Should You Consider Replacing Your Amalgam Fillings?
If you over age 30, chances are you have an amalgam filling, the gray or silver-colored fillings you can see when you look inside your mouth. At one time, amalgam fillings were the best available choice, but modern dentistry now has many more effective and more attractive options. If you are not currently experiencing any pain or discomfort as a result of amalgam fillings, you might wonder why you would even consider replacing them.
8 Good Reasons to Replace Amalgam Fillings
Wisdom teeth extractions are outpatient procedures, meaning you’ll return home the day of your appointment. So, if you’ll be sedated or under anesthesia, you’ll need to enlist someone trustworthy to drive you home from your appointment and plan to take a few days off from work or school.
- 1. Potential Hidden Cavities – X-rays can’t “see" through amalgam fillings, which means you could have undetected cavities which have developed behind them.
- 2. Cracked Teeth – Amalgam is a metal composite, which means it expands and contracts with temperature changes. This movement can crack teeth.
- 3. Leaky Fillings – Temperature-related expansion and contraction also compromises the binding between teeth and amalgam fillings, which means yours might have a leak that allows saliva, food and bacteria to enter your tooth.
- 4. Limited Lifespan – Amalgam fillings are not a permanent solution, as they only have a lifespan of about ten years.
- 5. Mercury – About 50% of amalgam fillings contain mercury, which can be a potential health risk to many patients.
- 6. You Grind or Clench Your Teeth and Sometimes Chew on Hard Objects – If you grind your teeth, clench your jaw or chew on ice, pens or something else, you are putting extra wear and tear on your teeth. Fillings or not, these habits are not good for your teeth. If you do have fillings, especially amalgam ones, chewing, grinding and clenching will wear them out quickly. This means your amalgam fillings will have passed their prime well before ten years.
- 7. Stronger Alternatives – Modern dentistry provides patients with lots of options for fillings. Amalgam fillings were designed simply to fill a hole inside a tooth. Modern fillings, fill in holes, but also bind to teeth for a much stronger fit.
- 8. More Attractive Alternatives – Modern fillings are also more attractive. They can be matched precisely to tooth color and blend seamlessly with your smile.
Proactive Dentistry with Schaffer Dental Excellence
At Schaffer Dental Excellence, we take a proactive approach to dentistry and prevent potential dental problems before they cause pain or have time to develop into more advanced conditions. If you currently have amalgam fillings and are concerned about their condition and the potential to develop cavities or infections as a result of an out-dated dental tool, we encourage you to schedule an appointment with Schaffer Dental Excellence. Our dentist will perform a comprehensive examination of your teeth and discuss your options for replacing old amalgam fillings with more modern, effect and attractive filling options.
