Crack in filling in front tooth - Options?

ranopano

Hi guys. I have a filling in a front tooth. I've been told the tooth is healthy. The problem is the filling isn't perfect and there is a tiny "gap" where it meets up with my tooth. You can't see or feel it, but it fills up with food and gunk and gets discoloured. I had a filling done again, and it happened again after about 3 weeks. I went to Smiles on O'Connell St and they said I could get a veneer for 500euro. Is this a good option? They removed a bit of it there with a drill thing. Are there any other options? Would 500 euro get me a decent veneer?

Thanks.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

A 500 euro veneer will be a budget veneer. It depends on how picky you are about how it looks. Veneers are a good option alright or a crown if the filling is very large.

ranopano

Thanks. Is this always a risk with fillings? Could I have the filling redone?

It's on a lateral incisor. My teeth are far from perfect aesthetically, and I don't really mind but this makes it look like I permanently have something caught in it my teeth. I might shop around but there's no way I could afford much more than 500.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Get the filling redone it might be grand, food shouldnt get trapped in a filling, and it should not stain for several years. Veneers are tax deductable so the final cost to you will be 20% less.

bureau2009

I have a filling in a front tooth. I didn't think it looked great and asked my dentist about having it filled again.

He wouldn't do a new filling as this would mean losing some of the natural tooth, regardless of how carefully it was done. However, he did apply some new filling material to it, worked his magic and hey presto - it's like a brand new filling. I am delighted with it and I don't think he even charged me for it!

I'm very lucky to have a wonderful dentist who gives his patients great time, attention and expertise. Also, he's never in a rush to drill away with teeth - he has a much more conservative approach. I think this is a good rule of thumb when choosing a dentist. I feel there are too many dentists out there who are too quick to provide fillings, veneers and crowns. Fine if that's clinically necessary, but I admire the dentist that makes the best of your natural teeth.

Motto: If your teeth are clean and healthy then they are beautiful!!!!!

ranopano

Thank you both for your input.

Still not sure. The first dentist redid the filling once, it was about 3 years old, and then it happened again shortly after the second filling. So I don't want to get a filling a third time. But I don't think debris should get caught in the joint.

And I'm worried about getting a veneer on a healthy tooth now. I might go back to Smiles and see if there's other options.

My regular dentist is great and conservative with fillings and veneers, but he really couldn't give a **** about what I want done. I had to almost beg him to redo the filling. I know he knows better than me but that crack was very noticeable and embarrassing. I know there's a lot of different opinions about Smiles, but they guy in there listened to me, said my tooth was healthy and he could scrape it or refill it. And when I said it was really bothering me he then suggested a veneer.

user1842

I have had a chipped front tooth since I was a kid. Its always been filled every five years or so (as fillings wear). I have had no problem with it at all.

It really looks like your dentist has done a bad job of your filling. Food should not get stuck in it. There should be no holes in it and it should in no way discolor. I would go back to your dentist and tell him/her politely to do a better job of it for free.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

The filling is defective, get it redone if you want it to look better get a veneer or a crown.