How do you know if you really need a filling?

When You Need a Filling…

• Pain in the tooth, including tooth aches, throbbing pains and sharp pains.
• Pain or sensitivity in the tooth when you touch it or put pressure on it (e.g. when eating, brushing)
• A visible hole in the tooth or mark that might indicate a hole exists.

Do I need a filling if I have no pain?

While pain is the most common sign that you may need dental fillings, sometimes you may need one even if you're not having any symptoms. Patients who want to ensure long-term dental health should seek out expertly trained professionals like Dr. Skoulas.

What will happen if I don’t get a filling?

If you ignore a cavity, it will continue to grow in size. One bad cavity could lead to a second cavity before long. Decay of the tooth will widen and deepen; this will make you more prone to brittle teeth leaving them to the possibility of cracking and breaking.

Is my dentist lying about cavities?

The answer is not always. Unfortunately, a cavity can be deceptive. It can hide and be obscured by old fillings, location, or just not be obvious by eye or X-ray. Many times I see a small cavity in a tooth that I think will be small and find after drilling that it is much, much bigger than originally thought.

Do tiny cavities need to be filled?

The good news is that if your cavity is small enough, you probably don't need to have it filled. Since tooth decay is a slowly-progressing problem, catching cavities in their early stages can save you from needing a filling.

Can I wait 6 months to fill a cavity?

So if you have a cavity that needs a filling, don't delay treatment. The decay can continue to develop and cause additional damage to a tooth. You can end up needing something much more extensive, not to mention expensive, such as a root canal if you wait too long to have the decay addressed.

How can you tell if a dentist is bad?

10 Warning Signs of a Bad Dentist

• They Perform a Non-Comprehensive Dental Exam. …
• They Don't Gather Your Dental History/Records. …
• They Recommend a Cone-Beam X-Ray Instead of a Digital X-Ray. …
• They Give You a “Creative Diagnosis” …
• They Try to Upsell Products. …
• They Charge You for “Phantom Treatments”