Should You Replace Those Old Fillings?

If you’re like the majority of adults you probably have at least one filling. Many of us are still sporting old silver amalgam fillings made years ago too! You know the ones – ugly, grey, and probably a bit sensitive to temperatures too. It may not cross your mind that those fillings have a limited life but it’s true – you might even be near the end of their effectiveness!

At Really Smile in Carmel we want to help you have a healthy set of teeth for years to come. If you’ve had a filling placed that has been there for more than ten years you should have it inspected to be sure it’s still doing a good job. There are some bad side effects from old fillings!

What Are Amalgam Fillings?

Metal amalgam is a mix of various metals, including silver, copper, mercury, and tin. the mixture is about half mercury due to its ability to bond the other metals and create a stable, long-lasting restoration. They have been in use for centuries and records exist of its use all over the world!

Despite common fears about mercury amalgam fillings aren’t actually dangerous at all. In fact, eating seafood once a week will actually raise your mercury levels higher than what an amalgam filling will secrete!

It’s also important to consider the form of mercury delivery. The harm from mercury is primarily due to mercury vapor, which isn’t a problem for people with amalgam fillings!

If They’re Safe Then Why Replace Them?

There’s no such thing as an indestructible material! While amalgam fillings can last a long time they still wear out and the cement that holds them in place washes away as well. One of the most common findings among people with old amalgam fillings is that bacteria gets below the surface of the filling and causes further decay inside of the tooth!

Amalgam fillings also shrink and expand in a different way than natural teeth. Not only can this lead to more cavity-causing gaps, it can also lead to microfractures when stress and pressure are placed on your teeth! You may not realize it but your teeth could have a lot of tiny fractures in them caused by your fillings!

It all boils down to the fact that amalgam, while useful, is an old technology. It’s ugly, potentially harmful, and can lead to serious problems when it starts to wear out! That’s why our Carmel office doesn’t do amalgam fillings. We offer advanced tooth-colored dental composite fillings instead!

Tooth Colored Fillings: The State-Of-The-Art Choice!

Our tooth colored fillings are a great alternative to dental amalgam! Made from a composite mix of glass and plastic dental composite fillings are invisible, long lasting, and completely safe! Most patients who get a composite filling look in the mirror and can’t figure out where it is!

We can remove your old amalgam fillings safely and painlessly. In many cases patients who have an amalgam filling removed will be able to simply have it replaced with a new composite one! There are some instances in which an old filling will need to be replaced with a crown but these cases are uncommon.

Composite fillings have numerous advantages over amalgam! Not only do they look great but they also don’t need to be as large! Dental composite is formulated to bond to your teeth so there won’t be the need for additional drilling to create anchor points! We also won’t need to use cement, so there won’t be any gaps to be created later on!

The best thing about composite is how it acts like natural tooth! When your teeth flex, contract, or expand the composite will do the same. That means forces are distributed better and there’s far less risk for microfractures and invisible damage!

Don’t Let Those Fillings Go Unchecked!

All it takes is a little bit of damage to destroy a tooth with an old filling! Don’t take chances with your oral health when we can replace your old fillings in no time at all! Contact Really Smile in Carmel to take care of your filled teeth!

You can reach our office by calling 317-597-8748 or by filling out our online appointment request form. We look forward to seeing you soon!