Do tooth colored fillings last as long as metal fillings?

There are multiple advantages to treating dental decay using tooth colored fillings. Metal fillings, typically made by blending different alloys with mercury to form dental amalgam, provide a long-lasting restoration but with drawbacks that might encourage some patients to opt for treatment using composite resin.

Pro’s and Con’s of Tooth Colored Fillings

The advantages for treatment using tooth colored composite include:

Aesthetics: Treating a tooth with silver amalgam is never going to look as good as a blend of materials that will so closely match your tooth shade, the repair will be virtually impossible to detect.

Maintaining Tooth Integrity: In general, when filling a tooth with composite, much less of the structure of the tooth is removed than when repairing decay with a metal filling.

Sensitivity: When exposed to hot and cold, it is believed that a composite filling expands and retracts more ideally than the tooth containing a metal filling might, which means less sensitivity.

Your dentist may be inclined to recommend a metal filling for the following reasons:

Durability: Depending on the location of the decay, back teeth may benefit from a metal filling as they are forced to absorb a lot of pressure daily from chewing.

Should Silver Fillings Be Removed and Replaced?

This is certainly something to be discussed with your dentist. If an older silver filling is leaking, is cracked, or makes you self-conscious about your smile, our team at Bliss Dental can safely remove it and replace it with a tooth colored composite filling that will be aesthetically pleasing and last for many years.

To learn more about your tooth restoration options, contact our office today to schedule your consultation.