I have a history of worn teeth and notches on the side near my gums. When I lived in LA, my dentist did fillings and bonding on them, and it held up beautifully for almost 17 years. For the past two years, I’ve been to three different dentists who replaced the bonding and fillings, but the bonding keeps falling out. A few times, the tooth exposure caused so much sensitivity that I made emergency appointments, but that’s not practical. About five weeks ago, my current dentist replaced two of the white fillings, and one filling is loose. I’ve decided not to keep putting up with sloppy work. If I start asking for refunds, maybe the dentist will be more careful. Are five weeks too long to wait to ask for a refund? Should I ask for more bonding or just get crowns? Thank you. Wade

Wade,

Repeat dental visits and lost fillings are frustrating and time-consuming. Flexing and clenching your teeth causes the notches—abfraction lesions—on the side of teeth near the gumline.

Flexible Composite for Long-Lasting Fillings in Teeth Under Stress

Cosmetic dentists who have received advanced training in restorative materials understand that the composite used in your teeth must be flexible. Although a general or family dentist would think that the material needs to be hard and stiff to withstand the forces of clenching or grinding your teeth, hard materials dislodge, as you’ve experienced.

A comparison of composites

Microfills – Flexible composite, like microfill, will prevent lost-filling episodes. Some brands that yield success are Siluz Plus or Renamel. The materials will flex with your teeth and last several years if bonded correctly.

Hybrid or microhybrid – Newer hybrid or microhybrid composites don’t flex well, which may explain why you’re the fillings placed by your dentist in LA lasted so long.

You can share this information with your dentist, and it might be enough. If he’s unwilling to try it and preserve your teeth, you can ask for a calmly ask for a refund. As you mentioned, it’s not practical to continually schedule urgent visits for fillings that pop out.

Even if your dentist isn’t willing to refund you for the fillings you received five weeks ago, look for an advanced cosmetic dentist to do the work. Don’t seek a family dentist for convenience or lower fees. You want results that will last, and a cosmetic dentist knows how to achieve long-lasting, natural-looking results.

Dr. Ryan Perry, a Baton Rouge dentist, sponsors this post.