3 Reasons To Get Rid Of Those Old Silver Fillings

Posted on February 18, 2009 | Filed Under Dentistry 

First, they’re ugly. Even if you have a great smile, as soon as you open your mouth to laugh and expose those visible mounds of silver, you’ve compromised the view of your dental landscape. Tooth colored fillings blend in with your natural teeth and don’t detract from your smile.

Second, they mask the condition of your teeth underneath. So, if you’ve had mercury fillings in your molars for 30 years, you have no idea what condition that tooth is in underneath. Mercury expands and contracts with heat and cold and decades of that in your teeth exposes cracking underneath. In replacing these on patients, I’ve often removed the old fillings in time to restore the cracked tooth underneath. When it can’t be
restored, it’s more costly.

Third, old fillings can leak which simply means that over time it can start to let bacteria into the tooth. When this occurs, we say it is “leaking.” That’s when it is no longer protecting your tooth.

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