There are very minimal risks. 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.
Dental Fillings
To stop a cavity from expanding and spreading decay, it is necessary to fill the hole with a filling. A dental filling, which may be placed with a variety of materials, such as silver, gold or resin, restores a fractured, chipped, decayed and sometimes worn tooth.
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American Dental Association answeredSee All 8 AnswersAmalgam fillings, or silver fillings, can withstand very high chewing loads, they are particularly useful for restoring molars in the back of the mouth where chewing load is greatest. They are also useful in areas where a cavity preparation is difficult to keep dry during the filling replacement, such as in deep fillings below the gum line. Amalgam fillings, like other filling materials, are considered biocompatible -- they are well tolerated by patients with only rare occurrences of allergic response.
Dental amalgam has been used by dentists for more than a century and is the most thoroughly researched and tested restorative material among all those in use. It is durable, easy to use, highly resistant to wear and relatively inexpensive in comparison to other materials. For those reasons, it remains a valued treatment option for dentists and their patients. -
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RealAge answeredSee All 4 AnswersGold is a preferred tooth filling when you get inlay fillings, a type of natural-looking filling. Gold fillings contain approximately 75% gold, combined with other metals. They are very durable, lasting typically 10 to 15 years. The type of filling you receive will depend upon the amount and location of tooth decay, as well as how much you're willing to pay. Gold fillings tend to cost more money than other fillings and are harder to prepare. -
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American Dental Association answeredSee All 3 AnswersAn inlay is a special kind of filling that may be used to repair the chewing surfaces of a back tooth like a molar, premolar or bicuspid. It fits into the contours of the tooth, between the cusps (points) of the biting surface. The inlay restores the space that remains after the dentist removes the decay or old filling.
An onlay is like an inlay, but it is bigger and covers some or all chewing surfaces of the tooth. It may provide more coverage for a tooth that has lost much of its biting surface when decay damages the surface between teeth. Your dentist may recommend an onlay based on how damaged the tooth is. -
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Dr. Jonathan B. Levine, DMD , Prosthodontics, answeredSometimes a tooth simply needs to be shortened or slightly reshaped to bring it back into proportion with the rest of the smile. In these cases, it can be accomplished with a very conservative technique called enameloplasty, which is often used in concert with whitening and/or bonding. As you can probably guess, this downsizing technique is mostly done on central incisors (the "rabbit tooth" effect) and canines when they're too fang-like. The process is fairly simple and straightforward: a handheld piece of fine polishing diamonds, in effect, sands the tooth down while also polishing the tooth's enamel at the same time. It's not a costly procedure and takes just a few minutes. -
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American Dental Association answeredSee All 7 AnswersDental amalgam (metal fillings) has been used by dentists for more than a century and is the most thoroughly researched and tested restorative material among all those in use. It is durable, easy to use, highly resistant to wear and relatively inexpensive in comparison to other materials. For those reasons, it remains a valued treatment option for dentists and their patients.
Because amalgam fillings can withstand very high chewing loads, they are particularly useful for restoring molars in the back of the mouth where chewing load is greatest. They are also useful in areas where a cavity preparation is difficult to keep dry during the filling replacement, such as in deep fillings below the gum line. -
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Discovery Health answeredSee All 4 AnswersComposite, resin, or white fillings have been in use for about 20 years. Composite fillings are made from an organic polymer called bisphenol-A-glycidyl methacrylate (BIS-GMA). They also contain inorganic particles including quartz, borosilicate glass and lithium aluminum silicate.
As advantages, resin fillings require a more conservative tooth preparation (less drilling) and can have a strengthening effect on the tooth. They also are very aesthetic, virtually blending in with the tooth. Resin fillings are the most popular material for repairing front teeth.
As far as disadvantages, they are more technique sensitive for the dentist and are highly susceptible to decay if placed improperly. Resin fillings usually cost more than an amalgam, and research has shown a by-product of some resin restorations called bisphenol-A might be estrogenic and increase the risk of breast cancer. Regardless of this research, composite fillings are considered safe and they are approved by the American Dental Association. -
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Discovery Health answeredSee All 10 AnswersWhen someone gets "plaque" on their teeth, they are getting a "film of bacteria." These bacteria stick to teeth. The bacteria then create acid as a by-product of their metabolism. That acid can eat through the tooth's enamel causing a cavity -- a hole through the enamel.
A tooth has three parts: The outer, very hard enamel, the inner, much softer dentin (think of dentin like ivory) and the core pulp, which consists of nerves and blood vessels.
Once acid breaks through the enamel, bacteria can invade the dentin and will eat through it fairly quickly. If the bacteria make it to the pulp, it causes an infection. You will need a root canal.
When dentists drill into teeth, they are shaping an opening. This is to ensure all of the rot in the dentin is removed entirely. Another reason for drilling is to create a shape for the filling to bond and fill the cavity completely. Fillings can be either a silver/mercury amalgam or they can be plastic. -
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American Dental Association answeredSee All 4 AnswersThere are several benefits of an amalgam tooth filling:
- It is a stable alloy made of about 43 percent to 54 percent mercury with other metals, including silver, copper and tin
- It has been used for fillings for over 150 years
- It is very long lasting
- It works well under pressure, so it is good for teeth in the back of the mouth, where chewing pressure is greatest
- It is relatively inexpensive compared to other materials
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American Dental Association answeredSee All 6 AnswersAmalgam fillings are silver-colored and do not look as natural as a tooth-colored filling, especially when the restoration is near the front of the mouth. Also, the dentist may need to remove a larger part of the tooth to place an amalgam filling compared to other kinds of fillings.