You probably don’t think much about your fillings and crowns on a daily basis. They sit quietly in the back of your mouth, doing their job every time you chew, bite, or clench your jaw. But dental restorations aren’t permanent. They wear down, crack, stain, and eventually fail, and when they do, the tooth underneath is vulnerable to decay, infection, and pain that could have been avoided.
The problem is that failing restorations don’t always hurt right away. Sometimes the first sign is a sensitivity you’ve been brushing off for months. Sometimes it’s a dark line you notice in a photo. And sometimes, the worst case is a broken tooth that could have been saved if caught earlier.
At Aesthetic Dental Associates in downtown Seattle, Dr. Robert E. Johnson has been helping patients protect their restorations and their teeth for over two decades. Here are the five signs he looks for, and what to do if you notice them. Call (206) 682-3888 to schedule an exam.
How Long Do Dental Fillings and Crowns Actually Last?
Before diving into the signs, it helps to understand realistic lifespans. Not all restorations are created equal, and how long yours lasts depends heavily on the material, the size of the restoration, your bite habits, and how consistently you come in for checkups.
Here’s what research and clinical experience show:
- Amalgam (silver) fillings: 10 to 15 years on average, though many last 20+ years with good care
- Composite (tooth-colored) fillings: 5 to 10 years, shorter in high-stress areas like back molars
- Ceramic fillings: 7 to 12 years, depending on placement and thickness
- Porcelain crowns: 10 to 20 years, with many lasting well beyond that
- Porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns: 10 to 15 years before the metal margin often becomes visible
- All-metal crowns: 20 to 30 years, though rarely placed today due to aesthetics
If your fillings are 10 years old or your crowns are approaching 15, they deserve a closer look, even if you feel no symptoms. Our dental exams include a thorough review of all existing restorations, so you always know where you stand.
Sign 1: Pain or Sensitivity That Keeps Coming Back
Occasional sensitivity to hot or cold isn’t always a red flag. But when sensitivity lingers after eating, comes back every few days, or has gradually gotten worse over several months, that’s your tooth telling you something has changed.
A filling or crown that’s failing can allow bacteria and temperature changes to reach the dentin underneath, triggering exactly this kind of persistent sensitivity. The bond between the restoration and the tooth may have weakened. There may be a micro-crack you can’t see. Or decay may have started forming under the restoration, which is more common than most people expect.
Pain that’s sharp and immediate when biting down, especially on one specific tooth, often points to a cracked restoration or a crack in the tooth itself. This is one situation where waiting genuinely makes things worse. A cracked tooth that’s caught early may only need a new crown. A cracked tooth that progresses can split below the gumline and require extraction.
If you’ve been managing sensitivity with temperature avoidance or over-the-counter pain relievers, that’s a sign it’s time to come in. Learn more about when tooth pain signals something more serious on our signs of a dental emergency page.
Sign 2: You Can See or Feel Something Wrong
This one sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised how long patients wait after noticing visible damage before calling. Maybe it’s a small chip off the edge of a crown. A rough surface on a filling that catches your tongue. A piece of filling material that came off and you swallowed. Or a crown that cracked right down the center when you bit into something hard.
Any visible damage to a restoration is worth a call. Even if the tooth doesn’t hurt yet, structural damage exposes the tooth underneath to bacteria and bite forces it can’t handle on its own. Composite and ceramic fillings can chip without much force. Crowns can crack or fracture, particularly in patients who grind their teeth at night.
If you’re feeling a rough or sharp edge with your tongue where your filling or crown used to feel smooth, don’t wait for a scheduled cleaning. Call Dr. Johnson’s office and describe what you’re experiencing. A quick exam and digital X-ray are usually all it takes to determine whether you need a simple repair or a full replacement.
Our digital X-rays give our Seattle dentists a detailed view of both the restoration and the tooth structure beneath it, something you can’t get from a visual exam alone.
Sign 3: Dark Edges or Discoloration Around Your Restoration
Take a close look at your older fillings and the gumline around your crowns. Do you see a dark line, a gray shadow, or a brownish stain that wasn’t there before? This is one of the most overlooked warning signs, and one of the most meaningful.
Dark margins around a crown or filling typically mean one of two things: either the seal between the restoration and tooth has broken down and is allowing bacteria to work their way underneath, or there’s active secondary decay forming at the border. Both scenarios require attention.
With amalgam (silver) fillings, some discoloration of the surrounding tooth is normal over time. But a new or expanding dark area, especially at the edge of an older composite or ceramic filling, warrants a closer look. Likewise, a gray or dark line at the gumline of a crown, particularly a porcelain-fused-to-metal crown, often means the metal margin is showing, which can be both an aesthetic and a functional concern.
Dr. Johnson examines existing restorations at every check-up, looking specifically for these early warning signs. If you haven’t had a comprehensive exam in over a year, or if you’re noticing new discoloration around an old restoration, now is the right time to come in.
Sign 4: Your Filling or Crown Feels Loose or Wobbly
A restoration should feel like part of your tooth; you shouldn’t be able to move it, feel it shift, or notice it rocking when you bite. If you can, the bond has failed.
Loose fillings are more common than loose crowns, and they can sometimes be partially dislodged without falling out completely, leaving a gap that traps food and bacteria. A loose crown may still feel attached on one side while lifting slightly on the other, a situation that creates the perfect environment for decay to develop underneath, hidden from view.
In some cases, a loose crown can be recemented without full replacement, particularly if the underlying tooth structure is still intact. But this depends on how long the crown has been loose and whether any decay has formed in the gap. The sooner you call, the better your options.
If a crown comes out completely, keep it, don’t eat on that side, and call Dr. Johnson’s office as soon as possible. A lost crown is a dental urgency even when there’s no pain, because the exposed tooth structure is fragile and vulnerable. Our emergency dental care team is available to help when this happens.
Sign 5: Your Dentist Finds Decay Underneath at Your Checkup
This is the sign you’ll never catch yourself, because it’s invisible. Secondary decay (also called recurrent decay) develops at the margins of existing restorations, often without causing any symptoms in the early stages. By the time it hurts, it may have already reached the pulp of the tooth, turning what would have been a simple filling replacement into a root canal.
This is one of the most important reasons consistent dental checkups and X-rays matter. During a routine exam, we use digital X-rays to look for exactly this kind of hidden decay around and beneath existing restorations. Caught early, secondary decay under a filling can often be addressed by replacing the filling with a new composite filling. Caught late, it may require a crown, or if the pulp is involved, a root canal, before a new crown can be placed.
Patients who skip their six-month checkups are far more likely to face this scenario. X-rays taken at regular intervals create a record over time, allowing Dr. Johnson to spot changes between visits that wouldn’t be visible otherwise. If it’s been more than a year since your last set of X-rays, schedule an exam now.
What Happens When You Wait? The Real Cost of Ignoring These Signs
Here’s the honest answer: waiting almost always makes dental problems more expensive, more involved, and more uncomfortable to treat.
A filling that needs replacement costs a fraction of a crown. A crown caught before decay reaches the pulp doesn’t need a root canal first. A cracked tooth treated early may only need a crown. A cracked tooth that splits below the gumline often needs extraction and an implant — a process that takes months and costs thousands of dollars.
For patients across Seattle, from Queen Anne to Capitol Hill to Green Lake and West Seattle, Dr. Johnson’s approach has always been to catch problems at the smallest possible stage. That’s not just better for your wallet. It’s better for your long-term oral health because every tooth you save is a tooth you don’t have to replace.
If you’re living with any of the five signs above, or if your restorations are more than 10 years old and you haven’t had them evaluated recently, call our downtown Seattle office at (206) 682-3888. Our team will take a thorough look at your existing dental work and give you an honest assessment, no pressure, just information.
Frequently Asked Questions About Replacing Fillings and Crowns
How do I know if my filling needs to be replaced?
The most reliable way is a dental exam with X-rays. But at home, watch for sensitivity that lingers after eating, visible chips or cracks, dark discoloration around the filling, or a rough edge you can feel with your tongue. Any of these is worth a call to our dentist’s office. Fillings older than 10 years should be evaluated at least once a year, even without symptoms, since wear and microleakage can develop without pain.
Can a dental crown fail after just a few years?
Yes, though it’s less common with well-placed, high-quality crowns. Premature crown failure is usually linked to bite problems that put excess force on the crown, teeth grinding (bruxism), secondary decay forming at the margin, or a cement bond that wasn’t fully cured. If your crown was placed less than 5 years ago and you’re experiencing sensitivity or movement, come in for an evaluation. It may be repairable without full replacement.
What happens if I ignore a loose filling?
A loose filling leaves a gap between the restoration and the tooth. Bacteria and food debris settle into that gap, and decay begins forming in an area your toothbrush can’t reach. By the time you feel pain, the decay may have reached the nerve, requiring a root canal before a new restoration can be placed. What started as a $200 filling replacement can become a $2,000+ treatment. Call us as soon as you notice any movement or if a piece of filling material has chipped off.
Visit Aesthetic Dental Associates
Call our downtown Seattle office at (206) 682-3888 or submit a request through our online contact form. We’re located at 509 Olive Way and welcome new patients from across the city, including Queen Anne, Capitol Hill, Green Lake, Belltown, and West Seattle. Whether you’re coming in for a routine exam or have a specific concern about an existing restoration, Dr. Johnson will take the time to give you a thorough, honest evaluation.