How long do you think this big filling will last?

[E93]

So. About 8 years ago I had to have a bunch of fillings in my mouth cause I used to disregard my oral health a lot. They were all composite. Most of them were small ones. But three of them were very big (one on my molar and two on premolars). They required drilling near the pulp, and I remember the dentist saying that they could not clean all of the decay or something like that, but they placed antibiotic and a liner on it to hopefully avoid me having to get a root canal. But if i ever had symptoms on those teeth i will need one.

8 years have passed and my filling have yet to have any issues. But the one on my lower pre-molar has had visible edges where it should be sealed witht the tooth, for at least a year.



Now, the dentist tested it last year and said it was "ok" (altough i'm not a big fan of my current dentist, as it feels they kinda rush through the checkup. But it's the only nhs dentist available for me so yeah).

But knowing that that's the state of the tooth, it's already been 8 years, and this was the x ray test showing how big it is (back when i had it done. This is an old x-ray)


1. How long do you think the filling will last still? It already went past the 7-years average life of a composite filling. And especially because it's so big i kinda expect it to fail soon?

2. What would be the next steps after the filling fails? Seems too big to be replaced? So root canal and crown?


I am very scared of my three big fillings ever failing, because I've never had a root canal and crown, and they're incredibly expensive treatments, and they're lengthy and scary (the idea of having to keep the tooth in a "half-finished" state in between root canal and crown visits is terrifying to me). So I'm not sure how long do i have before i need one.

I am scared of having a metal crown on them, cause they're premolar and they might be visible (and the nhs does only metal crown for non-front teeth, as far as my nhs doctor told me). And i'm scared of them ever needing to be extracted cause maybe i can't afford treatment. aside from the dreadful aesthetics, i hear that getting teeth extracted makes other teeth decay quicker? Cause they have more "load" on them?

 

[E93]

 

[Gordon]

1. How long do you think the filling will last still? It already went past the 7-years average life of a composite filling. And especially because it's so big i kinda expect it to fail soon?

You can't apply a population statistic to an individual I have composite fillings that are over 50 years old and still going strong. It depends a whole lot on external factors, your diet, your plaque control, any habits like crunching ice cubes, stripping wire insulation (!) etc etc.

2. What would be the next steps after the filling fails? Seems too big to be replaced? So root canal and crown?

Maybe, depends on why it fails really.

I am scared of having a metal crown on them, cause they're premolar and they might be visible (and the nhs does only metal crown for non-front teeth, as far as my nhs doctor told me)

No, NHS covers white crowns on premolars.

i hear that getting teeth extracted makes other teeth decay quicker? Cause they have more "load" on them?

Nope. Doesn't work like that.

 

[E93]

You can't apply a population statistic to an individual I have composite fillings that are over 50 years old and still going strong. It depends a whole lot on external factors, your diet, your plaque control, any habits like crunching ice cubes, stripping wire insulation (!) etc etc.



Maybe, depends on why it fails really.

No, NHS covers white crowns on premolars.


Nope. Doesn't work like that.

Thank you for the answers.