New Expectations: What the increasing life expectancy means for your mouth

I have great news; people live longer than they once did.  I have other great news; the science of Dentistry has evolved to meet the demands your teeth will face if you would like to have them last 80-90 years instead of 50-60.  Even more great news; now there are better options to replace your missing teeth if they don't last.

In the past the past fifty year life expectancy has increased by about 10 years.  The average is now almost 80 years instead of under 70 years.  The average lifespan of a filling is around 10-20 years and each time a filling needs replacement a little bit of tooth is lost.  The longer the filling is worn out the more tooth that is lost, very rarely is this felt on the teeth.  Once you can feel a cavity or a worn out filling it means the problem has reached the nerve and typically will require a root canal or an extraction.

Fillings still doing well

When most people hear their dental work is expected to last around 10 years they usually say something like "I've had this filling, crown, bridge etc for 40 years.  Why are your telling me it only lasts 10 years?"  First, this is just what research and data from insurance companies have shown, sometimes dental work can last longer.

Large filling showing signs of wear

This gets me to the second point.  More than likely the dental work has worn out but it hasn't hurt and the tooth hasn't fallen apart.  This is what I usually see in my office.  Many times a patient will have multiple fillings that were probably worn out 10-20 years ago and now the teeth are almost beyond treating. This leaves the more expensive option of replacing the tooth or teeth.

Filling starting to crack that eventually start to break apart

Large filling with wear signs and a crack in the middle of the filling

 The longer it takes to replace a filling once it has worn out then bigger the fix that needs to happen to correct the problem.  The bigger the fix can mean more money, a higher possibility of problems after, and or a shorter time the fix is expected to last.

Filling with a very visible cavity (the dark on the left side in the picture)

Year's before it might have been considered okay for the teeth to fall apart at 60 years old.  Now if you want to keep your teeth in your mouth until you are 80-90 it not only means 2 more time (statistically) the worn out filling needs to be replaced.  It also means fillings will probably need to be changed a few times before 60 to make sure there is enough tooth structure to last the future demands that the teeth will face.

A filling that fell out and now has a poor chance of fixing

It is exciting to be living in a time where you can live a longer and better life.  There is a lot that Dentistry has improved on in both science and technology to help people have a better quality of life for the extra years they are living.  More on that in my next post.

Dr Paul Leatham DMD

#Tucsondentist
#silverfillings