Is a cervical filling painful?
Cervical filling is a relatively painless way of treating defects in the area of the neck of the tooth. Compared to root canal treatment, which can be very painful despite anaesthesia, cervical filling is not expected to cause pain due to the anaesthesia of the tooth using a local anaesthetic. Often no local anesthesia is necessary if the “hole” is very small and does not require much drilling. Since the neck of the tooth is very sensitive to pain due to its close spatial relationship to the main nerve of the tooth (pulp), even after the insertion of a cervical filling, a slight, painful irritation of the tooth can occur when eating cold and hot food and drinking cold and hot drinks. However, in comparison to an untreated, exposed defective neck of the tooth, these are considered minimal.
Costs of a neck filling
The cost of a cervical filling varies according to the amount of work involved (number of teeth to be treated), the size of the tooth defect, the patient’s insurance status and the type of dental filling material used. The use of composites as a filling material for cervical fillings guarantees not only a longer durability but also a better aesthetic result of the cervical filling, as the composite is available in tooth colors. However, this type of restoration is classified by the statutory health insurance companies as an aesthetic service and must therefore be paid for by the patient or at least partially paid for by the patient (patient’s own contribution).The patient’s own contribution to a composite filling depends on the effort required, the extent of the defect and the filling material used.
Thus, the cost of a neck filling varies from practice to practice. It is best to ask the dentist you trust about the cost of a neck filling. However, there are also free alternatives to composite fillings for the legally insured patient: a cement filling is chalky white or grey and has to be renewed after 12-18 months, while amalgam looks grey-metallic and usually lasts as long as a plastic filling. The advantages and disadvantages of the various filling materials should be clarified with the dentist. Privately insured patients will be reimbursed for the cost of cervical fillings if they are included in the benefits catalog of the respective tariff.