An Affordable White or Silver Dental Filling

Silver and gold grills are in vogue right now! Many people are getting their names and area codes permanently embossed in gold and diamonds on the front of their teeth to score cool points. Yes, metal in the mouth is all the rage; but not necessarily when it comes to routine dental fillings – both of which the Careington dental plan can make an affordable dental option for your mouth.

At the dentist's office there are two major choices of affordable dental fillings: silver-colored metal and white resin-based composite dental fillings. However, there are key pros and cons to each type of affordable dental fillings with the Careington plan.

Silver Dental Filling

Pros

Silver-colored metal fillings were the traditional metal fillings for decades, but advancing technology has made resin-based composite fillings possible.The traditional silver-colored metal fillings, often known as “amalgam,” another word for themetal alloy, are typically the strongest and longest-lasting dental fillings. Ironically, even though these type of fillings are stronger, they are also the least expensive of the two affordable dental fillings!

Cons

There are some drawbacks of the silver metal fillings, however. First is the color of the actual filling. When a patient gets a silver metal filling, they end up with a small silver dot on their tooth. On a back tooth which can not easily be seen, this does not pose a serious problem. However, in the front of the mouth, a silver dot is not very attractive. There is also a scare right now about the mercury which was traditionally used in the silver metal fillings. There have recently been complaints filed about mercury poisoning due to the mercury in metal fillings.

White Dental Filling

More commonly these days, people are choosing the white, resin-based composite fillings. White resin-based composite fillings have become more and more popular in recent years due to their increase in strength and durability. Affordable dental white fillings are not as strong as amalgam dental fillings and they typically cost a bit more, but they do have some advantages over the amalgam ones.

The white fillings can be shaded to match the color of your teeth, so that it does not look like you have a filling at all. This is especially important in the front of your mouth, where everyone sees your smile. Second, the white fillings do not have the mercury in them, so there is no concern for the side-effects of mercury.

How do you know which type of filling is the most practical and affordable dental option for you? Even though most amalgam silver-colored dental fillings now have the mercury removed, many dentists will only use the white dental fillings. To better determine which type of filling is better for your situation, talk to your dentist. Any licensed dentist will be able to look at your situation and tell you which type of affordable dental filling would be the best, most affordable dental choice for you.