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 Advances in modern dental materials and techniques increasingly offer new ways to create more pleasing, natural-looking smiles. Researchers are continuing to develop esthetic materials, such as ceramic and plastic compounds that mimic the appearance of natural teeth. As a result, dentists and patients today have several choices when it comes to selecting materials used to repair missing, worn, damaged or decayed teeth.
What is the difference between “White” and “Silver” fillings?
Amalgam “Silver” Fillings: Used for well over a century, dental amalgam is the most thoroughly researched and tested restorative material among all those in use. While questions have arisen about the safety of dental amalgam relating to its mercury content, the major U.S. and international scientific and health bodies—including the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organization, among others—have been satisfied that dental amalgam is a safe, reliable and effective restorative material. Amalgam fillings, like other filling materials, are considered biocompatible—they are well tolerated by patients with only rare occurrences of allergic response.
Disadvantages of amalgam include:
- Possible short-term sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures after the filling is placed.
- They are not as esthetically pleasing, especially when the restored tooth is near the front of the mouth.
- Frequently, it is necessary to remove more healthy tooth structure to accommodate an amalgam filling compared to the composite.
- Lastly, the hardness of metal alloy when placed within flexible walls of natural tooth, acts as a wedge and overtime will lead to tooth fracture.
 Composite “White” Fillings: Composite fillings are a mixture of acrylic resin and finely ground glasslike particles that produce a tooth-colored restoration. Composite fillings provide good durability and resistance to fracture in small-to-mid size restorations that need to withstand moderate chewing pressure. Less tooth structure is removed when the tooth is prepared, resulting in a smaller filling than that of an amalgam. Composites can also be “bonded” or adhesively held in a cavity, often allowing for a more conservative repair to the tooth.
When treating dental caries, the esthetic and functional considerations make the composite filling, Dr. Vinson’s personal choice.
Teeth Tamers Dental Care, P.C. is amalgam-free practice.
If my tooth doesn’t hurt and my filling is still in place, why would the filling need to be replaced?
Constant pressure from chewing, grinding or clenching can cause dental fillings, or restorations, to wear away, chip or crack. Although you may not be able to tell that your filling is wearing down, dental X-rays and visual examination of your teeth during a regular check-up can identify weaknesses in your restorations.
 If the seal between the tooth enamel and the restoration breaks down, food particles and decay-causing bacteria can work their way under the restoration. You then run the risk of developing additional decay in that tooth. Decay that is left untreated can progress to infect the dental pulp and may cause an abscess.
If the restoration is large or the recurrent decay is extensive, there may not be enough tooth structure remaining to support a replacement filling. In these cases, it may be necessary to protect the remaining tooth structure with a crown.
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