By the time you’re in your twenties, you probably have at least a few fillings and maybe a crown or two. And if it’s been more than five years since you got those restorations, you may be due for a replacement.
Fillings and crowns aren’t meant to last forever, and getting one replaced now and then is just part of normal dental care. Fillings need to be replaced every 5-10 years, while crowns last about 10-15 years. But as long as you’re taking good care of your teeth, they could last even longer.
How Long Does a Filling Last?
A filling won’t last a lifetime, but it should hold up for a good while. Composite fillings (the tooth-colored kind most people get) usually last 5 to 10 years. Amalgam fillings (the old-fashioned silver ones) can last a bit longer.
But either way, years of chewing and grinding slowly wear down the seal between a dental filling and your natural tooth. Once that seal breaks, decay can slip in underneath without you even noticing.
A few red flags to watch out for:
- Sensitivity to hot or cold
- A rough spot your tongue keeps finding
- A dark line forming around the edge of the filling
How Long Does a Crown Last?
Crowns usually last longer than fillings. They cover the entire tooth, so the force from chewing spreads out more evenly. Most dental crowns hold up for 10 to 15 years, and quite a few go 20 or more with good care. But problems like teeth grinding (bruxism) and gum disease often mean you’ll have to replace them sooner.
Schedule a dental exam if:
- Your crown feels loose
- There’s pain or sensitivity when you bite down
- You see discoloration around the edge of the crown
Is There Any Way to Make Dental Restorations Last Longer?
Sometimes good oral hygiene goes a long way. It could mean the difference between getting a crown replaced after 5 years or after 15 instead.
A national dental study looked at hundreds of thousands of restorations and found plenty that lasted well past ten years, especially for patients who kept up with their regular exams. Most early failures were poor oral hygiene that allowed decay to start creeping in around the edges and underneath the crown or filling.
This is where good oral hygiene makes a big difference. Brushing twice a day, flossing every day, and dropping habits like nail biting or chewing on ice will buy you extra years for your restorations. And if you have dental crowns, you might want to stay away from sticky or hard foods, to avoid cracking or loosening them.
Looking for a Dentist in Flagstaff?
If it’s been a while since your last exam, or if anything just feels off with an old filling or crown, make an appointment at Country Club Dental. We’ll take a look and let you know if any of your fillings and crowns will need to be replaced in the near future, and give your teeth a thorough cleaning to help your restorations last longer.
Contact our dental office in Flagstaff, and we’ll find a time that fits your schedule.
Photo by Garrett Jackson on Unsplash used with permission under the Creative Commons license for commercial use 7/22/26.
