Reasons To Have Your Old Amalgam Fillings Replaced With Natural-Looking Composite Fillings
If your mouth is still full of those old, metallic fillings that were inserted into your teeth years ago, then you may want to consider making the switch to more natural-looking composite fillings. It’s been shown in studies the average life of a metal filling is 8-15 years. If your fillings are older than 15 years, you may want to consider having them updated. Here are some great reasons to upgrade your old amalgam fillings:
1. Hidden Decay
A metal filling can have fractures or weak margins allowing bacteria to enter the tooth beside the filling, ultimately causing decay under or around the filling. This cavity can not be detected in the dental x-ray, as the metal filling will mask it. The only way its detectable is to remove it and look under it.
2. Increased Strength
Since composite fillings are actually bonded into the matrix of the tooth structure, they can slightly strengthen your teeth and help hold the tooth together. If an old metal filling is large and little natural tooth structure exists, a crown may be the best way to update and strengthen the tooth.
3. Steady Size
Silver fillings expand or contract due to temperature change. If your fillings change size whenever you drink hot or cold beverages, then your teeth may develop cracks. Since composite fillings aren’t made of a metal that expands or contracts in such a manner, you will have less potential for tooth damage.
4. Less Invasive
If you are terrified at the thought of somebody drilling holes in your teeth, then you should definitely choose natural-looking composite fillings over amalgam fillings. Although the removal of some of your tooth is necessary because of the cavity, much less of the tooth will need to be removed, which means more conservative drilling is involved. Composite fillings don’t need the same depth, thickness and mechanical retention to be stable, unlike metal fillings.
5. Natural Appearance
For most people, this is the biggest benefit of composite fillings. Instead of having a mouthful of silver fillings, your teeth will look all-natural, and after a while, you probably won’t even remember which teeth have fillings!
6. Metallic Taste
Some get a metallic taste in their mouths from having metal fillings. By getting rid of them, we can eliminate this metallic taste which can allow foods to taste better. Micro metal wear and fatigue occur during chewing.
7. Potential Health risk
While the FDA and the ADA do not claim metal fillings pose health risk, there are studies out there that show different conclusions. While I am not legally able to say metal fillings pose a health risk, I do feel there has to be some small merit in these studies. I let people make their own decisions about this subject, and don’t recommend people to remove metal fillings based on this reason alone.
Have a great day.