Ask Dr.A
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The answers given by Dr.A are intended as non-professional advice, for entertainment only if you will. Please do consult with your dentist of record or your physician before making any decision regarding your dental or medical health.
Q. What's longer lasting silver or white fillings?
A. I don't see many patients asking for amalgam (or silver fillings as most patients call them) fillings these days. The last time I restorted a tooth with amalgam was in dental school!
Amalgam has seen its fair share of contraversy in the media, as some studies have shown some long lasting health effects on patients, while many others have shown no relevant issues.
Many studies have shown that amalgam fillings, especially when used in posterior teeth (your back teeth; molars and premolars), have a lower rate of failure than composites (white fillings). Most of these studies investigated the frequency of failure over a few years on teeth requiring large multi-surface fillings. Each tooth has 4 surfaces; Lingual (tongue side), Facial or Buccal (cheek side), Mesial (side facing the front of your mouth), Distal (side facing the back of your mouth).
One aspect of your decision must weigh on how your smile looks. Many patients ask me to replace their many amalgam fillings on their lower teeth because they are tired of their "silvery smile".
Another issue is fracture rate. A recent study has shown that compared to all materials used in dentistry, premolars (teeth before your molars) with large 3-surface amalgam fillings had the lowest fracture strength. While historically, research and practice have shown that large amalgam fillings do better than composites, what I do think is just as important is the strength of the tooth itself. Composites do a better job of holding your tooth together since they are acutally bonded to your tooth structure, where as amalgams are simply placed and compacted into the cavity to be held mainly by mechanical means.
While I personally have not taken data from my patients, I must say that I treat many patients who have fractured their teeth restored with large amalgam fillings.
So as you can see, there are many variables to discuss with your dentist before making a decision, but generally, amalgam fillings are less likely to need replacement when than composite resins, and fracture less, but teeth in need of large fillings have a higher chance of fracturing if restored with amaglam.
In fact, the very same study showed that percelain ceramic resorations protected the teeth against fracture the best. If your tooth needs a large restoration then you may want to discuss full coverage percelain crowns, onlays, or inlays with your dentist. You may even consider gold, as it still remains one of the best materials to be placed in your mouth.
The answers given by Dr.A are intended as non-professional advice, for entertainment only if you will. Please do consult with your dentist of record or your physician before making any decision regarding your dental or medical health.
More Ask Dr.A
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dradental.com
The answers given by Dr.A are intended as non-professional advice, for entertainment only if you will. Please do consult with your dentist of record or your physician before making any decision regarding your dental or medical health.
Q. What's longer lasting silver or white fillings?
A. I don't see many patients asking for amalgam (or silver fillings as most patients call them) fillings these days. The last time I restorted a tooth with amalgam was in dental school!
Amalgam has seen its fair share of contraversy in the media, as some studies have shown some long lasting health effects on patients, while many others have shown no relevant issues.
Many studies have shown that amalgam fillings, especially when used in posterior teeth (your back teeth; molars and premolars), have a lower rate of failure than composites (white fillings). Most of these studies investigated the frequency of failure over a few years on teeth requiring large multi-surface fillings. Each tooth has 4 surfaces; Lingual (tongue side), Facial or Buccal (cheek side), Mesial (side facing the front of your mouth), Distal (side facing the back of your mouth).
One aspect of your decision must weigh on how your smile looks. Many patients ask me to replace their many amalgam fillings on their lower teeth because they are tired of their "silvery smile".
Another issue is fracture rate. A recent study has shown that compared to all materials used in dentistry, premolars (teeth before your molars) with large 3-surface amalgam fillings had the lowest fracture strength. While historically, research and practice have shown that large amalgam fillings do better than composites, what I do think is just as important is the strength of the tooth itself. Composites do a better job of holding your tooth together since they are acutally bonded to your tooth structure, where as amalgams are simply placed and compacted into the cavity to be held mainly by mechanical means.
While I personally have not taken data from my patients, I must say that I treat many patients who have fractured their teeth restored with large amalgam fillings.
So as you can see, there are many variables to discuss with your dentist before making a decision, but generally, amalgam fillings are less likely to need replacement when than composite resins, and fracture less, but teeth in need of large fillings have a higher chance of fracturing if restored with amaglam.
In fact, the very same study showed that percelain ceramic resorations protected the teeth against fracture the best. If your tooth needs a large restoration then you may want to discuss full coverage percelain crowns, onlays, or inlays with your dentist. You may even consider gold, as it still remains one of the best materials to be placed in your mouth.
The answers given by Dr.A are intended as non-professional advice, for entertainment only if you will. Please do consult with your dentist of record or your physician before making any decision regarding your dental or medical health.
More Ask Dr.A
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