If you're someone who hates going to the dentist, the latest research on fillings may make you even less inclined to go.
A study has found that having a filling may damage surrounding teeth.
After five years, researchers found that six out of 10 teeth that were next to a filling had decayed. Of those, almost 30% required a filling.
The study, published in the Journal of Dentistry, has prompted leading dentistry experts to say having a filling may do "more harm than good".
The study was led by Simen Kopperud of the Nordic Institute of Dental Materials in Oslo, Norway.
Speaking to The Express about the possible side effects of fillings, he said: "The most important message is that if restoration takes place in one place the problem of decay is not solved.
"It is highly possible that the intervention by the dentist causes a problem in adjacent teeth."
Professor Damien Walmsley, spokesman for the British Dental Association (BDA), is also concerned by the results of the study.
"This study highlights the fact that dental intervention can cause more harm than good," he said.
"More research is urgently needed to find out why dentists could be causing these problems."
According to the NHS, high sugar consumption is one of the most common causes of tooth decay and can therefore lead to people needing fillings.
Walmsley recently echoed Jamie Oliver's call for a tax on sugary food and drink to be introduced in Britain to limit the nation's need for treatments such as fillings in the first place.
"A tax on sugary drinks and food is a no brainer," he said earlier this month.
"It's a scandal that one in eight of our three-year-olds currently experiences tooth decay. It's time we tackled the problem at source."
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