composite fillings Archives - Dr. Duane Delaune's Blog

How Much Does Silver Fillings Removal Cost?

Posted on April 11, 2023 by AllSmiles.

I have five silver fillings that my previous dentist placed. I’ve had them for 10-15 years but did not get them all at once. I recently relocated to NC and am looking for a new dentist. I want someone to remove the silver fillings and replace them with composite safely. I found five dental offices online and will call them about safe amalgam removal. How much should I expect to pay to remove and replace the fillings? Thank you. Alyson

Alyson,

Thank you for contacting Delaune Dental in Metairie, Louisiana, about silver fillings removal.

How Much Does Silver Fillings Removal Cost?

The cost of a silver (amalgam) fillings removal and replacement with white fillings depends on several factors, including:

The condition of your tooth
The location of the affected tooth
The filling size
Dental fees where you live in the U.S.
The dentist’s process for removal and replacement

Silver Filling Removal Cost

Dentists vary in their process and cost for removing amalgam fillings. You can expect fees of $500 to $1,000 or more, depending on whether a dentist practices safe amalgam removal. When you call dental offices for pricing, ask how the dentist removes amalgam fillings, which affects the fees.

What Is the Cost of a Composite Filling?

A composite, tooth-colored filling can cost $300 or more. But the cost depends on the condition of the tooth and filling size. Some fillings are so large that a cosmetic dentist may recommend a porcelain overlay, a custom ceramic restoration that covers one or more biting surfaces of a tooth.

What Is the Cost of Safe Amalgam Removal?

Image left of silver amalgam fillings loaded with mercury. Image right: mercury-free composite fillings

Ask a cosmetic dentist about mercury-free fillings

Some dentists who practice safe amalgam removal and replacement with white fillings charge $900 to $2,000 or more per tooth, depending on the tooth’s condition. When you ask questions about a dentist’s fees, specify which teeth are affected and whether the dentist practices safe amalgam removal.

After an exam and x-rays, a dentist can give you a more accurate estimate for replacing your silver fillings. If you have dental insurance, you can send a treatment estimate to the insurance company to project your out-of-pocket costs.

Metairie cosmetic dentist Dr. Duane Delaune sponsors this post. Read details about how Dr. Delaune strives to provide some of the best dental care in Metairie.

My Dentist Won’t Admit He Ruined My Bridge

Posted on June 10, 2022 by AllSmiles.

While placing two new crowns last December, my dentist nicked one of the crowns in a Maryland bridge that I got in 2002. The bridge is old, but I had no intention of replacing it because it is in good condition. And the nicked crown is my left front tooth. Two weeks later, I noticed silver showing through the crown that my dentist nicked. He insisted that the problem was from grinding my teeth, but he knew better. My dentist quickly notices any changes in my teeth, so he would have told me if my teeth grinding was causing a problem. Besides that, I wear a nighttime mouth guard.

Anyway, when I complained about the silver dot, my dentist asked me to schedule an appointment, and he placed composite over the dot. Now the dot is showing through the composite. I know the crowns have metal beneath them, but I am concerned that I need a new bridge. Now I don’t trust my dentist. I was supposed to get silver fillings replaced next, but I am hesitant to have him do any more work on my teeth. Do I have a choice or an alternative to replacing the Maryland bridge? – Wendy from Queens, NY

Wendy,

Thank you for your question. Although many dentists have adjusted a patient’s bite and damaged the crown, it usually does not happen to front teeth. Your dentist probably does not want to admit his mistake because it would obligate him to replace your Maryland bridge.

We suggest that you find a dentist for a second opinion. Ask the dentist if the crowns on your bridge show signs of teeth grinding. Some dentists use this method to detect the cause of damage:

Glide a metal explorer over the porcelain, which will not leave a mark if the damage is not from a dental bur. The metal explorer would leave a mark if a dental bur damaged your crown.

Ask the second-opinion dentist to document their findings. Return to your dentist with an explanation of the results.

Repairing a Nicked Crown in a Maryland Bridge

It is challenging to repair a nick in a porcelain-fused-to-metal crown without replacing the Maryland bridge. Your dentist’s attempt to improve the crown with composite did not work. Panavia is a brand of dental bonding cement that will bond to metal. An experienced cosmetic dentist may successfully hide the metal with these steps:

Grind away more of the metal to make room for the Panavia dental bonding cement
Use a micro-etcher to roughen the metal
Prime the metal before applying a thin layer of the bonding cement
Cure the cement and apply composite that matches the crown color
Shape and polish the cement

Whenever it is time to replace the bridge, newer ceramic options will give you durability and natural-looking results. You can also ask about replacing your silver fillings. This technique is not a guarantee. Seek a highly experienced cosmetic dentist for a second opinion to evaluate your Maryland bridge and discuss your options for saving it.

Dr. Duane Delaune, a Metairie, Louisiana, cosmetic dentist, sponsors this post.

Will a Dentist Need to Replace All My New Fillings?

Posted on May 24, 2022 by AllSmiles.

My dentist replaced three silver fillings with white ones in April. I have symptoms in all three fillings, which concerns me. If only one filling was uncomfortable, I would be more inclined to let my dentist replace it, but I am skeptical. I feel moderate pain when I eat, mild sensitivity to heat and cold, moderate pain after dinner, and left jaw and tonsil discomfort. I also feel some tingling and numbness in my jaw and chin. I don’t feel any pain in the mornings, though.

I cringe with the thought of finding a new dentist because it always takes me so long to find one that I like and trust. I thought I would have this dentist for years, but these faulty fillings make me nervous. Do my symptoms sound like I need new filings? – Thank you. Kristina from Hartford, DT

Kristina,

Thank you for contacting our office. Dr. Delaune would need to x-ray and examine your teeth and fillings to identify the cause of your symptoms, but we will explain what might be causing them.

What Causes Moderate Pain When Chewing on a New Filling?

If you feel moderate pain when chewing on teeth with new fillings, two possible causes include:

Your dentist placed a large filling that changed your bite.
The ligament that connects your tooth and jawbone experienced trauma during the procedure.

Why Is a New Dental Filling Sensitive to Cold?

When you feel mild sensitivity to cold after a dental filling, the tooth pulp may be irritated from the process of removing the decay. If the sensitivity does not gradually improve, a dentist needs to examine your teeth and fillings.

Why Do You Feel Moderate Pain in New Dental Fillings?

Continuous moderate pain in a tooth may mean that bacteria entered your tooth pulp. Your dentist may not be at fault because bacteria can enter the pulp while removing tooth decay. Your body can get rid of small amounts of bacteria, but your dentist may need to intervene if your symptoms do not improve.

What Causes Jaw and Tonsil Pain After a Dental Filling?

If you feel jaw and tonsil pain after a dental filling, the position of your mouth or jaw during the procedure may have stressed your muscles. The symptoms will improve.

What Causes Jaw Numbness and Tingling After a Dental Filling?

Lingering numbness and tingling after a dental filling means that your dentist may have slightly nicked a nerve with the numbing needle. The sensations will go away in time.

Request a Second Opinion for Your Dental Fillings

If you are not confident about your dentist’s ability to resolve the issue, you can schedule an appointment for a second opinion. Look for a dentist with advanced training and experience in cosmetic dentistry and placing mercury-free composite fillings.

Metairie, Louisiana, cosmetic dentist Dr. Duane Delaune sponsors this post.

Dental implants with metal allergies

Posted on July 13, 2019 by writeradmin.

I have a severe allergy to cobalt, nickel, and mercury. I’m in need of one filling and one dental implant. Is there a way to do this with my allergies?

Cassie

Dear Cassie,

a woman smiling from the dentist chair with her dentist smiling beside her — The key to a good outcome with your dentist is communication

Mercury-Free Dental Fillings

You will be able to treat both of these situations. We’ll start with the fillings because that is easy. You simply need to see a mercury-free dentist. They will provide you with white composite fillings and you’ll never have to worry about any mercury content.

Metal-Free Dental Implants

As for the dental implant, the metal allergies you mentioned shouldn’t affect you. Traditional dental implants are made from titanium which is extremely biocompatible. They’re used in many body replacements, including for hips.

If you are still concerned you might have an allergy to it, you can ask your doctor to run an allergy test. That is fairly simple. If it turns out you are allergic, there is still a way for you to get a dental implant.

They now make zirconia implants. These are metal free. The zirconia is just as strong as the titanium and is nicknamed ceramic steel. The reason dentists typically use the titanium is it has been in use longer and has a proven track record.

Most dentists are good at working around a patient’s limitations. For instance, there are anxious patients who need either extra patience and explanations or what’s happening or their anxiety is so strong they need some form of dental sedation.

If your dentist isn’t willing to work with you, I’d suggest finding a better caregiver.

This blog is brought to you by New Orleans Dentist Dr. Duane Delaune.

Composite filling hurts

Posted on February 1, 2019 by writeradmin.

I needed a dental filling on a back tooth. My dentist prefers placing the silver ones, but I didn’t really want that. I kind of pressured him to place the white one. Now I’m worried I made a mistake. The tooth hurts when I chew. I checked when I’m not eating and clenched, but it’s fine then. It only hurts when I’m biting down on something. Can this be fixed or am I stuck with it?

Brooke

Dear Brooke,

When it comes to choosing your filling, you did a great job. Composite fillings are much better than their amalgam counterparts. However, you need a dentist who is able to to place them properly.

Bonding a composite filling has a totally different technique than their silver counterparts. If not done properly, it can cause the pain you are describing.

This can be eliminated by having the crown re-done the right way. There is also an occasional problem with small composite fillings. We aren’t sure what causes it, but we do know if the dentist uses a self-etching primer or a glass ionomer base under the filling you won’t have pain.

You Need a Mercury-free Dentist

If you want this to be done properly, you’ll need a dentist to understand the procedure. I’m sure your dentist did the best he knew how, but at this point you need someone else, unless he’s willing to learn.

Either you or your dentist can contact a mercury free dentist who understands the right technique and can re-do your filling properly.

I hope this helps. It’s always better to find a different dentist for a procedure you have your heart set on in which your dentist is trying to steer you away from.

Usually, it means they don’t know this procedure as well, but they don’t want to admit it.

This blog is brought to you by New Orleans Dentist Dr. Duane Dulaune.

Dentist Won’t Remove My Mercury Fillings

Posted on December 7, 2018 by writeradmin.

I have a mouthful of silver fillings. I learned a few weeks ago they are mostly made of mercury. This terrifies me because of the neurotoxicity. I went to my dentist and asked him to remove them and replace them with the white fillings. He refused because he said it’s too dangerous for me because I’ll inhale the mercury. If it’s too dangerous to take out, surely it’s too dangerous to keep in. What should I do?

Maya

Dear Maya,

It is understandable that you’re nervous about having a large amount of mercury in your mouth. There is a special procedure known as a sanitary amalgam removal which is designed to protect you from inhaling or swallowing any mercury.

However, it sounds like your dentist doesn’t know that procedure. It wouldn’t be safe for you to have him do the removal. If you are serious about removing them, your best option would be to locate a mercury-free dentist in your area. Almost all of them know how to do this procedure and already has the necessary equipment.

Mercury-free Fillings and Tooth Color

Before you get your white fillings, you want to think about your tooth color. The filling material can be made to match your teeth. However, the color is permanent. If you decide to whiten your teeth later, your natural tooth structure will whiten, but not the composite fillings.

That doesn’t bother some people at all. If you feel that way, then no problem. However, if it will bug you the simple solution is the get your teeth bleached before you switch out your fillings. You can do that two different ways.

Your first option is to have your dentist make you custom fitted trays and provide you with professional strength whitening gel. This will allow you to whiten at home as well as control the level of whitening.

If you want it to work faster, so you can get your fillings removed sooner, you can look at Zoom Whitening. This is an in-office procedure which gets your teeth very white in just one appointment.

This blog is brought to you by New Orleans Dentist Dr. Duane Delaune.

Will Mercury-free Fillings Stop My Migraines?

Posted on September 21, 2018 by writeradmin.

I keep having these unexplained migraines. Sometimes they’re debilitating. My doctor can’t find a cause and just wants to give me pills to take every day. They’re anti-seizure drugs, but they make me move slower. I feel less in-touch. Recently, I read that amalgam fillings cause underlying health problems and doctors have a hard time diagnosing them. Could this be the cause of my migraines? Would replacing them with mercury-free fillings help?

Laura

Dear Laura,

Before we go into replacing them it’s important I tell you that the official position of the American Dental Association is that amalgam fillings are completely safe and their studies have shown the amount of mercury released in the fillings is within acceptable limits.

That being said, many have disputed those tests pointing out that they only tested the fillings under static instead of real-world conditions. Other tests, done in more realistic conditions, have shown the opposite.

There are theories that the mercury content is leading to underlying health problems, including high blood pressure and migraines. If you’ve already eliminated other neurological causes with an MRI, then it wouldn’t hurt to replace your amalgam fillings for mercury-free fillings, but it’s not a guaranteed solution.

You should also be aware that not every dentist can do the replacement safely.

To Safely Replace Your Fillings You Need a Mercury-free Dentist

During the removal processes, without taking the right procedure for a sanitary amalgam removal, you have a great chance of swallowing mercury or inhaling mercury vapors. However, using the right precautions protects you from that.

Mercury melts at room temperature. It needs to be kept cool during the process. A wise dentist will keep cold water on it while working. They also need to use a stopper dam and keep you from inhaling the vapors. If your dentist is a mercury-free dentist, they’ll know and be prepared for this.

You’ll find there are many other advantages as well. Also, if you have any visible fillings (which have probably been an embarrassment to you) you’ll not only have a natural looking smile with fillings that match your natural tooth color, you can finally get a bright white smile as well.

Before, if you’d have whitened your teeth, it would have just made the difference more obvious. Now, if you whiten your teeth ahead of time, you’ll be able to get the filling material made to match the color exactly. You’d have to whiten first. Once the fillings are made, the color can’t be adjusted.

This blog is brought to you by New Orleans dentist Dr. Duane Delaune.

Cavities and Metal Allergies

Posted on September 14, 2018 by writeradmin.

I’d been having some health issues. In exasperation, my medical doctor (who is a saint by the way) decided to do some wide-ranging allergy testing. It turns out I have developed rather challenging metal allergies. I can avoid quite a bit of metal, but I have metal fillings. Do you have a recommendation of what to do? My dentist seems to be blowing it off, but I’m ready to feel normal and hopefully healthy again.

Samantha

Dear Samantha,

It sounds like you have a great medical doctor and an apathetic dentist. If you have a metal allergy, it is in your best interest to have your fillings removed and replaced with metal-free fillings. Your dentist isn’t going to be the best one to do this. It has to be done very carefully because the main ingredient in your silver fillings is mercury.

You don’t want to just remove them. If you do, there’s a very good chance you’ll swallow some mercury or inhale mercury vapors. I’m pretty sure you do not want a known neurotoxin in your body.

In order to prevent that, you’ll need a dentist who knows how to do what is known as a sanitary amalgam removal. The right dentist will use a stopper dam to prevent you from swallowing, they’ll also give you an apron to protect you from dust (because of your allergies). They’ll also need to run cold water on the fillings so the mercury doesn’t melt and use a fan to protect you from vapors.

It’s very involved and does require some specialized training and equipment. So, who should you get to remove your metal fillings and replace them with metal-free fillings?

Finding the Right Dentist to Remove Your Amalgam Fillings

Your best bet is to get a mercury-free dentist. They only place white, composite fillings which are both mercury and metal-free. They’ll also know the correct procedures in removing your old fillings in order to replace them.

You’ll find the metal-free fillings far superior to their old amalgam predecessors. While they have the obvious benefit of matching your natural tooth color, they have clinical advantages too. They can strengthen your teeth and they prevent your dentist from having to remove healthy tooth structure. Their bonding procedure is more advanced and allows you to keep more of your tooth.

This blog is brought to you by New Orleans Dentist Dr. Duan Delaune.

Is U.S. Violating UN Agreement on Mercury Fillings?

Posted on July 26, 2018 by writeradmin.

I thought the United States agreed to phase out mercury fillings when they signed the Minamata Convention Agreement, yet there are still thousands of dentists using amalgam fillings all over the country 5 years later. Can we demand our dentist (and more helpful financially our insurance) stop using them because of the agreement?

Maggie

Dear Maggie,

First, you’re right that there has been very little evidence the United States followed through with the agreement signed. However, the Minamata Convention agreement wasn’t about the fillings themselves. There’s no agreement to ban those or phase them out.

The agreement was based on a village in Japan that was absolutely devastated by mercury poisoning in the water. 900 people died as a result and more than double that became ill. There’s no record of the cognitive impact but I’m sure it’s much higher.

What the agreement actually deals with is the disposal of mercury to keep it from polluting the environment and therefore people. Every dentist should be aware of the agreement because the main ingredient in amalgam (silver) fillings is mercury. Whether or not they’re following the recommendations is hard to tell. But, most dentists will be environmentally conscious.

If You Want Mercury-free Fillings

While you’re right that there are many dentists still using amalgam fillings, there are also an increasing number of mercury-free dentists. They’ll be happy to give you composite fillings. In fact, in many cases it’s all they offer.

If you happen to have some leftover amalgam fillings you want to rid yourself of, most mercury-free dentists know how to do sanitary amalgam removals. That allows you to safely switch out your fillings for healthier options without worrying about inhaling the mercury vapors.

White Fillings and White Teeth

When you have white fillings, you want your dentist to match them to your teeth, especially if you have any visible fillings. They can. However, you need to be aware that once the fillings are made the color can’t be changed. So, if you’ve considered whitening your teeth at some future time, you may want to do it before you get your filings switched out.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Duane Delaune.

Can Children Have White Fillings?

Posted on March 15, 2017 by writeradmin.

My pediatric dentist says that children cannot have white fillings. I’m not too keen on putting the silver fillings in their mouth. I heard they’re made mostly of mercury. He says they’re perfectly safe and are made mostly of silver, but I just don’t have a good feeling about it. Is it true that children can’t have the white fillings?

Sasha M. – Wisconsin

Sasha,

Your pediatric dentist is being a little misleading. While amalgam fillings are often called silver fillings, that decision was made for marketing purposes. There is silver in the fillings, but the largest ingredient is mercury.

The American Dental Society has declared amalgam fillings are perfectly safe. There have been numerous studies to back them up. However, that doesn’t’ make many patients feel any better about putting a toxin in their bodies. Mercury free dentists understand that and provide composite (white) fillings for their patients.

As far as white fillings for children, it is possible, but it isn’t easy. They have to stay perfectly still during the procedure to ensure no moisture gets on the filling. That is difficult for most children. Only you’ll know if your child can handle that. If so, call around to pediatric dentists and ask if they do white fillings. You’re bound to find one. If you don’t, try a general dentist who enjoys treating children. If your child would have trouble sitting still, but you’re still determined to do white fillings, try a mercury free dentist who also does sedation dentistry.

This blog is brought to you by Dr. Duane Delaune.