There are three basic types of dental fillings:

1. Silver fillings, known as Amalgam
2. White fillings, known as composite or resin
3. Gold fillings (mostly obsolete)

Gold fillings are becoming more or less extinct, as the cost of gold is prohibitive and most people don’t want gold showing in their mouthes. Silver fillings are a popular dental filling material. As it turns out, silver fillings contain mercury which is a known toxin. However, it’s debatable whether or not the small amount of mercury contained in silver fillings is harmful to your overall well-being. Some dentists argue that silver fillings are completely safe since you’re not actually ingesting its mercury content. Other dentists strictly oppose using any form of Amalgam and only offer white fillings in their dental practice.

Should I replace my silver fillings with white fillings?

If you’re planning on replacing your silver fillings with white ones, you need to be aware of the pros and cons of Amalgam removal from your teeth. This way, you can make an informed decision on what’s the best option for your mouth and your body:

Pros of removing silver dental fillings

There are several benefits to removing silver fillings from your mouth and replacing them with white fillings instead. Here are some of the major benefits of eliminating Amlagam from your teeth:

Health concerns over mercury

Silver fillings contain mercury, which is a heavy metal. Ingesting high levels of mercury produces mercury toxicity which has many dangerous symptoms, for instance:

• Impairment of speech, vision or hearing
• Disturbed sensation
• Lack of coordination

In fact, mercury ingestion is lethal in extremely high doses! Despite the many dangers of mercury, there is no solid evidence that the negligible amount of mercury in Amalgam fillings causes any major ailments. Still, if you are concerned over the safety of mercury, or if you’re convinced that silver fillings are adversely affecting your overall well-being, then you should consider removing your silver fillings. Talk to your dentist about removing your Amalgam fillings to replace them with a safer and more holistic option.

Better aesthetics

The second reason why people choose to replace their silver fillings is due to concerns over aesthetics. Having lots of large silver fillings in your mouth can give you a metal-mouth appearance. Your silver fillings show up when you are talking, smiling, or even taking photos. Replacing your silver fillings with white ones enhances your smile and improves your self-confidence.

Replacing your aging fillings

More and more dentists are starting to move away from using silver fillings in favor of white fillings. In fact, there are lots of dental offices that offer an Amalgam-free environment. This is primarily the result of health concerns over mercury and cosmetic demands of today’s patients. If you have numerous aging silver fillings in your mouth, chances are they are due replacement. After all, your aging dental fillings are likely to be cracked, leaking, or gathering cavity. Therefore there’s a high probability that your older Amalgam fillings are due replacement sooner or later. If so, it might not be a bad idea to consider removing all of your Amalgam fillings and replacing them with white ones instead.

Cons of replacing Amalgam fillings

Replacing your silver fillings with white ones may improve your health and appearance. However, there are certain risks associated with Amalgam removal as well. Let’s take a closer look at some of the risks associated with replacing your silver dental fillings:

Tooth sensitivity

Anytime you replace your dental fillings, you could develop some level of tooth sensitivity. The larger your silver fillings, the higher your risks of developing tooth sensitivity. Luckily, most of these tooth sensitivity issues are temporary and they resolve themselves within a few weeks or months. However, sometimes your tooth sensitivity ends up being permanent and requires additional treatment. Therefore, you should proceed with caution when replacing larger silver fillings, especially if you already suffer from tooth sensitivity. Consider replacing a few fillings at a time to give yourself time to recover and adapt to your new fillings.

Potential for a crown or root canal

As we mentioned above, there’s always an inherent risk associated with replacing any one of your dental fillings. Occasionally, your replacement fillings become painful to bite pressure or hot and cold. When this happens, your tooth is most likely to require a crown. If you end up developing a lingering toothache that doesn’t improve with time then you will require a root canal treatment instead. Shat started out as a simple Amalgam filling replacement procedure, could end up becoming a much more problematic situation.

Costs

Replacing your silver fillings with white ones could be costly, especially if you have lots of them. Not all silver fillings can be replaced with simple white fillings. Larger silver fillings must be replaced with an inlay, onlay, or crown instead. Inlays and onlays are more durable than white fillings and they are a better option for replacing larger Amalgam fillings. Of course, if you end up needing a few inlays or onlays, your costs for replacing Amalgam fillings quickly adds up and turns into a big expense.

Does dental insurance cover Amalgam replacement?

Having dental insurance can help with the cost of replacing silver fillings, but it usually won’t cover all of your expenses. Dental insurance only covers medically necessary procedures. Replacing an otherwise healthy silver filling with a white one is considered a non-medical treatment. This means that it likely won’t be covered by most dental insurance plans. Moreso, a vast majority of dental insurance plans only cover silver fillings and leave you responsible for the difference in costs for a white filling upgrade. However, if your Amalgam fillings are broken or developing cavities, then the replacement is considered a medically necessary procedure. This means that there’s a good chance your insurance will pay for some or all of your Amlagam replacement treatment.

How do you find a dentist for amalgam removal?

There are many dentists nowadsys who offer silver filling replacement treatment options. You don’t necessarily need to seek a holistic dentist, as most dentists these days offer Amalgam replacement as one of their services. Start looking for a local dentist to help you replace your Amalgam fillings with safer, more attractive white fillings. Click on the link below to use our Seach Engine to find a great dentist near you today:

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