Do old fillings discolor teeth?!
Question:
Do old fillings discolor teeth?
I have many fillings still in place from my childhood ... 20+ years that seem to be ok but the teeth are discolored. Is that related to the fillings or more decay?
I have NO pain and am scheduled for my regular check up in a few weeks but I am SUCH a chicken when it comes to dentists.
Answers:
Only your dentist can tell you if the discoloration is due to the filling breaking down or decay.
When old metal fillings start to discolor the tooth it can be due to the old filling breaking down. Fillings do not last forever and depending on your dentist, they may suggest redoing some of the fillings. The reasoning behind redoing them is that when a filling starts to breakdown it runs the risk of fracturing both the filling and the tooth making it possible that you would need a crown or if a lot of the tooth breaks off the only option might be to take the tooth out.
Not all dentists like to replace old fillings. I work for two different dentists and one likes to redo fillings all of the time and one dentist never replaces old fillings .