Amy,

The short answer is, if you have gold fillings, as my dentist has used, ...

FOREVER

Don't bite down too hard on those mercury amalgams, cause I think that's real mercury in there. :)

Anyway, if they ever dig up my skull, they are going to have something of value.

DON'T BUY GOLD NOW. THE GUYS WHO OWN LOTS OF GOLD ARE TRYING TO UNLOAD.

As valuable a skull as I have, I will never, ever, be as great as this guy:

http://www.mickeymantle.com/

Fillings can crack. The surrounding tooth can erode. Both conditions can result in having to redo a filling.

See what your dentist says as causing this but likely, if falls under "stuff happens". The estimated life of a filling are just estimates, not a warranty to my understanding.

Sorry to hear that happened. I have had to ge three fillings replaced last year. I wished they would last until I died but then considered the implications of how that might happen. I decided outliving my filling was not a bad thing. :)

I've had a filling pop out after a piece of hard candy got stuck on it. It sucks but it happens.

Anecdote only of course, but I think it could definitely be inferior material or workmanship. The huge fillings done by my childhood dentist have all lasted till the teeth just cracked off around them. Small fillings by another dentist I had as an adult didn't last even a few years what with falling out or decay coming back under the filling.

I wish there was some kind of warranty, but that would be like admitting your work has the potential to shoddy, and what dentist would want to imply that?

The silver/mercury amalgams expand and contract with the temperature of your mouth, eventually causing cracks in your teeth and loosening their fit. If 12 years is the average, 11 years sounds like a reasonable time frame.

That having been said, I just had one removed that had lasted for 25 years (and I'm in my 30s). Before you shoot rays of death my way, I hasten to add that my dentist found lots of little soft spots/incipient decay with his super-fancy laser device (seriously -- it makes a "boooop" sound when it comes upon a tooth surface that has started to soften with decay) and I had to have fillings put in, oh, about half of my teeth. Seriously. Love those four-figure dental bills! My dentist now uses porcelain exclusively -- he says that it doesn't expand/contract like silver/mercury. I might have been willing to pay for gold, but that wasn't offered.

I do think the materials being used now last for less time than those used during our childhoods...however, I'm guessing that might be because the mercury content has been dialed back.

Sigh. I remind myself that I am very, very lucky to have been born in the latter half of the 20th century when it comes to my teeth and assorted issues. That helps when I have to sign the credit card receipt. Good luck!

I just recently had my mercury fillings that I got in the 5th grade replaced. I had them for about 17 years. They have new ones now that actually blend in with your teeth and look completley natural, and they are suppossed to last longer. I have no idea what the material is called. I got mine replaced with those and am very happy with it.

Got two filling s when I was 16-17. I'm now 47 and the fillings are still going strong. 30 + years.

"put in by good old Dr. Fontanesi ... in Southfield, Michigan...still going strong"

and

"one put in my by So Cal dentist...just popped out"

There's your trouble. I've never had good service of any kind here in the southwest.

I've got a mixture of fillings, 10-20 years old, and I've cracked one myself (chewing gum), and had two get replaced when they showed wear.

Not a difficult procedure. I haven't had a gold filling, I'm aware they last longer, but you have to go in, get drilled, have a cast made, get a temporary filling made, then come back a few days later to get the fitted gold filling put in.

Call me crazy, but I'll take a single visit mercury filling replacement every 15-30 years, please.

Amy, you aren't an ice chewer, are you? My dentist has told me that biting and chewing ice is the single biggest cause of tooth and filling damage that she sees among her patients.

I had a bunch of amalgam fillings when I was a teenager, in the 1970s. A few years ago, I had to have them all replaced. None of them had broken, but my dentist found that all of them had leaked and there was extensive decay underneath some of them. So I had to have a bunch of work done including a root canal. I asked her about this and she gave me the thermal explanation that Marion mentioned. My dentist only uses composite fillings now, for that reason.

So the reason your filling caught an edge on the floss may have been because it was working its way out. Your floss may have actually done you a favor.

I got no dog in this fight. I had one filling when I was 10 years old. Mercury. That tooth fell out when I was 13? Twelve or 13, anyway. I haven't had a filling since. Crest ( http://www.crest.com/ )all the way, baby! That, and I've just got good teeth, I guess.

My almalgam fillings lasted about 20 years, but I had them all replaced a couple years ago because all of them had small gaps between the edge of the filling and my teeth. The problem in doing that is that of course the teeth were decaying underneath, so when they have to redrill the hole is bigger. And, when you "disturb" the tooth, sometimes it affects the nerve. After redoing 7 teeth, I had 3 root canals within a year of the replacement and am looking at a 4th (that tooth made it almost 2 years), and those suckers aren't cheap. Plus, I think the stuff they put in there now is not as long-lasting as the stuff I originally had, but only time will tell that. If I'd known then what I know now, I would have waited until the teeth actually started to hurt before I let them fix them, since 3 (soon to be 4) out of 7 have resulted in paying for a filling and then a root canal. None of that crap is cheap, and I have really good insurance. I'd say I've got close to 5 grand into my teeth right now. Craziness.

I never had a cavity until they put braces on in high school. By the time I was twenty I'd had them in all but my front teeth.

For the last three years, I've been gradually replacing amalgam fillings many of which upwards of 30 years old, with white resin, porcelain inlays and crowns (not a cheap process, but necessary due to the size of the fillings and the wear on my teeth from the expanding/contracting of the metal). The good news is that these are supposed to last "for several decades." I've never had a gold filling.

Unfortunately I've inherited a propensity for bad teeth from my mother's side of the family, which means that there may be some caps or veneers on the front teeth in my near future as the enamel is quickly going.

If it were me, I wouldn't pay the same dentist again. If this dentist doesn't fix his shoddy work for free (or at least significantly discounted), I'd go elsewhere.

That said, I was just reading about the dangers of amalgram fillings because of their mercury content. I plan to read up on both sides of the issue to determine whether or not it's wise to have mine replaced with porcelain. The American Dental Association says amalgrams are safe, but other doctors, like Dr. Gary Null, PhD and Dr. Martin Feldman, MD say they're not.

"That said, I was just reading about the dangers of amalgram fillings because of their mercury content. I plan to read up on both sides of the issue to determine whether or not it's wise to have mine replaced with porcelain"

I'm with Flynne, never had a cavity so no skin in the game, however, I have read about the fact that these mercury amalgam fillings are bad news. But of course, without reading any alternatives, this could be one of those urban myths that belong with Amy's folk posting a few threads back.

Feebie, I do think it's an urban myth. Mercury amalgam fillings have been in use nearly a century now; if there were severe health effects, it would have been noticed long ago. And besides, from what I've read, ingesting small amounts of metallic mercury is not particularly harmful -- it pretty much goes straight through the digestive system untouched. It's the salts of mercury that will kill you. (That, and breathing in mercury vapor, but since we don't boil mercury to make hats anymore, that's not much of a problem.)

Deja, I was going to ask Flynn if she ever had braces. My story is the same -- not very many problems before the teenage-years braces. Lots and lots of problems since.

My story is the same -- not very many problems before the teenage-years braces. Lots and lots of problems since

Imagine that, problems arising from using strips of metal to force teeth out of the position nature intended for your face

From what I understand there were complications from using corsets as well.

No, Cousin Dave, I never had braces. Buy my younger daughter just got them, so I will be keeping a closer eye on her teeth, and making her brush so much she'll probably start throwing the toothpaste tube at me! I make her rinse daily with ACT ( http://www.actfluoride.com/index.html ), too. Good stuff.

BuT, not BuY....sheeeeeeesssshhhh.

I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1981. 3 hospitalizations, 8 different medications including oral and intravenous chemotherapy for MS, experimental Plasmaphoresis, bedridden for 10 years, slurred speech and dying. I had my dental amalgam mercury "silver" fillings removed and guess what? All symptoms gradually disappeared, NO medication, NO relapses, NO symptoms, except this left me in a wheelchair! Improvement started to happen 2 weeks after all amalgam fillings were removed. Prior to mercury dental removal I had 1 to 3 relapses per year and haven't had 1 relapse since 1989.

I have been in contact with people since 1996 regarding their symptoms of mercury toxicity. The diseases encompass a wide range of symptoms from autoimmunity to heart problems etc. Unfortunately, some symptoms like mine manifest later in life. According to Dr. Boyd Haley, former Professor and Chair of Chemistry at the University of Kentucky and renowned toxicologist, says there are NO SAFE LEVELS OF MERCURY.

What do you call people that find discussions relating to one topic post their opinion then disappear?

So Linda what are you! I mean your posting is almost verbatim from other sites you have posted on. Do you honestly care about other stuff or do you troll for that one topic and come and go. You contribute nothing!

Well trying to be a good contributor. I never really thought about fillings and life span. That explains why I have had about two of my fillings go bad on me. I always blamed it on myself as I was chewing to hard or I should have not been eating some chewy candy. Getting some work now I think I will put that in mind when I get my teeth filled. Cheap where I am now!

Linda, thanks for posting that.

I don't have fillings, but I've read about your situation before. I do, however, have my own health problems due to food-type allergies. When most of them were removed - the majority of those issues went away (only to return when they were ingested again).

I wonder if some people are just more sensitive to certain things than others.

So Amy, is that equivalent to the "option" I was given in '97?

We can "knock you out" in the traditional style or give you an "INSERT HOSPITAL NAME HERE cocktail where you'll be so stoned you won't care?"

Because my first question was, "Might I remember what went on in the room if I just get the "stoned cocktail"?

The answer was "maybe". MY answer was, "Knock me out."

Just curious. I vote for oblivion whenever possible (and, I recovered much quicker than my roomate, who had the same surgery but took the cocktail option). Lucky? Maybe.

Hi Amy,

Not sure what mine are made of but they were put in when I was a teenager in the early 70's. Asked my dentist about them at my last checkup a couple months ago and she said they should last the rest of my life.

The tooth colered fillings only last for a couple of years, if you take real good care of them they can last longer. The field where you are getting it has to be totally dry, if any type of moisture comes into effect while they are placing it the longevity could be effected (this encludes moisture from your breath). Tooth colored fillings do not have a very long life span they often get leaks or can easily be broken. Amalgam is much stronger but doesn't look as nice. The mercury thing is all bull it is like a peace of paper if it burns the smoke will bother you but as long as it remains a piece of paper it will not effect you. The murcury used is in a solid state and only a very tiny amount is used. It will not harm you!!!

Thanks, Amy. I'll check Eades post out.

The mere mention of the word "dentist" sends chills through my spine! But hey when you got to go, you got to go.
I think many dentists try to cut corners when doing fillings, you go to a cheap dentist then expect cheap work, go to a better known dentist, one with a track record you will pay more but get better work done.

Uitvinding: apparaat om tandartsboor niet te horen. Britse wetenschappers hebben een apparaatje uitgevonden waardoor patiënten bij de tandarts de boor niet meer horen. Het apparaat kan op een mp3-speler worden aangesloten, zodat een patiënt naar zijn of haar eigen muziek kan luisteren. Tegelijkertijd laat het hulpmiddel wel het stemgeluid van de tandarts door. Dat meldde de BBC maandag. Het geluid in de behandelkamer van de tandarts wordt door het apparaat omgezet in een digitaal signaal. Dat signaal wordt vervolgens gefilterd, zodat alleen de gewenste geluiden worden doorgelaten. Met antigeluid, tegengestelde geluidsgolven, wordt de herrie van de boor geblokkeerd. Het apparaatje werkt volgens de uitvinders beter dan bijvoorbeeld oordoppen, juist omdat de tandarts met de cliënt kan blijven communiceren. De onderzoekers hopen dat hun uitvinding door een bedrijf geproduceerd kan worden, zodat het snel beschikbaar wordt voor tandartsen. De wetenschappers hopen daarnaast dat mensen met angst voor de tandartsboor door het apparaat toch naar de tandarts durven.

I just got a filling bout 2 months ago, the lady had to try it several times to get it in there 'correctly' and it still didn't feel right, but the dentist said it was in there alright. I just popped it out while flossing bout 15 mintues ago, (hence the google search that ended me up on this page).
I'm hoping since the newbie assitant had so much troubles on getting it in, I can get them to replace it, or at least give me a discount since it should have lasted me more than 2 friggin months!

There are a number of over-the-counter teeth whitening products. They can make your smile look dazzling. But you also need to floss, brush and see the dentist regularly. Your teeth can look superficially white while you are suffering from gum disease or cavities. Teeth whitening is no substitute for proper dental care.

In my neighborhood, there was a pharmacy/drug store that had th most incredible candy counter you can imagine. All the kids -- Baby Boomers -- from the nearby elementary schools would go their after school to get their candy "fix" for the day. I can state with absolute certainty that all of us had "silver mouths" by the time we were finished with senior high school. -- Some of the fillings that I have had have lasted some 40 to 50 years. Then, suddenly, after I had hip replacement surgery in 2013, within a few months, all the fillings began to fall out, and the teeth to fracture and splinter away. -- In reading numerous comments at various different sites, i becomes clear that the problem is simply that I have old-old-old fillings in my teeth. Yes, I do have a problem with clenching and grinding. However, I also inherited "chalk teeth". Sheesh. Talk about a deck stacked against yourself! -- Anyhow, beginning this week, the fragments of five teeth are going to be extracted, and a partial plate will be made. -- The idea of the 4-figure bill makes me flinch, but I have friends who have lost all their teeth, and I'm not going to go through that "Valley of the Shadow of Death".