Fillings-Silver and White

The benefits of restorations (fillings) are that they:

• limit the damage from dental caries
• preserve and protect the remaining tooth structure
• reestablish adequate function or use of tooth
• save your teeth
• provide ease in maintaining good oral hygiene
• removing all the decay tremendously lowers the bacterial count in your mouth.
• maintain pulp or nerve vitality when possible
• preserving the:
  • function
  • appearance
  • life of your teeth.

As much as we would like things to last forever, they don’t!  Even dental fillings need to be replaced to best protect your teeth.  Fifty percent of fillings done are replacements of existing fillings.

As you continue to replace your fillings they get bigger and lead to more replacements so take care of your dental health to prevent this from occurring.

How a “white spot” can advance to decay

Sometimes restorations need to be replaced for cosmetic reasons because the material used before may become badly discolored.

Aging may change teeth or the surrounding structures enough to require replacement of a restoration to improve your bite or to save your teeth.  The old restoration may have aged past its usefulness and the underlying tooth structure may be in danger if a new restoration is not done.

Fillings do not cure decay they only remove the result of the acid attack.  

If you do not use good oral hygiene  and have routine periodic exams to assure your restorations are fully intact and still protecting the underlying tooth, another cavity will develop causing you to need an even larger filling; a root canal or the worse…having a tooth extracted.

At the exam we check for new cavities and inspect old restorations for leakage around their edges.   You may not feel any symptoms of this leakage if not regularly checked until the damage has advanced to a critical level.

We are in the tooth saving business, our goal is to help you keep your teeth for a lifetime.

When considering how to restore a tooth several factors are considered in planning for this restoration:

• treating any disease present
• determining the best restorative material to use
• durability
• appearance
• weighting the impact of the restoration on the development of cavities
• it’s’ relationship to other restorations already present.

A smile is the universal language and we want yours to be the best for you.

Silver Fillings have been around for over 150 years.  Their durably is time tested. We do not recommend amalgam filling on your anterior teeth.  We usually only place them on molars upon patient’s request.

There has been many questions about Amlagam Safety.  We will offer you the choice between “white”  or composite fillings and amalgam.
As composite fillings continue to advance and improve their durability our goal is to become an amalgam free practice due to the following reasons:

• Amalgam filling have a non-aesthetic appearance.
• The cups of an amalgam restored teeth are only 30% as strong as healthy teeth or teeth restored with composite.*
• Amalgam expands as it ages causing significant tooth fracturing.
• Mercury concerns.
• Large amalgam fillings like this one need to be crowned to protect the tooth from fractures and/or breakage: