I plan on replacing my old silver fillings with the nicer white fillings. I wondered if it is better to whiten my teeth first and then get the white fillings or to get the white fillings and then whiten everything at the same time?

Adelaide

Dear Adelaide,

These are good questions and I am glad you brought them up. One important principle of teeth whitening is that only natural tooth structure is impacted by the whitening gel. Because of that, it will be important that you whiten your teeth to the color you want first. Then, you can get the white composite fillings done.

This way your dentist can match your fillings to the new tooth color you have. This is especially important if any of your fillings are visible when you smile.

Sanitary Amalgam Removal

One thing I do want you to be careful about is who you have to switch out these fillings. I do not know if you are aware of this but the silver amalgam fillings are made mostly of mercury. That is not an element you want to be swallowing or inhaling as it is a known toxin.

What you need is to go to a dentist who knows how to do a sanitary amalgam removal. It is a process that requires special equipment and knowledge. I would look for either a mercury free dentist or a holistic dentist. Either one of them should be familiar with the procedure.

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