Removing Old Fillings

Encinitas, Carlsbad, and San Diego

Removing your old fillings can restore the beauty and health of your smile. Whether you have metal fillings or white fillings that have become discolored or failed, Dr. Walsh-Cole can remove them and replace them with beautiful, porcelain inlays or onlays.

 

Beauty

 

You may want to replace your old fillings for purely cosmetic reasons. Metal fillings are unsightly. Even if you were not displeased with the shiny metal fillings when they were first placed, metal fillings tarnish over time, and they can stain your teeth. “White” fillings made of older, inferior materials can also become discolored, looking like a stained patch of tooth. Replacing your old fillings can be a great way to introduce yourself to the beauty of cosmetic dentistry, or it can be a part of a complete Smile Makeover.

 

Removing old fillings for dental health

 

Everyone wants a beautiful smile, but you may have been putting off replacing your old fillings because you believe that they are at least doing their job and protecting your teeth. Maybe they are in the back of your mouth where you think they cannot be seen.

 

If you have been waiting to remove your old fillings for any of these reasons, you may want to think again. Your old fillings could be doing more harm than good and replacing them now could save you dental work in the future.

 

Mercury

 

Metal fillings contain mercury. Mercury itself is very toxic. Whether or not metal fillings release enough mercury into your body to cause mercury poisoning is still undetermined, but many dentists, health care professionals, and other scientists believe they may. Many patients choose to have their metal fillings removed simply to avoid this risk.

 

There is another problem with mercury that is a known fact among dentists, even though the general public may not be aware of it. Mercury expands and contracts with exposure to hot and cold temperatures. This is not an uncertain risk. It is the reason why thermometers used to be made with mercury. The mercury in metal fillings causes them to expand and contract inside your teeth.

 

When your fillings expand they can crack your teeth or cause very tiny fractures. Those tiny fractures are not visible, but they can cause pain when you chew and can lead to deep decay or brittle teeth.

 

When your fillings contract they may leak and allow food particles to get inside of your teeth causing decay. An improperly sealed “white” filling will also allow food particle to enter your tooth.

 

Neuromuscular dental problems

 

Fillings can fail due to their age or to new decay. They can also fail due to neuromuscular dental problems. A misaligned bite can cause extreme forces between your teeth in inappropriate directions, damaging or pushing loose your fillings. As an LVI trained neuromuscular dentist Dr. Walsh-Cole can diagnose and treat neuromuscular dental problems, relieving your pain and protecting your dental health.

 

You can see the beauty of our tooth-colored fillings by viewing our Before & After Gallery.

 

If you have unsightly or failing fillings, please contact us today to schedule your complimentary cosmetic consultation.