White Fillings or Amalgam - Just The Facts

When you're deciding to on white (tooth-colored) fillings or amalgam (silver), you need just the facts. Learn here why we recommend white or composite EVERYTIME.

If you're considering dental fillings, what's the biggest decision you’re most likely to have to make before your appointment? It's likely to be a choice between white or amalgam (AKA silver or black) fillings.

So do you ask friends and family ...or research online to learn what others what recommend or suggest?

While advising both new and existing clients to be proactive about dental health, we also encourage discussion with either our staff or other dental professionals before committing to new procedures and appointments.

So to help guide you and make those decisions a little easier, Hobsonville Point Dentists have answered some of the most common white (or composite) vs amalgam fillings questions below.

What Are White Fillings?

There is a range of dental filling materials available to modern dentistry. A composite or white filling is a non-toxic mixture of tooth-coloured plastic and glass, used by dentists to restore decayed teeth or for cosmetics improvements. Gold; porcelain or silver amalgam (a mercury, silver, tin, zinc and copper mix) are other alternatives for filling teeth.  Learn more about white fillings here

When Are White Fillings Used?

Typically, the purpose of fillings are used to repair decay to your teeth, however, early decay does not always indicate the need for a filling – talk to us about a simple dental hygiene check-up.

In addition to their use for repair of tooth decay, composite or white fillings are also used for cosmetic improvements to the smile by changing the colour of your teeth or reshaping disfigured teeth.  A composite filling is ideal if the size of your cavity is small to medium, or if your tooth is used from  a lot of chewing action 

Why Replace Amalgam With White Fillings?

Our specialists have been repairing amalgam filled teeth for more than 30 years in a number of dental practices. We have discovered many amalgam fillings inevitably fracture or break up & we often discover dental decay beneath them.

We consider composite / white fillings and other solutions to be a stronger, safer and more durable alternative to traditional dental amalgam fillings.

Above: white fillings replacement for amalgam 

What Are The Advantages of White Fillings?

White fillings can be very small in size and adapt to any shape or surface of the cavity. Available in a wide variety of colours, our dentists can confidently match the colour of a composite or white filling to the colour of your smile.  - resulting in a restoration that is a much better more biomimetic (life like) alternative to amalgam.

Composites are also a more suitable choice for people who are afraid of dental work. These fillings require less drilling as they are bonded or “glued” into the tooth cavity. Learn more about composite fillings here

How Long Do They Last?

As with most dental repairs, although they provide a long-term solution to dental decay or for cosmetic corrections, tooth coloured fillings will eventually require attention. International studies consider composite resin fillings a very durable option, with indications that they can last from 5 -10 years, although many of our clients have found success for significantly longer periods of time.

Do you want to know more about white fillings, your choices for dental cavities and repair? Talk to Hobsonville Point Dental today on 09 320 0504 to learn more about the benefits of composite resin (white fillings) vs traditional amalgam fillings.

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