Silver Filling Replacement: Necessary or not? - Dental Health Message Board

occgroup · 12-30-2004, 08:38 AM

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?

norrell · 12-30-2004, 03:36 PM

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?

Doppler4000 · 12-30-2004, 07:18 PM

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.

rhody · 12-30-2004, 08:18 PM

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.

lateeth · 12-31-2004, 12:24 AM

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.