4 potential dangers of DIY tooth fillings you might not know

The DIY (Do-it-yourself) tooth repair kit available in online stores and medical stores gathered the attention of people in recent times. As DIY dentistry allows people to address their teeth problems at home, it eliminates the need for dental visits. It seems fairly easy and affordable. Right?

However, the teeth repair kit does not even come into the equation of clinical solutions provided by dental professionals. Moreover, DIY dental repair activities will exacerbate the issue, and lead to various long-term problems. We frequently handle such cases. Higher on this list are those that seek to perform their own filling.

In this blog article, Dr. Suresh discussed the dangers of performing dental fillings on your own. Keep reading.

Why do dentists advise against doing tooth fillings yourself?

When a tooth’s enamel is damaged due to cavities or compromised by forming pits or holes, it will be exceptionally annoying. The affected tooth would become sensitive, foods start to trap inside the tooth, and sharp edges of the tooth would rub the soft tissues constantly and injure them.

Such minor holes in a tooth can be treated with dental fillings. It helps in renovating the tooth’s structure and prevents the progression of cavities underneath. It provides q quick fix to the problems brought on by the infected tooth, such as sensitivity to temperature changes and excruciating pain while eating.

Despite being a fast and go-to solution, it does not mean you should try it yourself. Here are the most frequent complications associated with do-it-yourself dental fillings:

1) It may affect your bite

Once the teeth filling procedure is done, dentists check whether the fillings stay in place properly. To ensure this, the patient is asked to bite down a blue paper with the filled tooth. It helps to detect if there are any minor dips, and whether the fillings affect the tooth’s occlusion can also be detected in this stage.

If yes, dentists start to shape and polish the filled tooth to ensure unevenness. You cannot expect it from home tooth fillings. You have to visit your dental doctor or leave such irregularity in the filled tooth.

Remember that unevenness in a tooth’s chewing surface will affect how the teeth sit when you close your mouth. Over time, it will lead to cracks in the tooth and cause jaw pain.

2) DIY fillings do not provide a solution to cavity

As discussed earlier, dental fillings are also used in treating decayed teeth. In such cases, dentists numb the infected tooth and extract the decayed portions of the tooth using tools like elevators, forceps to loosen the tooth’s attachment to gums and remove the decayed portion alone with no hassles.

Needless to say, you cannot get those clinical accessories in a tooth-filling kit.

If you ignore the cavity inside the tooth and do fillings, the tooth will continue to rot away. It causes severe infections inside the tooth, provoking intense pain frequently.

3) DIY fillings are not durable

The DIY dental fillings do not bond effectively as the filling materials provided in a dental clinic. It means the biting and chewing force cannot be revived via own tooth fillings. On the other hand, the progression of tooth decay underneath the fillings also takes place.

Ineffective bonding, cavities, and biting force all contributed to the fillings fall down quickly.

4) DIY fillings contrast with the natural tooth color

The filling materials in the teeth repair kit are zinc oxide. Even though zinc oxide fillings are durable and can fix very deep decay, they do not provide you with any aesthetic benefits. As the ZOE (Zinc Oxide Eugenol) fillings are whitish, they cannot match the actual color of your teeth. The difference is obvious after filling. 

Nowadays, you can get tooth-colored fillings from a dentist. Unlike, DIY fillings, they are strong and provide you the aesthetic benefits as well.

Bottom line

Even though the filling materials you purchased have an impeccable quality, they cannot repair your teeth properly without a dentist’s support. DIY fillings are suitable only for temporary solutions. Prefer such home tooth filling kit at times when you need an instant solution and cannot visit your dentist immediately.

Keep in mind that dentistry entails a variety of skills, and only those who possess them can offer a hassle-free dental solution.