If you have old metal amalgam fillings, particularly near the front of your mouth, you may be interested in replacing metal fillings with white ones. This is a safe and simple procedure and can help to restore confidence in your smile.
Yes, silver fillings can be replaced with white fillings but other options such as inlays and onlays may be more suitable when the filling is large.
Even though the cost of dental services varies from state to state and also on the tooth, you can expect to pay $115 to $300. For this amount, you can change your amalgam filling with a composite filling.
Unfortunately, there isn't tooth whitening available anywhere that will change the color of a filling – not even Zoom Whitening in the dental office. The color of a filling is permanent, and the only way to correct it is to have the old filling removed, and to replace it with a new one in a lighter shade.
In most cases no, it is not recommended that you replace your current metal fillings with newer white or tooth-colored fillings. After all, in most cases metal fillings are not dangerous or unhealthy to have in your mouth. Therefore, it is not important for your health to have them changed to white fillings.
Dental restorations like tooth-colored fillings, crowns, and veneers are all made from extremely durable material that is stain-resistant and will be unaffected by the bleaching agents in teeth whitening treatments.
White fillings are weaker than silver fillings and might not last as long. There is a higher chance of cavities reforming under the filling, called recurrent decay, with white fillings.
Amalgam fillings are durable and effective, which is why they have been used for well over 100 years. On average, you can expect a metal filling to last for about 15 years before needing to be replaced, but the length of time can vary based on several factors, such as if you grind or clench your teeth.
And depending on when you had them done, your fillings might have been made of grey metal amalgam – a combination of silver, tin, copper, and mercury. These days, dentists rarely use amalgam fillings on their patients. Instead, they use “white fillings,” which are made from composite resin.
Should Dental Amalgam Fillings Be Removed? If your filling is in good condition and your dentist or health care professional says there is no decay beneath the filling, removal of your amalgam filling is not recommended.
Although white fillings once had a reputation for being less hardwearing, technology has moved on rapidly over the last decade, and white fillings are now much stronger. The additional benefits mean white fillings are increasingly the first choice for people who need their teeth filled.
So if you decide to have your mercury fillings out, make sure you contact the right dental office. It's important to know that some dentists specialize in safe amalgam removal. They are trained to provide you with the safest treatment possible.
If you for whatever reason aren't comfortable with your fillings, they can be easily replaced with a visit to the dentist. Your dentist will replace them using composite fillings which come in a wide variety of colors for your liking.
In reality, the tissue of your tooth is still its usual white color but because light and color can gently show through your tissue layers, the filling darkens your tooth. The result? It looks sort of grey or dim. To address this issue, all you need to do is replace that filling with a composite filling.
Composite resin also matches the natural luster of teeth. Once the material is hardened, Dr. Jobst can further polish the resin so it has a reflective quality similar to your natural tooth. White fillings are so natural looking that many of our patients can't tell where their fillings start and end.
There is no single number of how many times you can have a filling replaced. Usually, we will stop replacing the dental filling after the hole becomes too large. Once you have more filling material than natural tooth material your tooth no longer holds enough strength.
Although uncommon, if your composite filling needs a touchup, we can repair it by adding more composite material. Its easy application, durability, and natural aesthetics make composite the preferred material for fillings among our dentists as well.
The dentist can remove an amalgam filling using an evacuator. This piece of equipment is a powerful suction system that can remove mercury vapors and amalgam particles. An evacuator must always be turned on during the removal of an amalgam dental filling.
Composite fillings are made from a resin designed to match the color of tooth enamel. They aren't as noticeable as metal fillings, but they are less durable. Composite fillings may cost between $150 to $300 for 1–2 teeth or $200 to $550 for 3 or more teeth.
White fillings on back teeth are increasingly the preferred choice for patients and dentist alike. Recent advances in the technology of white filling materials, composites and porcelains, have made their performance comparable or superior to that of traditional silver amalgam fillings.
White fillings don't last as long as silver fillings, and on average sustain for about 7-10 years. Nonetheless, they're still an incredibly strong, successful treatment for most cavities.
Metal-free fillings and whitening. Composite resin fillings are nonporous, but the material can become slightly porous over time. This usually occurs at the surface and causes the filling to stain. However, composite resin does not respond to tooth whitening procedures.
Silver fillings are also less expensive than white fillings, so they're good for your bottom line. The main advantage of white fillings is their color. If you develop a cavity in a highly visible part of your mouth, you may prefer a tooth-colored filling.
For patients with silver fillings, my recommendation is to have these fillings removed when they no longer seal the tooth. For instance, if the filling is cracking or starting to break around the edge, or if it has weakened the tooth and the tooth has started to crack – this is the time to have these fillings removed.