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So, a few years ago I got dental insurance. I was really ignorant and I now believe the dentist drilled more than what was necessary. Almost every single year they would constantly find cavities and drill baby drill. I have always gotten composites, because well that is what everyone does. However, year after year I would get more cavities which equals more fillings.
I am now at a point where I am sick of tooth colored fillings. If I add up how many fillings I have had to have each year, the price would be up high. I did my research and wanted to go with amalgam because although they are ugly, they seem to last and this is an important factor for me. I have a "home" dentist that I found and liked and he would only do tooth colored and I was like no. (yes I am aware of the mercury claims and went to the ADA's website)
So I went to one dentist and she said you have a single cavity and need a crown. Although she said that, she would not do silver either. I, then contacted our health liasion who found a dentist who did the service I requested. The entire time, they were trying to talk me into composites. I said no. When she saw I was not budging all of a sudden nearly 7 of my teeth needed crowns. The price was $8000+. I was like what in the world because my previous dentist had not suggested that. There was a HUGE difference in price and I feel like she was trying to manipulate me.
I believe that health providers are reimbursed less for the silver fillings, but I am just trying to see if they are really that bad. I have gone to a few dentist and these composites seem to not hold up regardless of dentist or technique. I believe the life span is supposed to be 5-7 years. I seem to be getting 1 year at the most and I don't eat hard candy. Would anyone who has these fillings or a dental professional care to chime in on your experience?
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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With a mouthful of dental work including crowns and implants I have been through a lot of fun adventures with the dentists. The average life of metal fillings is 15 years, though I have beaten that with some. Those tooth-colored fillings are made with a mixture of glass and plastic resins, and should still last 10 years, but then all fillings are affected by diet, teeth grinding at night, and dentist skills. They will wear out fast if left too high and hitting the opposing tooth, or for composite, the UV light curing time was not long enough.
With a mouthful of dental work including crowns and implants I have been through a lot of fun adventures with the dentists. The average life of metal fillings is 15 years, though I have beaten that with some. Those tooth-colored fillings are made with a mixture of glass and plastic resins, and should still last 10 years, but then all fillings are affected by diet, teeth grinding at night, and dentist skills. They will wear out fast if left too high and hitting the opposing tooth, or for composite, the UV light curing time was not long enough.
What was your experience with those? Did your teeth crack? Any pain etc?
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,722 posts, read 81,625,646 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tigergirl87
What was your experience with those? Did your teeth crack? Any pain etc?
Despite the many fillings, several crowns and implants, I have never experienced listing pain. After the extractions for the implants it was a2-3 days, but never enough to fill the pain medication prescriptions. For the root canals and crowns, usual just a little that can be handles with Tylenol, until the first day after, then no more pain. Only one ever cracked, when an old amalgam filling needed replacing and with some decay had to be drilled out more. With so little left, from eating the tooth wall cracked and that resulted in an implant.
In the last couple of months I had a gold crown that had worn out replaced with a porcelain one, and a filling (composite) on the back side of a front upper tooth.
Another aspect to amalgam to consider (according to some reading I did about it) is that they tend to expand and contract in response to temperature change more than resin (think hot food/liquids, cold food/liquids). Metal expands when heated, contracts when cold. Over time, all that repeated expansion and contraction loosens the filling and creates gaps between the material and the tooth. Which creates an opportunity for bacteria to get in and kick off new decay. Amalgam fillings can make it harder to detect further decay on xrays. Based on your OP your teeth seem prone to decay. Heredity plays a part in that. It isn't necessarily because of either type of filling.
FWIW, I am lucky...my teeth are not prone to decay. I have a couple of composite fillings that are at least 15 years old. Because I'm a grinder I now have gold crowns on several molars that have been in place for at least 20 years. No pain or problems with them. I also have a couple of amalgam fillings almost that old, but there are so many variables that play in to how long any filling is going to last. How well the filling was bonded to the tooth, how solid the tooth is, which tooth and how you use it to chew, jaw clenching, grinding, how meticulously you care for your teeth, plus genetic pre-disposition. The filling material itself may last a long time but if the natural tooth around it decays, that decay is going to need to be removed and the tooth repaired.
Last edited by Parnassia; 02-04-2021 at 02:23 PM..
I just think it is insane on how year to year that I get more cavities. Also, can I hold off on a crown? I do not have any pain and have had the filling a few years. Can I opt for a filling and if it does not work get a crown.
Also, can I hold off on a crown? I do not have any pain and have had the filling a few years. Can I opt for a filling and if it does not work get a crown.
Can't comment on why you get cavities. May be nothing you can do to totally prevent that if your teeth are genetically susceptible. Different dentists are more or less observant or proactive about repairing decay too. IME, one dentist may not catch early ones another will notice right away. You'll have to discuss that with your dentist who can see your teeth in person.
I had a ton of amalgam fillings as a kid then started having weird numbness shortly after getting a root canal. I'm more of an alt med type and did research and found that the different metals in the root canal could cause the mercury to leach out of the analgams, a magnetic type reaction. I had some lab testing done and then had all my amalgams replaced with composites, which was fairly new 30 years ago. Since then I've had a few more root canals, no troubles.
But, I'm done. We haven't had dental insurance for many years so we are cash pay. Unless we have severe pain, not interested in any more root canals and crowns. A couple of fillings have fallen out of my back teeth and it doesn't bother me. I think I would go for just pulling a bad tooth. I'm in my 60's and just really don't care. But if I needed a filling, I'd still get the composites.
I hate being so cynical but the last dentist we went to really sold the root canals and crowns and cost us a fortune.
Had a funny little moment when my dentist was doing composite restoration on my amalgam bicuspids.
Little piece of amalgam fell off while dentist was drilling. Assistant didn't catch it with suction, so the Dentist paused and started saying "little piece back there, over there, under there, left right left" or whatever. Assistant was like oh my bad I didn't see it
Well, thank goodness the Dentist was looking out for me :lol:
I just think it is insane on how year to year that I get more cavities. Also, can I hold off on a crown? I do not have any pain and have had the filling a few years. Can I opt for a filling and if it does not work get a crown.
Crowns aren't usually recommended unless the cavity is large. You may have had a cavity in the same tooth and then get decay from the other side such that 2 fillings may make the tooth too weak - so a crown is then recommended. Ask the dentist to explain why he/she thinks you need a crown.
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