How To Cover Up Silver Amalgam Fillings Without Replacing Them
Posted on: 4 May 2017
If you've ever had a tooth filled with a silver amalgam filling, you know how unsightly they can be. An otherwise perfect-looking smile can be marred by a silver amalgam filling, which points out to anyone looking at your smile that you've had dental work done. Unfortunately, getting amalgam fillings replaced isn't easy, but thankfully, covering them up is. Read on to learn more about what you can do to make your smile look perfect without having to have your fillings removed and replaced.
The Problem With Removal and Replacement
If your fillings are intact, chances are most dentists will be unwilling to remove them. Doing so would mean drilling further into your teeth, which could potentially go deep enough to affect the pulp or even roots of your teeth. Depending on how deep your cavity was to begin with, in a worst-case scenario, you could end up needing a root canal if a dentist chose to abide by your wishes and remove your amalgam filling to replace it with a resin or porcelain one. However, that doesn't mean that you're stuck with having visible metal in your mouth.
Choose Porcelain Crowns Instead
Porcelain crowns are a perfect way of covering up an unsightly filling without having to damage your teeth in the process. Porcelain crowns are designed to mimic the appearance of a healthy tooth perfectly. Like any crown, they completely encapsulate your tooth, covering up the silver filling regardless of its location. As an added bonus, placing a crown over a tooth that has a filling will help to protect the remaining tooth and its filling from being damaged by wear and tear from daily use and teeth grinding.
Replacement Process
In addition to being an easy way to cover up your fillings, you don't have to worry about undergoing painful or lengthy procedures. Following a quick check-up and cleaning of your teeth, your dentist will take a mold of your tooth to have a custom-fit porcelain crown made just for you. In some cases, re-shaping your tooth may be necessary in order to fit a crown over it. In this instance, your dentist will either add additional filling to your tooth or file it down slightly, and place a temporary crown over it to protect it while you wait for your final crown. Afterwards, you'll be free to go until your crown is shipped to the dentist's office.
Once your new porcelain crown has arrived, your dentist will bring you back in to adhere it to your tooth. Crowns don't require any drilling, and can be fitted in a single visit with professional-grade dental adhesive, so you'll finish your day with a brand new, perfect smile.
If your silver fillings have got you feeling self-conscious about your smile, don't worry about it. Just talk to a dentist about having a porcelain crown put in place and rest easy knowing that your smile will look pristine and perfect in no time.
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