Is it worth it to have white fillings vs silver?

I need new fillings, my dentist recommended I get the white fillings because silver has mercury etc and causes a lot of side effects, well I've had silver fillings in my mouth for over 10 years and I have some of the bad symptoms he was mentioning, but I'm not sure if the silver fillings are to blame and whether he is just trying to raise my bill. My insurance only covers the silver and I'm in between jobs. Need feedback on if the silver fillings are truly unsafe. And if all these side effects are true (even cancer) then why are these silver fillings not outlawed??

Is it worth it to have white fillings vs silver?
It is true that amalgam fillings contain mercury. But it is also true that composite fillings contain Bisphenol A and silica. Amalgam has been used for 160 years, and not one bit of scientific evidence has linked it to any disease process. That is why they have not been outlawed. The amount of mercury that leaches out of the fillings is infinitesimally small and I have read that eating some fish gives you more mercury exposure. The safety of composite fillings is now being questioned and researched.


Amalgam is a much more durable filling material, so it is much better to use on biting surfaces ie your back teeth.


The lifespan of an amalgam filling is in the 20 year range. Composite fillings on back teeth may last 5-7 years. They last longer on front teeth. This is because composite fillings are bonded to the tooth. The bond of composite is great to enamel, but almost nonexistent to dentin. When filling a back tooth, unless it is just a shallow occlusal filling, there is very little enamel and a lot of dentin. So you are not getting a good bond to most of the inside of the tooth. On front teeth, a traditional cavity preparation has more enamel than dentin, so you are getting a better bond of composite to tooth.


Also this is why amalgam fillings are better for children's teeth as they do not have as much enamel as an adult tooth. Put a composite filling in a child's tooth that needs to be there longer than a couple of years, and you will have to redo it.


Amalgams are very easy to place and the least expensive material. Composites are very technique sensitive ( for example you need to etch the tooth for a specific number of seconds or the tooth must be completely dry of saliva to ensure the best bond) and are more expensive than amalgams.


Composite when it is hardened by the light, shrinks. This shrinkage results in microleakage that results in recurrent decay under the filling. Again this is why they need replacement so soon. When removing a composite filling the tooth underneath is guaranteed to be soft, so you will lose some more tooth. When taking out an amalgam filling, the tooth underneath may have some decay, but more often than not is hard and maybe a little black.


These are the facts as I, a practising dentist sees them. I know if it were me, I would have composite fillings in the front, and amalgam in the back (unless I could afford a lab processed composite or porcelain inlay or onlay).


I hope this helps some....it is a hard call to make sometimes.





You may want to check out this site;





http://www.dentalwatch.org/hg/myths210.h...
Reply:Well I ask my dentist about the mercury, and she said that it's not something I should worry about, I do anyways...anyway the last tooth I needed new fillings, I asked for white fillings and she says, like silver has mercury, white has formaldehyde...as dangerous...and white fillings don't last as long as silver fillings...so all you have to do basically is choose between the side effects you want to have, either from mercury or formaldehyde...oh and yes if you want to return every about 5 years to redo the white...
Reply:No...your dentist is telling you the truth. My daughter had to have all her fillings changed because her mercury count was so high....people with MS are often with a very very high count in their system....when they get the mercury out....their symptoms totally change. So listen to your doctor. It is important to put the right thing in your teeth.
Reply:white it blends well, the silver chips, take it from me i have both
Reply:yes it is!


Also they are closer to your natural teeth.


I don't know about all the side effects but my migraine decreased by 50% when I had them changed over.


My insurance only paid the amount for the silver %26amp; I just had to pay the difference.


I definitely don't regret doing it.
Reply:Its not true that white fillings don't last as long. I have had some of mine for 20 years.





I have heard that it is more dangerous to have silver fillings removed than to keep them. The mercury can get into your system when they are removed.