A Tooth That Has Lost a Dental Filling May Need a Dental Crown

Time and poor oral hygiene habits can sometimes combine to weaken the once strong bond between one of your dental fillings and the surrounding tooth enamel. This is even more likely to occur with large fillings and those on a tooth’s biting or chewing surface.

If one of your dental fillings is causing you pain or discomfort, or if it falls out, you need to have your examined by our dentist, Dr. Gary Wegmann as soon as possible. If the damage or decay affects multiple surfaces of the tooth, there might not be enough healthy tooth enamel for a replacement dental filling. In a case like this the doctor may recommend restoring the tooth with a crown.

This treatment involves the doctor carefully removing the remaining tooth enamel layer to leave behind a small post of dentin. The crown will eventually be cemented on that pillar of dentin. At that point, the doctor will prepare a detailed impression of the tooth and the related teeth in the area. Then the doctor will protect the tooth by giving it a temporary crown. It will be sent to a dental lab where your crown will be created. You’ll need to return to The Chicago Family Dental Center for a second appointment to have the permanent crown placed on your tooth.

If you live in Chicago, Illinois, and you have a tooth with a distressed or missing dental filling, you should not delay in calling 312.551.0500 to have it examined and treated by Dr. Gary Wegmann.