Are white dental fillings as strong as amalgam?!
Question: Are white dental fillings as strong as amalgam.?
pros and cons.? Is there any mercury or known dodgy chemicals in the white ones.? Do they last as long.?
Thanks in advance.Health Question & Answer
Thanks in advance.Health Question & Answer
Answers:
The ADA recognizes amalgams fillings as legitimate restoration. There is literature that says the white filling is just as strong as the silver, but for most clinically it does not appear that way. That is in the real world the silver filling last longer and cost about 50% less. Silver fillings have been around since the start of modern dentistry. The physical properties of amalgam is similar to that of enamel except color, eg they both expand a simlilar rates when heat is present. Amalgam is more technique friendly, where as white fillings ar more technique sensitive ( meaning that more things can go wrong, eg if a dry field is not maintained and saliva gets into the area and not noticed the filling can fail)
As far as the literature is concern, the white filling may be as strong as a silver filling, but those studies fail to mention that white fillings are held in by an adhesive whch tends to fail in 2 to five years. Once the adhesice fail the bond is bronken and the filling is vulnerable to failure.
My opinion is the the silver filling is superior to the white composite filling. In myclinical experience its not uncommon to find silver fillings that have been in the mouth for over 30 years, plus they are less expensive.
As for mercury, the way amalgam is formulated the reaction in the capsule goes to completion with the mercury being the limiting reagant and the other material being in abundance. Once the reaction is complete the amalgam is no longer mercury, and does not have the properties of mercury. think of it as water H2O while water has both oxygen and hydrogen, once it has become water it loses it properties of hydrogen and oxgygen, thats why you can't breath h2o.
White fillings are full of chemicals and acids are used to bond themHealth Question & Answer
As far as the literature is concern, the white filling may be as strong as a silver filling, but those studies fail to mention that white fillings are held in by an adhesive whch tends to fail in 2 to five years. Once the adhesice fail the bond is bronken and the filling is vulnerable to failure.
My opinion is the the silver filling is superior to the white composite filling. In myclinical experience its not uncommon to find silver fillings that have been in the mouth for over 30 years, plus they are less expensive.
As for mercury, the way amalgam is formulated the reaction in the capsule goes to completion with the mercury being the limiting reagant and the other material being in abundance. Once the reaction is complete the amalgam is no longer mercury, and does not have the properties of mercury. think of it as water H2O while water has both oxygen and hydrogen, once it has become water it loses it properties of hydrogen and oxgygen, thats why you can't breath h2o.
White fillings are full of chemicals and acids are used to bond themHealth Question & Answer
Amalgam fillings are stronger than composite and there are a lot more chemicals in composite than amalgam. Don't be too concerned about mercury because there is no credible scientific evidence that shows the mercury in amalgam fillings is harmful. There is no mercury in composite but there is a variety of resins. All things being equal a composite filling should last as long as a silver filling. If the cavity is small composite is the way to go. I don't use amalgam much anymore in my practice but it is a time-tested excellent restorative material. Health Question & Answer
Personally I think that white fillings are as strong if not stronger than amalgam fillings. I got white fillings in 6 of my molars and most of them have been there for 20 plus years and other than 1 falling out 13 years and 1 recently chipping I've had no problems. Whereas when I had amalgam fillings they always seemed to be falling out. Plus they look a lot better.Health Question & Answer
my dentist used to advise me to take amalgan for big fillings at the back because they would last longer. I have got white fillings in front teeth that are 9 years old and fine and i really prefer them so i would always go for the white ones these days...Health Question & Answer
you should take goldinlays, that's the best.Health Question & Answer