Over the lifetime of a tooth with an amalgam, or “silver filling,” a number of complications can occur. Aside from being unattractive, silver fillings can weaken the surrounding tooth structure over time. Silver fillings expand and contract in response to temperature variations in our mouths and this expansion and contraction almost always leads to cracks in the amalgam fillings themselves, and can even affect the surrounding tooth structure, causing it to fracture and break as well.
These cracks allow the bacteria in our saliva to leak underneath the silver fillings and cause decay around and under the filling itself. Over time, decay and micro-cracks eventually weaken the tooth further, often resulting in a major break of part of the silver filling or a fracture of part of your tooth. At Emerson Dental, our dentists offer many superior alternatives to silver fillings that are not only esthetically pleasing, but also healthier for your teeth. Depending on the condition of your tooth and filling, options for replacing old fillings include composite (tooth-colored) fillings, porcelain inlays or onlays, and metal-free crowns. All of these provide a much better aesthetic and a healthy long-term result.