Appointments Reviews

White vs. Silver Fillings

Why do we choose to do white fillings instead of silver fillings?  This has been somewhat of a controversy in dentistry for the last twenty years.  Cosmetics is only a small part of the answer. Our mission statement for the office says we choose to provide excellence.  In order to accomplish this we have to use the best materials available and also go to continuing education classes to learn the proper use and placement of these materials.  By using the white fillings (composite resins), we are able to do very conservative restorations economically.  Conservation of healthy tooth structure is a very important goal of ours, and we can achieve this much better when we use the white fillings.  The ideal restorative material is cast gold, but the expense and appearance of this metal keeps most people from choosing this option.  The white fillings look natural and are bonded to the tooth, thus reducing sensitivity and increasing strength as compared to the silver fillings.  The white and silver fillings also have a similar wear rate, meaning they have the same potential for longevity.  The silver fillings still have a role to play when we are unable to maintain a dry work environment in the posterior part of the mouth, and we do occasionally use them. 

Overall, most of our restorations (fillings) will be the white material.  If you have any questions on this subject or any other, please bring them up to us and we would be very eager to discuss them with you.  Thanks

– from Dr. Eichmeyer
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