Replacing metal dental fillings???

[GeoGeo]

Dentist is saying we should have our metal tooth fillings removed and replaced with white fillings. The fillings are NOT leaking. Also, said our teeth are cracked (not the filling, but the teeth). Has anyone with cracked teeth had their old fillings removed and replaced with the white material they use now? I had a concern that they remove the old filling plus a little more and if the teeth are cracked that things might not go well. I can just picture the teeth collapsing. The dental fillings are rather large and some teeth have more than one surface that has a filling plus cracks. Anyone have okay or bad results?

[autumnspring]

Dentist is saying we should have our metal tooth fillings removed and replaced with white fillings. The fillings are NOT leaking. Also, said our teeth are cracked (not the filling, but the teeth). Has anyone with cracked teeth had their old fillings removed and replaced with the white material they use now? I had a concern that they remove the old filling plus a little more and if the teeth are cracked that things might not go well. I can just picture the teeth collapsing. The dental fillings are rather large and some teeth have more than one surface that has a filling plus cracks. Anyone have okay or bad results?

I WOULD RUN AND GET A SECOND OPINION. You have been told the fillings are large and the teeth are cracked.
IF, THAT IS SO, your dentist is not suggesting removing the silver amalgam fillings you now have and replacing them with the newer white stuff they now use. If, they remove the amalgam they will drill a bit to get a new surface. Read that as make the hole larger. The newer mercury free stuff cannot fill as large a hole. YOU WILL END UP WITH A CAP-A CROWN. A crown is 6-$800. It often escalates to a root canal.
"Our fillings," makes me suspicious that the dentist you are using has a kid in college, a divorce settlement, it is slow season without the snowbirds and they are looking for billing.

[village dreamer]

if it don't hurt , just let it be.........

[aninjamom]

I agree! You need another dentist, that one is fishing for income.

[retiredguy123]

Replacing the filling is not a solution for a cracked tooth. Depending on the size and location of the cracks, many dentists would recommend a crown. I would definitely get a second opinion, and beware that, in The Villages, there are dentists who will want do a lot of work that is not necessary, like "deep cleaning".

[villagetinker]

I agree with above, get a second opinion. I recently had an old filling in a molar cause a cracked tooth. It split the tooth right in half. Needed to have the tooth removed, damage too extensive to repair. The original filling (metal) was actually triangular in shape and apparently acted as a wedge when I bite down on something hard, causing it to split the tooth. Never heard of removing good fillings to just replace, sounds fishy.

[graciegirl]

I agree! You need another dentist, that one is fishing for income.

I agree. Is it that guy who is on 441/27 near the golf cart bridge?

[tagjr1]

Sounds like someone is trying to make a payment on his Porsche !

[DonH57]

I knew a former coworker who had all his old metal fillings replaced with the newer filling material when he had other work done. It had something to do with the older fillings contained mercury. I'm thinking if he had them that long any damage could all ready been done.

[Carla B]

I agree with above, get a second opinion. I recently had an old filling in a molar cause a cracked tooth. It split the tooth right in half. Needed to have the tooth removed, damage too extensive to repair. The original filling (metal) was actually triangular in shape and apparently acted as a wedge when I bite down on something hard, causing it to split the tooth. Never heard of removing good fillings to just replace, sounds fishy.

Same thing happened to me a decade ago. The result was a $4K implant.

[784caroline]

Let me guess ...The Village Dental?

[Dan9871]

Let me guess ...The Village Dental?

I go to Village Dental and my teeth are the best shape they have been in 20 years.

Not that the dentist I went to before we moved to the villages wasn't good, in fact he was really good. But I always put things off, and ignored tender teeth by chewing elsewhere. My pervious dentist (for 30+ years) never pushed at all and I never got anything done until it was really bad.

When we got here about 4 years ago I went to village dental and Dr. Hards pointed out some things wrong (that my previous dentist pointed out too and probably wondered why I wasn't complaining about them) plus a few others. I went and got them all crowned... best move I ever made.

I can't tell you how many times my previous dentist told me something like "You don't have to get a crown, I can fill it and it will probably hold a long time..." and I choose the filling. In fact a lot of them did hold a long time, but in the end if I had just gotten the crowns I would have saved a lot of time, discomfort and pain.

Your milage may vary and I probably have more teeth issues than most, just about every tooth has a crown or a filling, but I am happy with village dental.

[tag460]

I have had two different dentists since being here in The Villages only because of insurance issues. They both said not to replace the metal fillings only when a problem arises.

[retiredguy123]

In my opinion, the biggest scam in The Villages is the unnecessary "deep cleaning" or "root scaling" for over a thousand dollars and not even performed by a dentist. Why would someone pay a dental hygenist that much money for less than 2 hours of work? But that is what some dental offices recommend. I never even heard of this procedure before moving to The Villages. That is why I go to Leesburg for excellent dental work.

[mgwarden]

I am a dental hygienist who has practiced for many years, now retired. Do not fall for this. Dentists are "inventing" all kinds of stories to relieve patients of their hard earned dollars. I find it so disgusting. The other common ploy is you need a deep scaling. Some do, but very few, and most of The Villages dentists, especially the $59 first visit with x-rays & cleaning will advise you to come back for this expensive procedure.

[DonH57]

In my opinion, the biggest scam in The Villages is the unnecessary "deep cleaning" or "root scaling" for over a thousand dollars and not even performed by a dentist. Why would someone pay a dental hygenist that much money for less than 2 hours of work? But that is what some dental offices recommend. I never even heard of this procedure before moving to The Villages. That is why I go to Leesburg for excellent dental work.

Wow. Over a grand? I had a deep cleaning done because I neglected my teeth for so long I suffered gum loss and peridontal root pockets. It didn't cost no where near a grand. I was so tired of my mouth hurting me and got it cleaned up. Some dentist are just plain money grabbers and some are honest.

[JP]

Replacing metal fillings is usually unnecessary but you can have a radiograph taken and they can use different light refractions to see if the filling is indeed leaking. Metal fillings stay in place by a mechanical lock, plastic fillings are glued in place. Both can fail but I think the odds of glue failing is higher.

[GeoGeo]

Thank you all for your feedback. It has been so helpful. Please if anyone else has some something to share, please do so. I have been under the impression of don't fix it if it isn't broke. Sometimes fixing things before they are broke can create problems you didn't have before.

[biker1]

You don't want a dentist performing root scaling (deep scaling). Hygienists are, in general, better trained and more skilled at this. I agree that going outside the bubble is a good idea. My wife doesn't practice anymore and we go outside the bubble. Get a second opinion before spending a dime on an expensive procedure, especially if you have just moved here and your previous dentist said you were in good shape. PM me if you want the name of a good practice that has my wife's approval.

In my opinion, the biggest scam in The Villages is the unnecessary "deep cleaning" or "root scaling" for over a thousand dollars and not even performed by a dentist. Why would someone pay a dental hygenist that much money for less than 2 hours of work? But that is what some dental offices recommend. I never even heard of this procedure before moving to The Villages. That is why I go to Leesburg for excellent dental work.

[Bonnevie]

another consideration for doing dental work is the risk of nerve damage. I had a dentist perform what turned out to be an unnecessary root canal....I had pain after and it was repeated twice, then another procedure, and finally the tooth pulled, and guess what? the pain was still there. Neurologist said he sees a lot of people with permanent damage from dental procedures. If a dentist tried to tell me I needed all the fillings taken out I would run from the chair.