A new dentist I am seeing told me all my old silver fillings should be replaced, that my teeth could decay beneath the filling and could necessitate a root canal. My teeth do not bother me in the least. Is this procedure necessary or just a way for the dentist to make money?

It's probably necessary if your existing filling is pretty old. Old fillings whether it be silver or composite will get what we call a leakage around the margin of the filling. It's kind of like the filling material is pulling away from the tooth or I've seen it described as shrinking. When this happens bacteria can get under the filling and eventually cause decay. If the decay reaches deep enough to the nerve than you will need a root canal to save the tooth. Leakage sometimes will not bother you but for some ppl they will start with some sensitivity. But I am a bit weary if your dentist said you need to get ALL of your old fillings replaced unless they are all the same age then perhaps. Maybe ask him to show you which is the more pressing ones that needs attention now. Did he take necessary radiographs? If he did he would be able to tell you for sure if you have decay under the fillings. But just by telling you that you might have decay under your fillings without taking x-rays is trying to scare you into replacing those fillings. Rule of thumb is not to subject your teeth to any necessary drilling like replacing a filling unless it's absolutely necessary. For ppl who replaces a silver filling just because they are afraid of the mercury poisoning and the tooth is not bothering them is actually doing more harm to their teeth because they are subjecting those teeth to the drilling force, vibration, and pressure. So why mess with a tooth when there is nothing wrong with it?

Yeah- the question is not COULD they leak and get decay under the filling (of course they could)... the question is ARE they doing that now? Your lack of pain doesn't mean anything-- you've got to look at that tooth and the X-rays.

The procedure could be necessary and the dentist will be making money. It depends of course if it really is required. That's the real question...whether the dental amalgam is greatly reduced in size...and could cause those problems or others.

If it were me, aside from the fact that I don't like mercury-silver dental amalgams because of the mercury leakage, I'd go at this slowly if you don't have noticeable pains. You could check with a number of different dentists to see what type of replacement fillings they would offer and the price. None of us like to get surprised with a "major overhaul" and a big bill.

The different types of replacement fillings could be mercury-silver dental amalgams that are often called "silver" fillings, composite white fillings, porcelain white fillings, and gold alloy fillings. I'm sure there must be others too. You could look at all those choices, the cost, and the cost the insurance company might be paying for.

For example, in my case about 10 years ago, I had my dental amalgams ("silver" fillings) replaced with white fillings for approx. $2500. I paid about $1000 and the insurance company paid about $1500 (somewhere near there). From what I remember, the insurance company paid the price that dental amalgams would cost, and I paid the rest which were above and beyond the lower cost. I think it was worth it. Not only am I not subjected to the accumulation of mercury from fillings, but for cosmetic purposes they look great.

For those that choose white fillings as such or other alternatives, they should last a long time if they are gold alloy or porcelain or a material as durable...and if the dentist places these properly in the teeth.

When my old silver fillings reached a point where they were around 20 years old, they all seemed to go at once. But mine cracked one after the other and i had to get crowns. I did not have decay tho, just fillings too large to replace without a crown. So it is possible as the other writers said, for those old fillings to go at once. I had gotten them all within a few years of each other when i was a teen. But you do need to make sure with an exray there is a problem with decay on each tooth before removing them if that is the stated reason.

A new dentist I am seeing told me all my old silver fillings should be replaced, that my teeth could decay beneath the filling and could necessitate a root canal. My teeth do not bother me in the least. Is this procedure necessary or just a way for the dentist to make money?

Did your dentist use the word could? This is not a reason to replace your fillings. Doing un-necessary work can lead to a bunch of other problems, including root canals, crowns, and bite problems. In my case it led to the lost of two teeth, four crowns, two root canals, and a jaw infection, osteomyelitis.

Please get another opinion. Make sure the dentist you get this opinion from is not a holistic dentist. Holistic dentists always want to replace silver fillings.

jojocm:

I'm curious to learn more about your osteomyelitis. I'm currently battling this and am really having a hard time.

Can you pls relate your story and whether you were successful in resolving it.

Thanks, Lisa

Hi Lisa,

Mine is still ongoing. In fact I just had to get an I&D today because the pus was building up.

Do you have osteo of the jaw? How long have you had it?

I have tried everything. Picc line twice, HBO therapy, beads, and surgeries. It just keeps coming back. Osteo is never considered cured, you can go into remissions.

Mine all started with a dentist that was playing with my teeth. It stinks!!

Hi Jojocm:

Well mine is unofficially osteomyelitis or osteonecrosis. I'm on iv rocephin right now...but it's not helping. I finally found a Dr last week who will go in and debride and culture the site to find out what's really going on. I've been very, very sick for the past 4 months...virtually bedbound w/fatigue and weakness. I've been in and out of the hospital and seen many, many Dr's. Noone would/could come up with a diagnosis. My Ct scan and MRI both show inflammation on the jaw....but all my blood tests are normal and I have no outward signs of infection.

This all started after a RC, APICO and extraction. I think the infection has been down in bone for awhile and my body has just shutdown in trying to fight the infection.

Life really sucks right now.

I was hoping someone had good news about fighting this sickness.

What' an I+D. How long have you been sick? what do you feel like?


What type of Dr's are treating you: OS, ENT. ID??
Warmly, Lisa

Be careful! I had no problems with my one silver filling, got it replaced and it's been killing me ever since!

as someone eles mentioned, the key is not they COULD leak as it is ARE they leaking.

A new dentist I am seeing told me all my old silver fillings should be replaced, that my teeth could decay beneath the filling and could necessitate a root canal. My teeth do not bother me in the least. Is this procedure necessary or just a way for the dentist to make money?

I just had 10 silver fillings removed. 2 were in need of a root canal, even though the filling was in good shape. I was told that decay can begin under the filling, which percipitates the need for the root canal. So perhaps you should do what the dentist recommends.

A new dentist I am seeing told me all my old silver fillings should be replaced, that my teeth could decay beneath the filling and could necessitate a root canal. My teeth do not bother me in the least. Is this procedure necessary or just a way for the dentist to make money?

dentists are no different than anybody else. Just like car salesmen, there is a percentage of them that will scam you. Run immediately from this dentist and never see him again. I have been scammed by an hmo dentist before. Leave your fillings alone.

I just had 10 silver fillings removed. 2 were in need of a root canal, even though the filling was in good shape. I was told that decay can begin under the filling, which percipitates the need for the root canal. So perhaps you should do what the dentist recommends.

Never trust the dentist. Ask him to show you the decay on the xray, it should show up as a black shadow around the whitish healthy tooth and it should be touching the nerve. It sounds like you got scammed. It happens all the time. I know a dentist who told me all about how dentists actually work, they don't care about you or your teeth (about half of them), and they will tell you that a filling needs to be replaced, or you have a new cavity, or you need a root canal, hope that you don't know anything about dentistry and are gullible, and then make money off you be drilling into this tooth or that tooth and causing more harm so that you will be back for more filling replacements or root canals. He said dentistry is a business, and if dentists don't drill or do fillings or do root canals, they don't make money - period, so some of them are crooked, just like some people in every profession there is lie in order to get ahead.

DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!!!!! Like Doppler told me, unfortunately, after I did it, if it isn't broke, don't fix it. GET A SECOND OPINION!!! My dentist replaced mine for no apparent reason last October. It's June and I'm still having problems. Take my advice, get a 2nd opinion.

I wouldn't do it unless there is a problem with it. Be careful!

The absence of pain is NOT the absence of problems. Very often waiting until there is pain necessitates additional and more expensive treatment. Also, as is often the case, there can be decay under a filling that is not seen on the x-ray. The radiograph is a two-dimensional picture of a three-dimensional object. If you have a filling on the top of the tooth and another filling on the cheek or tongue side of the tooth, the decay that may exist under the top filling would be covered by the filling of the side of the tooth. Cracks or leaky margins in fillings is a tell-tale sign that there is decay underneath. This happens with enough frequency that when such conditions exist, replacement of the filling is warranted. It does not mean that there is decay every single time. If your cardiologist sees a narrowing in one of your coronary arteries, that doesn't mean that you will for sure have a heart attack, but he is going to advise you to have a stent or angioplasty to lessen the liklihood of such an event. Why would any other part of your body be different? If there is an indication that there might be decay, would you rather wait until you have pain and need a root canal or extraction or would you rather simply have the filling replaced?

Most of the time, people get cavities in their early teen years. The teeth are filled at the same time (plus or minus a year or two). Several years or decades go by and then the material finally wears out. Barring other specific circumstances, they will usually wear out within the same time frame. So it is quite common for people to go years with no problems and then suddenly told that most of their fillings are in need of replacement. This is why.

Is it necessary in your case? Who knows? Certainly no one who has never seen you, your mouth or your radiographs. Don't discount the advice of your dentist because someone who has never seen you tells you to. If you have doubts, seek a second opinion from another dentist. Then make an educated and informed decision.

I did 3 weeks ago and I feel like I have a newer, better brain. I am able to communicate better and feel much happier. I did it in mexico since the cost was high, and my gum problem also cleared up.

I had gotten dental work done and dentists merely hid the silver filling with a gold or white crown, but the poison was leaking out anyway. What could I have accomplished if I had done this years ago?