Almost everyone has to deal with cavities at least once in their lifetime. Dentists treat cavities by removing the decayed portion of the tooth and fill that area with filling materials. Dental fillings can also be used to repair cracked, broken, and chipped teeth.

Thanks to modern dentistry, teeth can now be filled with different types of filling materials, including gold, porcelain, silver amalgam, tooth-colored(or white fillings), and plastic fillings. Among all of them, silver and white fillings are the most popular. But which one is the best?

White Fillings

White fillings are made of tooth-colored resin composite. This composite resin is made of a blend of plastic, silica, and dimethylglyoxime fillers which helps the filling material to bond with the tooth’s surface. Your dentist can apply different shades of white while creating the composite so that the filling blends with your tooth. 

Advantages:

• Tooth-colored or white fillings are unnoticeable and appealing as they are the same color as the tooth.
• White fillings attach right to the tooth, restoring a broken or chipped tooth’s shape, which may not be an option with silver fillings.

Disadvantages:

• White fillings can be more expensive than silver fillings.

Silver Fillings

Silver fillings or dental amalgams are made of a combination of metals that can include silver, tin, copper, and mercury. Silver fillings are mostly placed on posterior teeth.

Advantages:

• Silver fillings harden more quickly than white fillings.
• They are better for teeth that undergo a lot of pressure such as posterior teeth.

Disadvantages:

• Silver fillings are less attractive as they don’t match the tooth color.
• Over time, silver fillings can cause microcracks and the surrounding part of the tooth to turn dull and grey.
• Silver fillings can start leaking after a few years and cause decay under the filling and eventually lead to more problems such as recurrent decay.
• Mercury used in silver fillings may cause allergic reactions to some patients.

Even though silver fillings are the most common in Canada, they are not suitable for many cases. You can’t use silver fillings on the front row teeth, they might create more complications after a few years and they don’t look good on you. On the other hand, white fillings are getting popular nowadays because of their aesthetic look, functionality, and durability. 

Silver fillings can easily be replaced with white fillings. Dr. Salim Kapadia Dental Centre is well known in Scarborough and it’s surrounding areas for their quality tooth-colored dental fillings. If you are in need of any general or cosmetic dentistry services, call Dr. Salim Kapadia Dental Centre at 416-321-3268 or click here to book an appointment.