{"id":468,"date":"2025-01-13T22:43:32","date_gmt":"2025-01-13T22:43:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rodneyallendds.com\/blog\/?p=468"},"modified":"2025-03-06T22:45:26","modified_gmt":"2025-03-06T22:45:26","slug":"circle-of-life-dental-fillings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rodneyallendds.com\/blog\/2025\/01\/13\/circle-of-life-dental-fillings\/","title":{"rendered":"The Circle of Life \u2013 For Dental Fillings"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-medium\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rodneyallendds.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/image-300x200.png\" alt=\"Patient opening wide so dentist can check their filling\" class=\"wp-image-469\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rodneyallendds.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/image-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/www.rodneyallendds.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/image.png 352w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>When a cavity chews its way through your dental enamel, the most likely fix is a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rodneyallendds.com\/tooth-colored-fillings.html\">dental filling:<\/a> a restoration designed to fill the small hole in your tooth. Fillings are great for protecting your pearly whites from further bacterial invasions, but like almost all physical objects, they\u2019re subject to the circle of life. After a certain amount of wear and tear, you\u2019ll probably have to replace it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So how much use can you get out of your dental filling before it\u2019s time for it to retire? That largely depends on how well you take care of your teeth! Learn all about it in this post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Oral Hygiene and Dental Restorations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>One thing you\u2019ll certainly notice about your filling is that it\u2019s inorganic. This means that the bacteria that cause cavities technically can\u2019t affect them the same way they affect enamel. However, that doesn\u2019t mean you can throw the toothbrush out with the toothpaste! Good oral hygiene is important for maintaining any dental restoration. After all, if a cavity causes more decay, then your filling will likely fall out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dietary Dilemmas<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For the most part, a filling will allow you to eat your normal diet. That said, snacking on crunchy and sticky foods will put extra strain on your restoration. They\u2019re not the best textures for your natural teeth, and they can harm fillings if you\u2019re not careful. Try to limit how often you chew tricky snacks, and make sure you attend biannual dental appointments so your dentist can monitor the status of your filling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Resist Bad Oral Habits<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Tough foods aren\u2019t the only substance that can break or pull out your filling! Fingernails, ice cubes, pens, packaging, and other such objects are hard enough to cause dental damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The tricky thing about impulsive chewing is that it can be a difficult habit to break. Lean on your support systems for help if necessary, and if anxiety is a trigger, consider talking to a licensed therapist for personalized stress management tips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The average life expectancy for a dental filling is about 10 years. That said, remember that these factors can make it last longer \u2013 or cause it to expire prematurely. If you\u2019d rather get the most out of your restoration, talk to your dentist. They\u2019ll keep a careful eye on your filling and help you take good care of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">About the Author<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rodneyallendds.com\/meet-the-doctor.html\">Dr. Rodney L. Allen<\/a> earned his dental degree from the Baylor College of Dentistry in Texas and has been providing quality dental care to patients near Parker for over 20 years. His favorite part of the job is forming long-lasting connections with his patients! If you\u2019d like more information about fillings or other dental matters, don\u2019t hesitate to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rodneyallendds.com\/contact-us.html\">contact<\/a> Dr. Allen\u2019s office at 720-851-6784.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When a cavity chews its way through your dental enamel, the most likely fix is a dental filling: a restoration designed to fill the small hole in your tooth. Fillings are great for protecting your pearly whites from further bacterial invasions, but like almost all physical objects, they\u2019re subject to the circle of life. After [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-468","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The Circle of Life \u2013 For Dental Fillings | Rodney L. Allen<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Would you like to know how long you can expect your dental filling to last? It depends on how well you take care of your teeth.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rodneyallendds.com\/blog\/2025\/01\/13\/circle-of-life-dental-fillings\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Circle of Life \u2013 For Dental Fillings | Rodney L. Allen\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Would you like to know how long you can expect your dental filling to last? It depends on how well you take care of your teeth.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.rodneyallendds.com\/blog\/2025\/01\/13\/circle-of-life-dental-fillings\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Rodney L. Allen DDS Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-01-13T22:43:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-03-06T22:45:26+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.rodneyallendds.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/image-300x200.png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"rallenddsteam\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"rallenddsteam\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rodneyallendds.com\/blog\/2025\/01\/13\/circle-of-life-dental-fillings\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.rodneyallendds.com\/blog\/2025\/01\/13\/circle-of-life-dental-fillings\/\",\"name\":\"The Circle of Life \u2013 For Dental Fillings | Rodney L. 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