What is the difference between white and silver fillings?
A silver filling weakens the tooth to 60-70% of its original strength. Obviously, the bigger and wider the filling, the weaker the tooth becomes. Some dentists feel that silver fillings can cause teeth to crack as the filling swells over time. Eventually, the filling crumbles and starts to leak. Some silver fillings corrode as they leak and turn the tooth a shade of blue-black. White fillings are constantly being improved with the latest research and now are almost as durable as silver fillings. Because they are bonded to the tooth, they help reinforce the tooth by “gluing” one side of the tooth to the filling and in turn to the other side of the tooth.
