The Truth About Metal Fillings

Most dental insurance policies downgrade what services they will cover, because they are 12-15 years behind what evidenced based dentistry shows. What does this mean if you have dental coverage? Simply that they will only help put a black/silver/mercury filling in a back tooth. The fact is a 2012 review article covering 34 clinical studies showed a 1 year success rate of 97-99% for tooth colored restorations in back teeth. This compared to a 97% annual success rate reported in a 2004 review article on metal/amalgam fillings.

Resin is an exceptional material when used properly. It can be repaired and added to with ease, whereas metal fillings generally must be completely removed to be replaced. This can cause unnecessary loss of tooth structure.

Teeth that have metal filings for many years begin to fracuture, we don’t typically see that with white colored filings. Cracks cause the need for crowns later on.