Trust me, no normal person would love to have holes on his or her teeth. Dental holes are consequences of poor oral hygiene. When you don’t take good care of your teeth and gums, you will end up creating problems that you should have prevented.
Not brushing or flossing daily is can lead to plaque buildups, resulting to different dental problems. Also, eating much of teeth – unhealthy foods and drinks is not good for you teeth either. Tooth decay, tooth sensitivity, gums bleeding and oral infections are common signs of bad oral health.
I don’t want to waste much of your time here. Within a few seconds from now, we’ll look at different types of teeth fillings and their costs. This can help you in making a good decision if you have dental insurance plans and are planning on getting some dental procedures like dental checkups.
What are teeth fillings?
By now, you must have known what dental fillings for tooth decay and cavities are, right? For the purpose of educating all about oral health, dentists will explain some few things about teeth fillings.
Teeth filling, also known as dental fillings, is a restorative treatment used to repair the lost part of the teeth caused by decay. Decay leads to damages on the surfaces of the tooth, resulting in tooth cavities or holes. Due to these damages, biting or chewing can be very painful. The cost of dental fillings, including metal amalgam fillings, is an important aspect of dental care.
In dentistry it’s possible to cover up the holes and damages on your tooth with fillings. Depending on your choice, there are numerous dental filling materials available, including composite, porcelain and amalgam. However, in some severe case of tooth damage, the affected tooth may require additional or alternative procedures. Dental implants, root canal and dental crowns are some of the available alternatives to tooth fillings.
Treatment and cost planning
Several materials can be used for dental fillings, but cheap ones tend to wear down faster, leading to more cavities. Some fillings, like composite fillings, are more durable and expensive than traditional amalgam fillings, making them a preferred choice by dentists for cavity treatment.
If this is your first time getting a cavity filling, it’s always advisable to know what to expect before you visit the dentist’s office. You’ll need to check your dental savings plan and make a clear decision on the type of tooth fillings that you want for optimal dental hygiene.
Although, the length of time that a filling will lasts doesn’t only depend mainly on the material used for the filling. How well you take care of your fillings after getting them matters a lot.
How much teeth filling cost
Teeth filling costs lots of money, but just how much? Before I answer that question I would like to make some things clear to you. The cost of dental fillings varies depending on the country or location where you are getting the fillings. The price for fillings in large costal cities are very high. However, rural areas and the Midwest tend to enjoy lower prices for dental fillings. According to yourdentistryguide, there are lots of factors that can affect fillings cost, this factors include :
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Dental insurance: if you don’t have dental insurance, the cost of dentist tooth fillings, also known as cavity fillings, will be the full charge. The type of dental insurance you have can help determine the tooth filling cost.
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The number of your teeth surfaces that would be filled with cavity fillings, including both permanent tooth filling and temporary tooth filling, will determine the dental fillings cost.
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The location where it is performed.
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Type of filling material: Most dental insurance plans does not cover the cost of all the cavity fillings at the dentist for a tooth.
In addition, if you have a toothache and need a cavity filling without insurance, it can cost you hundreds to thousands of dollars. Just like I mentioned before, without insurance, dentists will charge you the full amount. However, with a dental insurance plan, you can avoid paying more than 50% of the filling cost.
I have done some research on the cost of dental fillings at different dentist locations. I will give you a list of estimated prices for cavity treatment, that can help you plan for tooth fillings and have an idea of the fair and reasonable charges nationwide.
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Amalgam (silver), back tooth: $132
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Resin composite (white), front tooth: $155
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Resin composite (white), back tooth: $170
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Gold $1156 for a single filling
Remember, depending on where the dental filling is performed the prices may vary. The average cost of amalgam fillings ranges $110 to $200 per filling, whereas the cost for resin-based composite ranges from $135 to $240 per filling.
Final Thoughts
There are a number of pros and cons associated with each tooth material used in dental fillings. On average, amalgam fillings by a dentist last for many years more than composite fillings, reducing the risk of cavity and cost.
Amalgam is a durable dental material that can last for at least 10 to 15 years, making it an excellent choice for tooth fillings. It has the strength to withstand the forces of chewing and pressure. Additionally, one of the advantages of amalgam is its lower cost compared to composite fillings.
However, the cost of gold fillings is usually many times higher than the cost of amalgam filings. Gold fillings can last up to 5 – 7 years without corrosion. (1) Unlike amalgam fillings, gold filling is more pleasing to the eye.
Composite fillings are also more pleasing to eye than amalgam fillings. It can be customized to be closely matched to the color of existing your teeth. The only problem here is that it wears out sooner than amalgam. Composite fillings last for at least least 5 years, making it the least durable filling material. This is because they don’t withstand constant pressure of chewing quite very well.
Richard Smith is a Registered Nutritionist and also a Health Speaker. Richard Smith graduated from The City University of New York. You can learn more about him by Visiting His LinkedIn Page or Follow him on Twitter.
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