silver fillings Archives - Drake & Wallace Dentistry

Replace Fillings or Whiten My Teeth First?

Posted on July 23, 2024 by writeradmin.

I have quite a few silver fillings that I would like to replace with the newer white fillings. However, my teeth have also yellowed quite a bit over the years. If I want to get my teeth whitened, do you recommend that I whiten my teeth first or have the fillings done first?

Stella

Dear Stella,

It’s great that you are trying to update your smile. I am going to recommend that you have your teeth whitening done first. This way you can match the composite (white) filling material to the newer color. You would be best served if you allowed the whitened teeth to have about a week for the color to settle before you have the fillings done. Your teeth will continue to whiten for between 1-2 weeks after you stop whitening before it reaches its “final” color.

Sanitary Amalgam Removal

I do want to address the removal of your silver fillings. In dental circles, these are called amalgam fillings because amalgam means a mixture of different elements. The largest ingredient in these type of fillings is actually mercury, not silver. Mercury is a known toxin. While the American Dental Association still considers them safe for use, I would recommend you only have them removed by someone who knows the appropriate procedure for safety reasons.

This has to be done carefully because you do not want to inhale or swallow any of the mercury or mercury vapors. There is a procedure known as a sanitary amalgam procedure. This uses things like a stopper dam among other things to protect you from the mercury as it is being removed and replaced.

While any dentist can do your teeth whitening, I would be cautious as to who you have switch out your fillings. The dentists who are more likely to know this procedure as well as have the materials necessary to do it correctly would be either a mercury-free dentist or a holistic dentist.

This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.

Do Affordable Dentists Do Full Mouth Reconstructions?

Posted on October 17, 2018 by writeradmin.

I never went to the dentist growing up. I have a couple of missing teeth, two chipped teeth, and what I assume is some decay. I decided to bite the bullet and see what I’m looking at to give me smile a decent chance. I went to see a dentist. He said the easiest thing to do is crown all the teeth I have and get bridges put in where there aren’t. He called it a full mouth reconstruction. I liked the idea, but it would cost a small fortune. Is there an affordable way to deal with this?

Carly

Dear Carly,

A woman giving a thumbs up in a dental chair

You don’t have to sacrifice quality for affordable dental care.

While this dentist may think a full-mouth reconstruction is the easiest thing, it is certainly not something I would jump into lightly. This isn’t something taught in dental school and it requires a serious amount of post-doctoral instruction in both reconstructive and aesthetic dentistry, requiring dental crowns being placed on every tooth. If it’s not done properly, you can completely throw off your bite, even leading to serious TMJ problems.

It’s also not something I’d price shop for. There is a huge difference between cheap and affordable dentists. An affordable dentist will work with you on options and payments. A cheap dentist will cut corners that end up costing you a fortune with infections and faulty work.

However, this dentist jumped right to what most dentists would consider a last resort. I doubt it’s the right course of treatment for you based strictly off what you mentioned above.

Before You Get a Full-Mouth Reconstruction

I’d like you to get a second opinion. I find it hard to believe all of your teeth need to be crowned. You would have been in massive pain. The first thing I’d check for is the health of your gums. If you have gum disease, that is priority number one. Leaving it untreated will cause you to lose more teeth as well as bone.

While you’re dealing with that, you can also have any teeth filled that need to be. In most cases, you’ll only need a crown after a root canal treatment or if your decay is over a 1/3 of your tooth. Decay less than that can usually just be filled. I always recommend white composite fillings over silver amalgam ones. They are mercury-free and strengthen your teeth, the amalgam fillings are the opposite in both cases.

To make this more affordable for you, have whatever dentist you settle on make a list of all the work you need, using the most conservative methods possible, starting with the most urgent. This way you can phase your treatment in more do-able installments.

It’s great that you’re trying to get your oral health in hand. Don’t let this one dentist who jumps to the most expensive solution right away discourage you. Get that second opinion. Some dentists even do free second opinions.

Replacing Missing Teeth

You mentioned some missing teeth, which I’m sure you’ll want to replace eventually. The ideal tooth replacements are dental implants. However, if the adjacent teeth need crowns, then a dental bridge would make more sense. Your dentist can go over all the options with you as well as his recommendations for your particular situation.

This blog is brought to you by Decatur, AL Dentists Drs. Drake and Wallace.

My Dentist thinks I’m Crazy

Posted on August 8, 2018 by writeradmin.

I’m getting used to having medical people think I’m nuts, but at this point in my life, I know my body. Every time there is metal involved, I feel awful. I want to get rid of my metal fillings. I think they’re giving me problems. I took a Clifford’s test and it did show I have quite a few metal sensitivities. My dentist feels like it’s bunk. So, what I’m asking is will every dentist feel this way and I just have to deal with it or is there a chance there’s a dentist out there who will take me seriously?

Cara

Dear Cara,

I understand what you’re going through. Many dentists still find the Clifford’s test to be controversial. Notice I said many, not all. That’s the good news for you. There are dentists out there who will take you seriously and work around your metal sensitivities.

Your best option is to find a metal-free dentist. However, the limitation for you is to find one who also knows how to safely remove amalgam fillings.

Removing Amalgam Fillings Requires a Special Procedure

Make sure you ask whatever dentist you’re considering whether or not they know the procedure for sanitary amalgam removal. The mercury in the silver fillings causes a danger to you. You want your dentist to know the steps to prevent you from swallowing the pieces or inhaling any mercury vapors. Most mercury-free dentists know how to do that.

Are Metal-Free Fillings Safer?

I’m guessing your dentist quoted to you the fact that the ADA has proclaimed after numerous studies that amalgam fillings are perfectly safe. What he probably didn’t mention is there are as many studies done by other groups which say they aren’t. Much of the difference has to do with the conditions under which the tests were performed. For instance, the ADA’s tests were done under static conditions, whereas the other tests were done under real-world conditions.

Regardless of the amount of release of mercury from the fillings, that’s not your actual problem. You’re allergic to the metal. They could be perfectly safe for millions of people, but that doesn’t change your allergies.

What Metal-Free Services are Available?

In addition to metal-free fillings, which are worlds better for your teeth than their silver counterparts, you can also get all-porcelain dental crowns or Zirconia Crowns. You no longer have to get a metal-based crown. In fact, most dentists should discourage them on front teeth. They are remarkably unattractive looking, which isn’t what you want in your smile. Plus, they always develop a gray line at your gumline. Also not a pretty smile feature.

Additionally, you can now get metal-free dental implants. Using zirconia instead of titanium you can have a dental implant which won’t affect your allergies in any way whatsoever.

This blog is brought to you by Decatur Dentists Dr. Drake and Wallace.