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Dentistry/Can a filling change tooth alignment?

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Expert: Steven C. Scherr, D.D.S. - 10/15/2007


Question
This almost seems silly, given how solidly teeth are rooted in the jaw. But after the anesthesia wore off for a minor filling, I still didn't feel quite right, and finally figured out that the upper right cuspid (? in layman's terms, the last skinny one at upper front right before the fat ones) stuck out  just a bit beyond the others in front. I honestly can't remember if it was this tooth or the one next to it that got filled. Either way, can a filling change alignment at all?

Answer
Jim,

Unless the tooth was loose before the filling was placed, tooth alignment does not change after a filling is placed.  It is possible for the filling to alter the shape of the tooth.  Depending on the size and location of the filling, it is possible for a shape change to be interpreted as if the tooth position had changed.

Best wishes,

Steve

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Steven C. Scherr, D.D.S.

Expertise

Comprehensive Dentistry, TMJ Dysfunction Therapy, and Cosmetic Dentistry. Nineteen years of experience including hospital residency (Sinai Hospital of Baltimore), and training at the Pankey Institute for Advanced Dental Education. Currently in private rehabilitative practice.

Experience

I was the Summa Cum Laude graduate of the University of Maryland Dental School in 1981. I served as a General Practice Resident at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore in 1981-82, and have been in private dental practice since that time. My practice is now located in Owings Mills, MD, a suburb of Baltimore. My studies at The L.D. Pankey Institute for Advanced Dental Education in Florida has enriched my practice and my patients. It was there that I learned the true meaning of excellence.

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