White Fillings

If you’ve ever had fillings put in your teeth, or been told by your dentist that you needed to get fillings in order to stop the spread of a cavity or other tooth infection, you’ll want to learn more about white fillings.

The ever-evolving technology behind these tooth-colored filling materials is preferred by more patients and doctors these days, and you should know the facts before you have the procedure done.

Until a few years ago, dentists were using amalgam fillings, or ‘silver fillings’ (like that pictured) in order to restore teeth that had cavities removed.

However, dental amalgam contains significant amounts of mercury, which is toxic to the body, especially if ingested in large doses.

It is now known that despite being “amalgamated” with several other metals, mercury does continue to both leach out and vaporize out of the fillings indefinitely.

Long term exposure to or absorption of mercury could also cause other health problems such as nerve damage or severe headaches.

White fillings are relative newcomers to the dental industry, but there are a lots of benefits to having this procedure done.

Most people initially think of getting these fillings because of the look of them.

White fillings blend in to look as though they are part of your natural teeth, as opposed to the metal fillings that can be unattractive.

But aside from the fillings being more appealing to the eye, the technology that is used to keep the filling in place, and to help it do its job is far more advanced than the mercury filling system.

White fillings will protect the teeth even more, and prevent cracking, fracturing, and the weakening of enamel over time.

Silver fillings actually make the teeth weaker, so you may experience more problems with your dental health after having the traditional fillings put in.

For years, tooth colored fillings were only placed on front teeth. This was due to the fact that no white filling material was strong enough to withstand the crushing forces of chewing.

So, amalgam was used, and still is, due to its strength and durability.

But now, tooth colored filling materials, or composites, are almost as strong as amalgam. Thus, they are now widely and successfully used on molars.

And their overall durability is getting better, as well.

While an amalgam filling on a molar can last for many decades, historically, a white filling would only last a few years.

But that’s increasing with the advancements of new dental materials.

Because of this, if you have dental insurance, it may not yet cover the cost of replacing silver fillings with white fillings.

Which means you might have to pay for the procedure yourself.

That doesn’t stop some people.  Once presented with the facts on mercury leaking out of amalgam fillings, many people pay out of their own pockets to get them replaced with white fillings.

So, as you can see, there are pros and cons with both silver or amalgam fillings as well as with white resin or tooth-colored filing materials.

The materials that are used in amalgam fillings may be stronger and less expensive, but they weaken the teeth over time, are far less esthetic and continuously release mercury into your mouth.

While the various composite materials that comprise the vast array of white fillings may have a few downsides, there seem to be nowhere near the amount associated with amalgam.

Overall, if presented with the facts, tooth colored fillings are the preferred choice for most people.

For more information on fillings and other necessary dental procedures, browse through our other articles.

Las Vegas Valley residents are invited to grab our Free Dental Guide.  In it, you’ll learn from a 23-year industry insider who tells you what to look for and what questions to ask of any prospective Las Vegas Valley dentist.

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