I currently have silver fillings, but I was wondering if I can have those taken out and replaced with white fillings?
– Jim from Colorado
Jim,
Yes, you can absolutely have your current silver fillings taken out and replaced with white fillings. It is a common thing for people to do but make sure you go to a dentist who does these regularly so that it gets done right. Unfortunately, in dental school, they don’t teach the very specialized techniques that are required for doing white fillings on the back teeth. Dentists who know how to do them well will much prefer doing the white fillings. So, if your family dentist doesn’t recommend white fillings, it’s not a good idea to ask him or her to do them. When not done correctly, these fillings can fail easily, can lead to serious post-operative sensitivity, or other problems.
There are several reasons why you might want to replace old silver fillings with white fillings. The first and most obvious reason is that the white fillings look better. Second, it is easier for tooth decay to hide under silver fillings because you can’t see it. Also, white fillings bond to the teeth, making them stronger and more comfortable if done right. Finally, many people are concerned about the mercury content in silver fillings, which are actually about 50% mercury. White fillings are mercury-free.
This blog is brought to you by Tulsa emergency dentist Dr. Ryan Noah.