Cosmetic dentistry information for everyone.

I recently had one of my wisdom teeth removed because of a cracked filling. My dentist has suggested I have the others removed as well, kind of as a preventative. Their fillings are fine, so I’m not sure I want to do that. What do you recommend?

Francis M.- Florida

Francis,

I rarely recommend an unnecessary tooth removal. If your wisdom have erupted properly, and it sounds like they have, I’d let them alone. Even if the fillings crack, there are other options. If you’ve had your fillings for a while they are probably amalgam (commonly called silver) fillings. These are mostly made of mercury, so some patients opt to have them replaced with mercury-free composite fillings. These are stronger than their amalgam counterparts and less likely to crack. This will keep you from another extraction. Not all dentists know how to do composite fillings, so you’ll want to find a qualified dentist.

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