the Price of a Dental Filling

When I was young, I had TONS of cavities and therefore lots of fillings. Now that I am older, a lot of my older fillings are falling out, crumbling, or just in need of replacement/repair. While at work one day, I suddenly felt this hard nugget in my mouth. When I took it out, I realized it was part of an old silver filling from one of my bottom molars. I immediately went to my dentist. Once there, she numbed me, drilled out the remaining silver filling, filed to a smooth surface, and refilled the hole with white filling material. I only had to pay my co-pay because it was an emergency.

I love my dentist. She is always available when I need her or will fit me in if its an emergency. She has fair prices and takes my insurance. She explained to me exactly what had happened (crack in the old silver filling finally went all the way through causing it to fall out) and how she was going to fix it (take out the old and put in the new). She is as gentle as she can be. The only complaint I really have is that she puts your seat so far back you feel like you are standing on your head and the numbing medication makes me feel light-headed.

If you ever see that an old filling is cracked or notice it is loose, do not hesitate to go to your dentist. Do not wait until it literally falls out if you can help it.