matter more than the calendar.

What are the signs a filling needs replacing?

Only a dentist can confirm that a filling needs replacing, usually from probing the margin and reviewing radiographs, because decay beneath a filling is often painless. Things that should prompt an appointment include a filling that has fallen out or chipped, a rough edge you can feel with your tongue, new or lingering sensitivity, and pain on biting or releasing.

Do fillings need to be replaced just because they are old?

No. Age alone is not a reason to replace a filling. If the margin is sealed, radiographs show no decay beneath it and the tooth is comfortable, most dentists will monitor rather than intervene, because every replacement removes healthy tooth and enlarges the restoration. Replacement is recommended for specific findings such as decay, fracture or a broken seal.

How long do white fillings last compared with silver ones?

A 2014 Cochrane review found amalgam fillings in back teeth failed less often than composite in the trials available, but those trials involved older composite materials. More recent long-term data on PubMed show most posterior composites surviving beyond ten years. Position, size, moisture control during placement and the person’s habits often matter more than the choice of material.

How long do amalgam fillings last, and should I have them removed?

Amalgam fillings typically last about 10–15 years on average per Cleveland Clinic, and many last much longer. The NHS describes amalgam as safe for the general population, and removing an intact amalgam releases more mercury vapor in that moment than leaving it. Replacement is usually discussed only when there is decay, fracture or a leaking margin, not because of the material itself.

Can grinding my teeth really make a filling fail sooner?

Yes. In the largest meta-analysis of posterior composite fillings, bruxism roughly doubled the risk of failure, mainly through fracture of the filling or the tooth around it. Many people grind at night without knowing. If your dentist notices worn surfaces or chipped restorations, they may raise the possibility of a custom night guard as one option to discuss.

Can a chipped filling be repaired instead of replaced?

Often, yes. If only a corner or edge has failed and the rest of the filling is sealed and sound, the dentist may cut away the defective part and bond new material to it. Repair removes far less tooth than full replacement. Whether it is appropriate depends on the location of the chip and what the margin and radiograph show.

How long does sensitivity last after a filling is replaced?

Mild sensitivity to cold, sweet or pressure is common and usually settles over days to a few weeks as the pulp calms, according to Cleveland Clinic guidance; deeper fillings can take longer. Sensitivity that eases week by week is expected. Sensitivity that worsens, lingers long after the trigger, or comes with pain on biting should be checked by the dentist.

Why do dentists take X-rays of teeth that already have fillings?

Because decay beneath or beside a filling frequently cannot be seen or felt from the surface and often causes no pain until it reaches the pulp. Bitewing radiographs show this hidden decay as a shadow under the restoration. The interval between radiographs is set individually, based on a person’s decay history and current risk, by the treating dentist.

What habits help a filling last longer?

The habits that prevent cavities also protect fillings: brushing twice daily with fluoride toothpaste and spitting rather than rinsing, cleaning between teeth, limiting sugary foods and drinks to mealtimes, attending check-ups at the interval your dentist sets, and not chewing ice or hard objects. Mentioning dry mouth or suspected grinding to your dentist addresses two further risks identified in the research.

References

• Cleveland Clinic: Dental Fillings
• NHS: Tooth decay
• PubMed: Longevity of posterior composite restorations: a systematic review and meta-analysis (Opdam et al., Journal of Dental Research)
• PubMed: Direct composite resin fillings versus amalgam fillings for permanent posterior teeth (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews)

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a qualified doctor about your individual situation.