I have cavities on two of my back bottom teeth and I requested that my dentist do white fillings. He insists that I need amalgam fillings because the cavities are too big and deep for the white ones. I’m wondering if that’s really the case or if my insurance is the problem and he’s just not telling me. I have Denti-Cal. — Rob
Rob,
For starters, if your dentist is giving you the excuse that your fillings are too deep for white fillings, that’s totally wrong. The deeper the filling is, all the more reason to use white composite. Amalgam fillings can cause sensitivity to hot and cold, and when a filling is very deep, that sensitivity is even worse because the hot and cold is conducted directly into the tooth. Also, when a filling is very deep, the walls of the cavity can be very thin, thus making them susceptible to breaking when amalgam is used. A white filling actually strengthens the tooth structure.
I think the main issue here (and what your dentist is not telling you) is your insurance. Government dental insurance plans like Denti-Cal do not cover white fillings because they are more expensive than amalgam. Most of these plans won’t even allow participants to pay the difference, so you if you want white fillings you’ll have to pay for them out of your own pocket.
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