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3933 Lane Road, Painesville, Ohio 44077 - phone:(440) 639-CARE

Frequently Asked Questions…

Why Say "NO!" to Silver Fillings?

There is a grand debate going on in Dentistry: "TO PLACE SILVER FILLINGS OR NOT TO"? In 2000, Perry Dental Solutions stopped using silver fillings. This is a summary of why we believe that silver is not even the better choice to fill a tooth cavity.

The major difference between a silver filling and a composite filling is the simple fact that the composite filling is glued into the tooth whereas the silver filling is merely packed into the tooth.

What is the difference between gluing and packing a filling in place?

Well, a glued in or bonded filling is structurally stronger and more resistant to breakage, cracking and failure.

A filling not boned to the tooth is a major hazard because of two things:

  1. Silver is a metal, which expands and contracts with hot or cold at a much different rate than a tooth. And so, because of this difference, the silver acts like a wedge and over time will actually crack a tooth much like a wedge cracks a log for firewood.
  2. Silver is just packed into the tooth. As a result of the above factor and in combination with aging, the silver begins to pull away from the tooth opening up a gap between the tooth and the silver filling. This gap, though hard to see without a microscope is the perfect size for bacteria - the cause of tooth cavities. Basically, the bacteria work their way down between the tooth and the silver filling and create a new cavity. In most cases this new cavity grows slowly and painlessly until one day for no apparent reason the tooth hurts and throbs. Well when this occurs that cavity has gotten so big that it is now into the nerve of the tooth, creating an infection, which then necessitates a Root Canal Treatment or an extraction (the tooth to be pulled).

This does not happen with a bonded filling, unless the bond fails.

Other differences exist between a silver filling and a composite filling.

  1. The silver filling contains Mercury. Nearly 46% of any silver filling is comprised of Mercury. Each silver filling is made from 1000 mg of material, 460 mg of Mercury and 540 mg of a combination of Silver, Tin and Copper. This is approximately 0.05 mg/m3 of Mercury or 0.46 grams of Mercury.
  2. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) determined that a person should not be exposed to more that 0.1 mg/m3 (milligrams per cubic meter of air) during an 8 hour period of time.
  3. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has regulated that no more than 1 part per million (ppm) of mercury be found in fish.
  4. On average the typical adult has ten amalgam fillings each containing about 460 mg (o.46grams) of mercury in total for a total of 4.6 grams of mercury in your mouth - that's is a lot of Mercury.
  5. Mercury is released from the fillings every time you eat or chew. The Mercury is absorbed into the food you eat and then swallowed.
  6. Composite Fillings are tooth colored so we are able to match or even improve the color of your existing teeth.
  7. Composite Fillings are more expensive, yes, but require more skill, experience and a dry field to be placed and if placed well will last a lifetime.

And so, composite materials are the only filling material used a Perry Dental Solutions. Ultimately, the choice is yours, bur we hope this information will help you make a better more informed decision.