Silver Dental Fillings: Everything You Need To Know

Do you currently have silver fillings in your teeth and your dentist has advised you that they may need to be removed in the future? Here are a few things that you need to know about this type of dental filling. 

Why Silver Fillings Used To Be Used Frequently

For many years, silver fillings made out of amalgam were the standard that was used for dental fillings. This is because the silver material is incredibly durable, easy to place in a tooth, and can be placed quickly. The durability of the material made them a great choice for a chewing surface, and they were also relatively inexpensive for the patient. 

How Silver Fillings Are Placed In A Tooth

What makes silver fillings different from white-colored resin fillings is that the silver material is not going to bond with your tooth. Silver fillings actually require that a small lip is made in the tooth at the bottom of where the filling will be placed. The silver is placed into the tooth, fills in that lip, and latches onto the tooth so that the filling will not come out. Meanwhile, a resin filling is cured with a special light so that it creates that strong bond with the tooth's surface. 

Why Silver Fillings Should Be Removed

Many dentists recommend that silver fillings be removed for a few reasons. One reason is that the filling doesn't look good. If it's on a visible surface of the tooth, it may be visible to others when you smile or while talking. Silver fillings also have a limited lifespan, and your dentist may want to replace the filling before it fails. This could prevent the need for a potential root canal, especially if it is a very large silver filling that can be carefully removed. 

How Silver Fillings Are Removed

The silver filling needs to be drilled out for it to be removed. The dentist will use a suction tool to make sure that none of the pieces of the silver filling are ingested accidentally. The removal of the filling may also require that the resin filling that replaces it be slightly bigger since the nature of removing an old filling means that some of the natural tooth surface will be lost as a result.

If too much of the tooth is lost while removing the silver filling, then it will need to be repaired in other ways. Dental bonding can be done to rebuild the tooth's surface, or a crown can be placed on top of the tooth. Make an appointment at a family dentistry clinic for more information.

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