Composite fillings
Composite is tooth-colored resin bonded directly to the tooth. It suits small and medium fillings where the tooth walls are still thick, and it can be done in one visit.
Restorative dentistry in Overland Park
Silver Filling Replacement in Overland Park, KS
Silver filling replacement means removing an old amalgam filling and rebuilding the tooth with a tooth-colored material such as composite, a ceramic onlay, or a crown. This makes sense when a filling is cracked, leaking, has decay underneath, or the surrounding tooth has started to crack.
At Overland Park Dental Design, Dr. Patrick B. Lillis, DDS, has removed silver fillings for more than twenty years. He checks each one, replaces failing ones, and tells you when a filling is better left alone. The office is at 109th and Roe in Overland Park, on the Leawood line.
- A straight answer on which fillings need replacing
- Failing fillings replaced with composite, ceramic, or a crown
- Replacement matched to the size of the filling and the strength of the tooth
- Your bite checked after every replacement
- Practicing in Overland Park since 2004, one dentist, one location
Silver filling replacement options compared
What replaces a silver filling depends on how big the old filling is and how much healthy tooth is left around it.
| Option | What it is | Best for | Visits | Extra tooth removed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leave it and monitor | No treatment, checked at each visit | An intact filling over a sound tooth | None | None |
| Composite (white) filling | Tooth-colored resin bonded into the tooth | Small to medium fillings with strong walls around them | One | Little beyond the old filling |
| Ceramic onlay | A lab-made ceramic piece that covers the damaged part and one or more cusps | Large fillings where the walls of the tooth are thin | Two | Less than a crown |
| Crown | A ceramic cap over the whole tooth | Very large fillings, cracked teeth, or teeth with a root canal | Two or more | The most, on all sides |
Should silver fillings be removed?
Dr. Lillis replaces a silver filling when it fails and leaves a sound one in its place. Current health guidance advises against removing amalgam fillings in good condition unless a healthcare professional considers it medically necessary.
Drilling out a sound filling costs you a healthy tooth you can't get back, and drilling it out releases a short burst of mercury vapor.
"By the time people get to us, they're in such bad shape that removing amalgam is the least of our concerns."
Signs a silver filling needs replacing
- A crack or chip in the filling
- A dark shadow or gap at the edge, where the filling has pulled away from the tooth
- Decay under or beside the filling on X-rays or scans
- A crack line in the tooth around the filling
- Pain when you bite down, or sensitivity to cold
- A piece of tooth that has broken off next to the filling
Cracks often start next to large fillings. The American Association of Endodontists notes that a fractured cusp often occurs around a filling, which is why a tooth with a big old filling gets a close look.
Are silver fillings safe?
Silver fillings are about half mercury by weight. They release small amounts of mercury vapor, especially in people who grind their teeth or chew gum.
Current health guidance recommends tooth-colored materials instead of silver for new fillings in people who may be more sensitive to mercury:
- People who are pregnant, planning a pregnancy, or nursing
- Children, especially those younger than six
- People with neurological or kidney disease
- People with a known sensitivity to mercury or other amalgam metals
The same guidance advises against removing a silver filling that is still in good condition, because drilling it out releases mercury vapor and takes healthy tooth with it.
Dr. Lillis places only tooth-colored fillings. He replaces a silver filling when it cracks, leaks, or has decay underneath, and he checks the sound ones at every visit.
How silver fillings are replaced at Overland Park Dental Design
Replacement starts with finding out which fillings are failing and why, then rebuilding each tooth with the least invasive option that will last.
Exam, X-rays, and scans
Dr. Lillis examines each silver filling, checks the edges, and looks at X-rays and intraoral scans for decay and cracks. The scans also show wear and cracks you can't see in a mirror.
He checks how your teeth meet, because a heavy bite on a large filling is often what cracks the tooth around it.
A plan for each filling
You hear which fillings are failing, which are fine, and what should replace each failing one. When several need work, we treat the most urgent teeth first, and the rest can be phased. Each option comes with a written cost.
Numbing and removal
The tooth is numbed so you feel pressure but no pain. The old filling is removed with water spray and high-volume suction, which cools the tooth and carries away particles.
Checking the tooth underneath
With the old filling out, Dr. Lillis can see what was hiding under it: decay, stain, or crack lines. Any decay is removed, and the final choice between composite, onlay, and crown is confirmed based on what is left.
Rebuilding the tooth
Smaller teeth are rebuilt in the same visit with composite, bonded to the tooth and shaded to match. Larger ones receive a temporary, and the laboratory makes a ceramic onlay or crown for the next visit.
Bite check and follow-up
The new surface is shaped and polished, and your bite is checked so the tooth doesn't take extra force. We recheck replaced teeth at every one-hour hygiene visit, with a stored scan each time.
What replaces a silver filling
The replacement depends on the size of the old filling and the strength of the surrounding tooth.
Ceramic onlays
An onlay is a lab-made ceramic piece that replaces the filling and covers one or more of the tooth's cusps. It protects a weakened tooth while keeping more natural tooth than a crown.
Crowns
A crown covers the whole tooth. It is the right choice when a filling was very large, the tooth has cracked, or the tooth has had a root canal.
Does silver filling removal hurt?
No. The tooth is numbed first, so most people feel pressure and vibration and no pain. Some sensitivity to cold or biting for a few days afterward is common, especially with larger fillings, and it usually settles on its own.
Your Overland Park dentist
Dr. Patrick B. Lillis completed a two-year Advanced Education in General Dentistry residency at the UMKC School of Dentistry, treating complex restorative cases under attending faculty. He opened Overland Park Dental Design in July 2004 and teaches other dentists as faculty for Seattle Study Club.
He has removed silver fillings throughout his career and plans every replacement around the whole bite, since a filling that fails often fails because of how the teeth meet.
What patients say
5.0 on Google · 32 reviews
I’m always happy with the outstanding care I receive. Everyone is friendly and efficient. Dr Lillis is incredible at what he does….top notch practice!
I was sent to Dr. Lillis by referral to fix a crown that I was told was not fixable. Not only did Dr. Lillis listen to all of my concerns but he was able to fix what others could not in a timely manner and with the utmost regard to detail and perfection. I honestly CANNOT say enough good things about this office. Every single staff member as well as Dr. Lillis himself have exceeded my expectations in all areas of care!!!! I highly recommend Dr. Lillis for all your dental needs.
If you want the best dental care Dr. Lillis and staff are the professionals that you should see.
What silver filling replacement costs in Overland Park, KS
The cost depends on how many fillings are replaced and what replaces each one. A composite filling costs less than a ceramic onlay, and an onlay costs less than a crown.
After your exam, you receive a written plan with costs for each tooth, so you can phase the work. Insurance coverage varies by plan and usually depends on whether the filling is failing or being replaced for appearance.
Silver filling replacement near Leawood, Prairie Village and Kansas City
Overland Park Dental Design is in the Foxhill Medical Building at 109th and Roe, just off I-435 at Roe Avenue, on the line between Overland Park and Leawood. Patients come from Leawood, Prairie Village, Mission Hills, Olathe, Lenexa, and across the Kansas City metro.
Overland Park Dental Design, Patrick B. Lillis, DDS4601 West 109th Street, Suite 318, Overland Park, KS 66211
(913) 451-7330
Silver filling questions
Should I replace my silver fillings?
Only the ones that are failing. Replace cracked, leaking, or decayed fillings, and intact fillings over sound teeth can usually stay and be checked at each visit.
How do dentists remove silver fillings?
We numb the tooth and drill out the filling with water spray and high-volume suction. We remove any decay underneath, then rebuild the tooth with composite, a ceramic onlay, or a crown.
Is it painful to remove silver fillings?
No. The tooth is numbed, so you feel pressure without pain. Mild sensitivity for a few days afterward is common.
Can you replace silver fillings with white fillings?
Yes, when the filling is small to medium, and the tooth walls are strong. Larger fillings are usually better replaced with a ceramic onlay or a crown, because composite alone can leave a weakened tooth prone to cracking.
How long do silver fillings last?
Many last for years, and age alone is not a reason to replace one. What matters is whether the filling is still sealed, uncracked, and free of decay underneath.
Are mercury fillings dangerous?
Silver fillings contain mercury and give off small amounts of mercury vapor. Current health guidance recommends mercury-free materials for new fillings in people who may be more sensitive, including pregnant and nursing people and young children, and advises against removing sound fillings. Dr. Lillis places only tooth-colored fillings.
Will removing my silver fillings improve my health?
There is no good evidence that removing sound amalgam fillings treats illness. If you have symptoms you are worried about, talk with your physician, and have failing fillings replaced for dental reasons.
Do you use the SMART amalgam removal protocol?
No. Dr. Lillis numbs the tooth and removes the old filling with water spray and high-volume suction, the way he has for more than twenty years.
Does insurance cover silver filling replacement?
Coverage varies by plan. Replacing a broken or decayed filling is often covered, but replacing a sound filling for appearance often is not.
Book a filling check in Overland Park
If you have old silver fillings and want to know which ones need attention, the exam tells you which are failing, which are fine, and what replacing them costs. You decide from there.