White Fillings by Florida Dentist, Dr. Thomas O'Neil

Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Boca Raton

White fillings are fillings designed to match the color and contour of your teeth for a natural look and feel. Patients have two different options for white or tooth-colored fillings: Dental bonding and Porcelain Inlays and Onlays. Both of these restorations give patients options other than the old metal amalgam filling.

Problems with Metal Amalgam Fillings

Metal amalgam fillings are a holdover from the early days of dentistry, the days when many dentists in this country were not licensed or even educated, and sedation dentistry, if practiced at all, involved the use of ether or even chloroform. It seemed a wonderful invention, since the mercury it contained allowed the powdered metal to become soft enough to be shaped but hard enough to hold its place in teeth.

In those days, playing with mercury was a common parlor activity among science enthusiasts, along with passing around radioactive rocks and noting how you could "see" the radiation with your eyes closed. No one suspected the high level of toxicity of the metal.

Nowadays, we know that mercury poisoning is potentially deadly and leads to deformities among babies and children, so it doesn't necessarily seem the best idea to put it in your mouth. Although no one has yet established the exact level of toxicity of mercury amalgam fillings (which are largely stable), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently issued warnings about poisoning from the metal.

Two White Filling Alternatives

Nowadays, there are two options for dental fillings other than metal amalgam, both of which are white colored. For most simple fillings, dental bonding is the better choice, since it can be applied right away without need for fabrication. But if your teeth has been significantly weakened by decay or damage, porcelain inlays and onlays are a better option.

If you would like to learn more about these options, schedule a white fillings consultation with Dr. O'Neil today.

7707 N. University Dr., Suite 201
Tamarac, FL 33321

Call Dr. O’Neil at 800-458-9140 or fill out an online contact form so we can get in touch with you.