How Do I Know It’s Time to Replace a Filling?

23 / 04 / 2025

How Do I Know It’s Time to Replace a Filling?

Fillings are hugely beneficial when a tooth suffers mild or moderate decay. They are clinically proven to stop decay from spreading, and they prevent the very outcome of you needing a root canal, or an extraction if decay were to remain.

But they don’t last forever. If you have a filling and you’re unsure if it’s time to replace it, you may want to look up ‘dentist Uxbridge’ to see a dentist at Denpure, who can painlessly diagnose and treat you. We’ve also put together some useful tips below on how to identify when a filling needs to be replaced. 

How Do I Know It’s Time To Replace a Filling?

The filling is cracked 

It isn’t always obvious if your filling is cracked, but one of the ways to tell is to run your tongue over it to identify anything that doesn’t feel quite right. You may come across a sharp edge, which indicates it is no longer providing the protection you need. Pips, seeds and small food particles can start lodging into the tooth which was previously filled, indicating that somehow the filling may have disintegrated and needs attention.

The filling is discoloured 

If you’ve had a white filling placed, and noticed that it has become discoloured, you may wish to have the filling replaced, from a cosmetic perspective.

Whilst discoloured composite white fillings can still provide vital support for your teeth, but you may feel a bit self-conscious that they are not the same shade as your other teeth.

Your dentist can replace the filling with a new filling that matches the shade of the neighbouring teeth, so that it doesn’t stand out when you laugh and smile.

You have new sensitivity or pain 

Sensitivity or pain affecting a single tooth that is filled indicates some level of damage. Your filling is likely to be worn as a result of grinding which may need re-doing to regain tooth tissue protection. If there is evidence of tooth grinding, (clinically known as Bruxism) this can be addressed by providing you with a mouth guard to protect your teeth from further wear. 

A filling can cause sensitivity and pain when it becomes cracked, or if gum recession has occurred due to gum disease or brushing your teeth too hard.

If tooth sensitivity is affecting all of your teeth at once, this could be a sign of enamel erosion across all of your teeth due to your diet. Our dentists can assess the underlying cause of this sensitivity and pain to help protect your teeth from further damage, sometimes simple non0invasive use of chair-side sealants and fluoride varnishes can alleviate these symptoms – simply give us a call if you wish to address the issue of sensitivity across all of your teeth as early diagnosis can not only help protect the tooth structure but also helps to avoid more extensive treatment.

You have recently suffered a facial injury 

A blow to the face is enough to damage a filling, even if you don’t experience any pain right away. Any trauma to the face should be investigated by a dentist, as the tissues inside the tooth can die very quickly after an injury (and very often, there aren’t any symptoms).

An early check-up with the dentist after dental trauma can be the difference between needing to have a replacement filling, and needing to have the tooth out completely.

Your filling has fallen out 

This is the most obvious one on our list. You are fairly likely to notice if your filling falls out, as you will feel a large gap left behind in the tooth afterwards.

Needless to say, that if your filling falls out, you will need to replace it (but we’ll say it anyway!) The reason being, is that we’ve seen a fair few patients who have waited several weeks (and even months) to come in and see us after their filling has fallen out.

Unfortunately, very often this has meant we needed to carry out root canal treatment to save the tooth, which has become infected due to the lack of protection.

The longer you leave your tooth unprotected when your filling has come out altogether, the greater the risk of infection. With your filling out, bacteria can now find a route to access the living tissues inside the tooth and causing intense pain and inflammation.

Contact a dentist in Uxbridge

If you think there might be something wrong with your filling, we encourage you to make an appointment with us to address any potential for further damage to your tooth.

Our prices here in Uxbridge are lower than the London average, and this includes for restorative dental treatment-like fillings – but, with no compromise on quality of treatment.

Book a no-obligation appointment with our reception team. Our dentist will do a thorough assessment and issue you with a treatment plan, which you do not have to proceed with. Our examination fee starts at just £38.