Dr. Bonnie Rothwell prefers doing white fillings
wherever possible. They have several advantages over silver amalgam
fillings.
White Fillings bond to the
tooth, making the tooth stronger. Silver amalgam fillings just fill up
the hole. Over time they can expand just slightly and contribute to
breaking off parts of your tooth.
The white composite
fillings don't conduct heat or cold the way metal ones do. If they are
done right, there is either no sensitivity in the tooth afterward or
very little.
Because they bond to the
tooth, they don't require a minimum thickness or size for strength the
way silver amalgam does. When repairing decay, Dr. Rothwell grinds
away much less of the tooth when using composite than when using
amalgam.
Old silver/mercury amalgam fillings. The tooth
with the larger filling is under a strong risk of breaking because of the
weakening effect of the amalgam.
The amalgams are replaced with composite.
Besides looking much nicer, they have strengthened the teeth.
Since it is sealed to the
tooth, composite keeps bacteria from leaking in around the fillings.
White composite fillings
look much nicer than black silver amalgam ones.
Composite requires more
time and expertise to place, and the materials are fairly expensive. They
will cost more than amalgam, and generally dental insurance plans don't
pick up that extra cost—the difference is up to the patient to pay. We have found, however, that most patients strongly prefer the white and understand the need to pay a little extra for the best possible care.
