Posted: June 30, 2017
Our pearly white teeth show when we smile, laugh, or talk. They should be esthetically pleasing. So do we need to remove silver fillings?
Silver fillings are known as Amalgam. Amalgam contains, silver, copper, tin, and some mercury. Amalgam has been shown to be a safe. Per the American Dental Association, no studies have shown that silver fillings known as dental Amalgam is unsafe. The ADA has not found any indication that placing or removing silver fillings releases a significant amount of mercury or puts the patient in unsafe conditions.
Amalgam fillings were first introduced in 1833 as an alternative to gold restorations. Gold restorations are the gold standard of dental treatment because of their similarity in hardness to natural enamel. Amalgam presented a more affordable alternative to gold and even then, these silver fillings were controversial.
How do our teeth look when we laugh loudly and toss our head backward? Only your dentist and the person sitting across from you can truly say if they notice these silver fillings. It can look like a black hole in the tooth. From a health standpoint, Amalgam does not make you unsafe. From the standpoint of your Fort Worth Cosmetic Dentist, amalgam is not ideal for a runway model.
Here at Museum Smiles Dentistry, it is completely our patient’s call if they want to replace their silver fillings with white composite fillings. The process may involve some local anesthetic, and optimal isolation to prevent absorption of the silver fillings. Then we use tooth adhesives and apply the composite material that best matches the shade of your natural teeth. An advantage of composite fillings is that they are hardly noticeable to anyone around us. Sometimes, composite tooth fillings blend so well that dental radiographs must be taken to view the restoration and its difference from enamel.
Some sensitivity is normal after fillings. We proactively use a tooth desensitizer before placing dental composite fillings. And this eliminates most cases of sensitivity. If you are a thespian or have a public appearance coming up and would like to replace your silver fillings with dental composite, schedule a consultation. We can discuss options that range from dental composite to porcelain/ceramic crowns to provide a beautiful smile appearance. We are located within minutes of downtown Fort Worth and within walking distance of the Fort Worth Museum of Modern Art. We truly enjoy the art of making you smile.
