I have several amalgam fillings and I want to remove them and get the white composite fillings. I’d also like to whiten my teeth. Is there a better way to do this? What I mean is should I switch my fillings or whiten my teeth first?
Adrian
Dear Adrian,
I would have your teeth whitened first and then have the composite fillings done to match the new white color of your teeth. Unlike other, more advanced, cosmetic procedures such as dental bonding or porcelain veneers, teeth whitening can be done by any dentist. It does not take any special skill.
The same is not true about removing your amalgam fillings. Because of that I want to offer one word of caution about having amalgam fillings removed. It requires a special procedure known as a sanitary amalgam removal. The reason for this is that the main “ingredient” in silver / amalgam fillings is mercury. Because this is a known toxin, you will not want to swallow or inhale any of the mercury or mercury vapors.
Not every dentist knows how to do a sanitary amalgam removal, nor do they have the requisite equipment. In your place, I would look for a mercury-free dentist to do this for you.
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