Tooth filling during pregnancy

A filling can be placed during pregnancy, but the timing should be considered.The most stable part of pregnancy is the 2nd trimester (4th to 6th month of pregnancy). The risk of organ damage to the child in the first trimester or premature birth in the last third of the pregnancy is increased, so no dental treatment should take place during this period. Drilling for a filling is always associated with stress for the mother, which also affects the unborn child.

Therefore, if at all, treatment should take place in the second trimester. It should be noted that amalgam should not be placed during pregnancy due to increased side effects. In addition, the mother-to-be should be placed on her left side and with a slightly elevated upper body so as not to hinder the blood flow to the heart. When local anesthesia is administered, preparations with high protein binding properties should be used and the vasoconstrictor addition should not exceed 1,200,000.

What does discoloration of the filling indicate?

A discoloration of fillings is realistic with plastics, as these can wear off after some time after they have been laid. This is characterized by the fact that food colorants (e.g. from tea, coffee, red wine, beetroot etc.) but also nicotine can deposit in micropores of the filling surface.

Typically, the edge discolors fastest. In general, tooth crowns can discolor when the pulp dies off. The tooth then appears grayish; this can also shimmer through small plastic fillings. Ceramic inlays or gold inlays usually do not discolor in this way.

Cost of a dental filling

Filling materials vary in price and some require a co-payment over and above the health insurance allowance. In this case, the statutory health insurance companies fully cover the high-quality resin, the composite, in the anterior region. Different regulations apply in the posterior region.

Many health insurance companies cover the costs up to the first small molar (first premolar). In the posterior region, the amalgam, cements and compomers are considered free of charge for patients covered by health insurance; however, only amalgam is suitable as a definitive filling in the posterior region in order to withstand chewing loads. Cements and compomers are too soft and therefore not recommended as a long-term solution.

However, if the patient does not want the amalgam but the composite, he or she must make a private co-payment, which is different for each dentist. Often the affected area of the filling is decisive. A multi-surface filling is more expensive than a single-surface filling.

The co-payment ranges between 30 and 150 euros, depending on the dentist’s location and the size of the filling. If the patient chooses an inlay made of ceramic or gold, which describes a laboratory-fabricated inlay filling, the costs are significantly higher. The dentist prepares the cavity and the dental technician produces an accurately fitting inlay filling in the dental laboratory, which fits into the hollow form and is adhesively fixed with special adhesives or cements.

Inlays made of gold or ceramics are private services which are associated with higher costs due to the technical effort and time involved. The patient has to reckon with own costs between 200 and 1000 Euros. The prices also vary greatly here.

A price comparison of several dentists can be worthwhile here. For gold inlays, the current gold price is decisive, which can change daily. Private additional insurances often take over the shares or the costs for an inlay completely, depending on the insurance conditions. The insured must contact his additional insurance in advance to clarify the assumption of costs.