White Fillings?

[oxcat1]

At the weekend I was chewing on a chicken sandwich and managed to crack a quarter of my wisdom tooth off. It didn't hurt, but there were sharp bits left and I was worried it would start hurting.

I went to the dentist today adn she did a quick filling - very quick - I thought she was still cleaning. I've never had a filling before and I was a complete wreck, but it didn't need an anaesthetic and there was no pain at all, and all over in about 10 minute.

The filling she has put in is white, as I have enormous allergies to all metals, including mercury (all tested and confirmed by the hospital immunologist). however, now I've been googling (!!) and everywhere it seems that white fillings are not suitable for back teeth.

What will happen? I'm a complete filling virgin and also pretty scared of the dentist, so I just rushed out hugely relieved that I'd survived with the tooth intact. If she's used the wrong filling stuff, is it going to fall out or what?

[stressed2007]

I have had 2 white fillings recently and nothing but problems with them - going to another dentist to have them redone (it may have been the first dentist that was no good not the fillings).

[shinyshoes]

I had white fillings done when I was pregnant, mine were 1 from the back. Mine have been fine

[oxcat1]

I do hope mine is like Shinyshoe's then and not Stressed2007! Because of my allergies I don't think they could do the other kind and I'd have to have it out. Because I'm so scared of the dentist I can only ever think of the worst things tht will happen...

[olivo]

I think they are much better these days than they used to be - new materials or something. i am having two big molar fillings replaced in a couple of weeks with white ones, my dentist said it'd be fine. one is chipped and the other very old.

[ComeOVeneer]

A white coloured filling done that quickly will only be a temporary "patch up job" or a repair - with a material called "glass Inomer" (which sticks well to the surface of the tooth and can last quite a while). White filling materials are suitable for back teeth but only if the fillings are small to medium in size. A much larger one would be more suited to a crown. I would phone the surgery and ask for clarification as to exactly what treatment you had and wether you need further work done.

[oxcat1]

Oh really ComeOVeneer? No!! I was very surprised that it was all over so quickly (and painlessly!) but I did check at the end and she said it was all done? Given I had no experience I didn't really know what to look out for to work out what was done, but she prodded around for a while with a pick, and then 'buffed' and 'polished' (could have drilled, but it didn't hurt?) and then put stuff on and used a bright light to set it, and then repeated that a couple of times.

I've no idea what size it was - I'd say large, really, given I cracked a quarter of the tooth off, but very little of the middle was affected. There's no corner on that side now though so I don't know if that would weaken it further.

Everything I touch is going wrong at the moment - aggghhh!

[summer111]

I had my mercury fillings replaced with white ones at least ten years ago and they are all intact.

[summer111]

...see!!!

[Hadassah]

I have just had some old mercury fillings replaced with white ones, one in a wisdom tooth and one in the one after it. They are meant to be forever. So I am sure there are white materials that are suitable.

[magicofchristmas]

I broke half of a back tooth and the old filling completely came away so much so there was a touch of bleeding from the gum.

Went to the dentist and she put a white filling in and told me to return to have it checked 3months later, Idid and all is fine it is completely sealed so no further work required (for now anyway)

[ComeOVeneer]

Sounds as though she used a permenant white filling material called a composite, which it acivated by the light to set hard. She basically has built up the lost part (I assume there was no decay as she didn't do any drilling just smoothed and polished the filling after it had set). This should (in theory) be a permenant solution, but in reality these "repairs" often need to be redone from time to time depending on what forces are applied to it on chewing etc. But for the meantime don't worry about it.

[curlywurlycremeegg]

Oh COV, can I ask a question whilst you are here. I have a white filling in a molar. I can sometimes feel it move, sounds wierd, but a bit like it's contracting and then expanding, with a little cracking noise. Is this normal? It does seem to conduct heat and cold more than a mecury filling.

Sorry for the thread crash

[ComeOVeneer]

Mercury fillings (because they are metal) generally conduct changes of temp much more than white (basically plastic) fillings. All fillings should have a protective lining placed underneath them to insulate the nerve from this (unless they are quite shallow). It sounds (and this isn't a diagnosis as I haven't seen it) that the filling has become debonded from the tooth.

You need to get it check out as if this is the case you will be getting micro-leakage under the filling. Basically that means that bacteria can get underneath and will cause decay beneath the filling which can go on undetected for a while then you have problems (worse case scenario is it gets to the nerve and you end up needing root canal treatment. In other words book yourself an appointment to get it checked out HTH.

[curlywurlycremeegg]

Thanks that makes sense, My denists doesn't have a great bedside manner and I went back to him with it a while ago as I had tooth ache from hell. I told him it was agony, at which he sneared , I then said I have been through childbirth three times and this tooth ache is agony, at which point he took me seriously. Did an xray then told me there was an infection there, prescribed antibiotics and made an appointment for me to return for root canal. The pain actually resolved within a couple of days so I stopped taking the abs (I know I shouldn't!), when I went back for the root canal I tols him about the recovery and he said that as it cleared up so quickly it was doubtful the abs had cleared it and I didn't need the root canal......I lieft a bit deflated, had been psyching myself up for it! I am not sure how much I trust him, however as an NHS place on a dentists list is hard to come by we are stuck with him IYKWIM.

[oxcat1]

Thanks COV. Can I ask one more question? I am pretty anxious about all things dentistry, so forgive me for whittering on....

Basically, this filling looks a bit like a 'splat'. The tooth that is left, like all the others, has lots of ridges and things, whereas the corner that I broke off is just a flat splat, where she pressed it down. Could bacteria get in underneath and cause decay? The break was pretty much off to the gum line on the corner, although there was loads of hard stuff left in the middle, and I'm just wondering what will act as a barrier to stop stuff getting underneath?

Or am I just worrying about nothing?

Thanks for everybody's reassurance. I don't know why I get in such a state about the dentist. I can't ever sleep if I haven't brushed my teeth for at least the 2 minutes, and I break into a cold sweat just thinking about the dentist. Crazy I know. Fortunately this fear has so far led me to teh dentist very frequently (so that I can convince myself that 'nothing too terrible can have happened in 6 months') so I've been pretty lucky so far.

[ComeOVeneer]

It should be fine. She has basically just sealed the exposed area rather than build the tooth up. This is generally more sucesssful as if you build it up so you are biting on the filling and therefore exerting more pressure on it the chances of the filling breaking/coming away are much greater.

[zazen]

Yes, I got a white composite filling also using the lights to harden it - my dentist had to drill a little bit as there had been decay under the filing which fell out - it had come loose.

I now have a white smooth filling, which he was very careful to make lower than the rest of the tooth, as I have a cross bite and that is probably why that corner of that tooth broke off initially as it was under undue pressure when I was biting.

I do so absolutely love my white filling! I only have three fillings and my DD is amazed that I could have brushed my teeth so well that I got my old metal filling to turn into a beautiful white tooth.

I also spent ages brushing my teeth and flossing and using teepees. I heart my dentist!

[zazen]

Sorry that should read 'spend' ages ...!

[oxcat1]

Thank you so much! I should just stop worrying and get on with it. Thank you!

[beeper]

I have four, gradually having them replaced and getting rid of the evil amalgam.

Only thing I ever noticed was increased sensitivity for a week or two.

[DumbledoresGirl]

I am having a white filling replaced on a back tooth tomorrow. My dentist said they do not last as long as metal ones.

[ComeOVeneer]

Kerry the mercury in metal fillings does not slowly seep into your body. It is tightly bound into the dtructure of the filling. Mercury can only be released when initially placing the filling until it is set and when drilling it out to replace it.