Quality dental treatment can restore a damaged or decayed tooth to its original shape and functionality.
Dental fillings are used to treat cavities. A cavity is caused by the destruction of the enamel layer of your tooth (involves the dentin) or all of it (if it consists of the pulp).
A dental filling is typically made out of acrylic resin called composite material. Amalgam, an alloy containing mercury and other metals, is another material used to fill teeth.
Your doctor will likely recommend several different types of dental treatments over extracting the damaged tooth if there's enough health left in your natural teeth.
One factor which determines the cost to get help for tooth decay treatment is the location of the cracked teeth and the material used by the dentist.
Several factors such as an amalgam filling compared to composite determine how much you will spend and if it's just a small cavity or a significant cavity/extensive decay, etc.
A simple tooth filling can cost up to $300, and a more complex filling ranges between $450 to $500.Although the old amalgam filling may look good for years, they shrink and pit over time, allowing decay to progress deep into the tooth underneath it, affecting the tooth colour. Though composite fillings have been used since the 1970's they have radically improved in colour matching, resistance to wear/shrinkage, longevity and aesthetics since then.
The dentist will first numb the tooth area by applying a local aesthetically pleasing drug. The tooth surfaces are then cleaned and shaped so that the filling material can be laid firmly on all sides.
To get a tooth filling in Australia, you might need to have your natural tooth prepped beforehand. This entails removing part of the existing teeth enamel from where the restoration will go.
A large molar/cavity may need more extensive prepping, requiring either an additional visit for dental check-ups, or you might have to stay for up-to-two hours at your dental lab as they reshape/remove more enamel with special tools and take x-rays afterwards until they are satisfied with how much they have removed.
After the dentist applies the filling material to your single tooth, they will need other materials to shape it to match the contours of your tooth, remove the excess filling and polish it until your tooth coloured filling is as smooth as before. They may apply a fluoride treatment in tiny amounts or tell you to use an over-the-counter fluoride rinse at home afterwards to help strengthen your enamel at a similar cost.
Amalgam dental procedures take about 10 minutes for a dentist to prepare a tooth, place the amalgam and polish them off. In contrast, composite resin takes 5 to 10 minutes depending on how large/small the cavity is and any special considerations such as having to take x-rays of the mouth or preparing teeth beforehand by removing part of enamel etc.A simple filling takes less than 30 minutes to complete. How much does it cost? The cost of amalgam and composite resin varies depending on the size of the filling and where it's placed. The average dental services range for a single non-cosmetic filling is $60 to $200 per tooth if you have not had any other work done, such as root canals or crowns. Composite and glass ionomer costs between $120 -$300 but increases significantly if special preparations are required (e.g., gold filling) before the restoration of enamel around where your fill will go. Porcelain costs multiple hundreds of dollars and highly depends on which tooth requires it and how extensive the damage is. It would be best to always talk to your dentist about what work needs to be done, how long it takes, how much it costs and what is involved. Although dental insurance plans cover around 70% of the bill, specific procedures are not covered by the health care card or have a high deductible per year, like gold fillings.
The lifespan of a filling depends on many factors such as where it's placed, how durable the type of filling material used and how well the patients dental care is afterwards. Amalgam fillings have been shown to last around 10 years, while composite resin should last at least 5-7 years. Porcelain restorations will typically stay in place for decades if they are taken care of, especially when you get them placed by a skilled general dentist who cares about their craftsmanship.
The pain from a filling is due to the local anaesthetic wearing off or a mild incision in your gum possibly opening up. This is normal and should not last more than a couple of hours or when your next dose of analgesics wears off. Suppose you have severe tooth /jaw pain that lasts more than 8-12 hours after your dental work. In that case, you might have an infection in the tooth pulp, nerve or surrounding tissue which needs medical attention urgently by way of antibiotics/surgery or emergency root canal treatment.
Medicare typically covers around 70% of the costs for amalgam and composite resin restorations. Still, the remaining 30% is your responsibility, along with any other dental work that your dentist recommends.
For more information on dental fillings, take a look at the HealthDirect website.