If you are going in to get one or more of your teeth filled, you will be faced with the choice between Dental Amalgam fillings and Cast Gold fillings. So how do you choose between the two and what are the advantages and disadvantages of each of them?

Dental Amalgam Fillings

Dental amalgam fillings are the ones that are silver in color and are the most common type of filling used in North America today. They are mostly used to fill back teeth because of their color and are made of a mix of metals such as mercury, silver, copper and tin. Some of the advantages or these fillings are that they are less expensive than any other type of filling and they last for a very long time. Another great advantage is that they are simple to put in place which means that many times, it will only take one visit to the dentist to get them put in. One of the main disadvantages is the un-natural look that they have as well as the small amount of mercury that is released into your body.

Cast Gold Fillings

Cast gold fillings are made on a model of your tooth and are a mixture of gold, silver and copper. Because a cast gold filling is made in a dental lab and sent to your dentist to cement into your mouth, there will be at least two visits to the dentist. The first visit will be where the dentist cleans out the decay and make a mold of your tooth, filling the hole with a temporary filling. The advantage of the gold fillings is that it is stronger than amalgam, but the disadvantages are higher cost and longer wait times to get them put in.

To find out which type in filling will work best for you, read over the advantages and disadvantages of each type of filling and talk to your dentist. They work with both types of fillings all the time so they know best what will work for each person.

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