My dentist wants to replace my silver fillings in #3,4,5 with crowns. How can I tell if that is necessary?

Madeline J. from Wisconsin.

Madeline,

In dental school we are taught a few guidelines that can make a dental crown desirable.  Two of the main ones are: 1. The width of the filling: Once a filling gets to to a certain width it weakens the tooth and makes it prone to fracture. 2. There may be fracture lines showing.  Amalgam (silver) fillings tend to weaken a tooth.

Other than this it is really a judgment call on the part of your dentist. That is why it is so important to have a dentist you feel you can trust. Most dentists are trustworthy, but there are a few out there that use pressure sales tactics or try to rush you into a treatment option. If you’re feeling uncomfortable with the decision you can get a second opinion. Just make sure the second dentist doesn’t know who the first dentist is or what treatment recommendation you were giving. It is always best to get a blind second opinion.

You may also be interested in a Mercury-free dentist.

This blog is brought to you by Gilbert Dentist Dr. Matt Roper.