I have an amalgam filling on a back tooth that I want replaced with composite. It takes up about 70% of the tooth. However, my dentist told me that amalgam fillings stain your teeth and they wouldn’t look very nice after he removed them. Is this true?
Jeffrey in Seattle
Jeffrey,
While it is true that amalgam fillings can stain your teeth, everyone I have replaced looks much better than it did with the amalgam filling. Especially with it being on your back tooth, I don’t see any mild discoloration being a major factor. To be honest, it sounds to me like he isn’t very comfortable placing composite fillings. You absolutely don’t want to press this issue with him. It takes a special bonding technique to place white fillings. There are many horror stories about improperly bonded composite fillings where the patient ended up needing a root canal.
I would suggest looking for a different dentist to do this procedure. I’m also a little concerned that you’re saying the filling takes up about 70% of the tooth. That large of a filling really should have a dental crown placed on the tooth.
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