NHS and white fillings?

brook2jack

White (composite) fillings are by no means entirely without problems. They contain chemicals such as bis gma which many countries have banned from babies bottles.

Moreover they have limitations in where they cam be placed.

Personally speaking I will not take out a good amalgam filling merely to replace it in composite as every time you remove a filling you make the hole larger and can start off a whole load of problems.

As said before it is utterly pointless ringing around for prices as composite fillings are priced according to size and how long the filling will take to do so a dentist can not give an accurate estimate until they have examined and x rayed you.

Katexx

I didn't realise that this wasn't the norm! I'm pleased with my dentist then. I've had 4 or 5 fillings (definitely need to do something about that...), all on the back teeth, all white by default, and have never been charged more than the basic NHS rate.

brook2jack

Again as said before small fillings on back teeth in the right places may be done in White eg not on the biting surface or on the biting surface as a very small filling (preventative resin restoration).

However they have never been available as larger fillings. They are much more demanding and time consuming to place and are not always appropriate to place. You can easily spend 45 minutes placing just one.

Sparklyfairy

brook2jack wrote: »

White (composite) fillings are by no means entirely without problems.

Actually, according to this "No BPA has been detected in blood samples, indicating that there is no detectable systemic exposure to BPA from dental sealants." So I still definitely would take the white fillings over the MERCURY ones any day!

OP, if a dentist wants business, they will surely be able to give you an estimated, ball park figure on the costs involved - over the phone - it is a business they run at the end of the day & if they get snotty with you, take your business elsewhere! x

Sparklyfairy

brook2jack wrote: »

Again as said before small fillings on back teeth in the right places may be done in White eg not on the biting surface or on the biting surface as a very small filling (preventative resin restoration).

However they have never been available as larger fillings. They are much more demanding and time consuming to place and are not always appropriate to place. You can easily spend 45 minutes placing just one.

Not true. I've had 2 back teeth filled with white largish fillings & they have lasted years. My dentist never complained about the time it took to mix & fill them.

Toothsmith

If you want the most biocompatible, and longest lasting material, then go for gold.

Nothing else comes close.

welshdent

Sparklyfairy wrote: »

Not true. I've had 2 back teeth filled with white largish fillings & they have lasted years. My dentist never complained about the time it took to mix & fill them.

You dont "mix" composite fillings. They come pre made. You can mix glass ionomer which is also white as previously mentioned. It is not however the same type of "white" filling people are thinking of. It is not the sort that gives a more tooth like appearance or feel. It is in effect a matt cement.
Just because your own individual experiences differ does not mean someone else is making un true statements. You are probably not the norm. I never routinely place large composite fillings in back teeth where amalgam is appropriate.

Regards shopping around ... this is not tescos. It is heakth care and dentistry. Sure we can give a ROUGH idea what ball park we are in but we can never say what you estimated costs would be without seeing you and doing an examination. For example, in larger cavities, some would be happy placing a directly placed composite. Others would not and thus advise an indirect composite inlay made by the lab. There would be a cost difference but we couldnt know the dentist is recommending this until they see you.

In addition, what YOU think you need and what we think you need are usually very different. I have lost track of the number of people that have come in to see me in rampant tooth ache informing me they just need me to do a filling for them. Likewise I get people with a left over stump of dentine having broken 95% of the rest of their tooth and want it all filled back in. There is simply zero way to treatment plan (my view) and thus give an estimate (yours) without seeing what we are dealing with

welshdent

oh and p.s. a sealant is not a filling. A sealant is a small pool of resin. A filling is generally a bulk fill of a different composition and significantly greater quantity

Sparklyfairy

welshdent wrote: »

You dont "mix" composite fillings. They come pre made.

Ok, my "bad!" I should have put "placing" instead..

Just because your own individual experiences differ does not mean someone else is making un true statements. You are probably not the norm.

The same can be said for you & brook2jacks as well...this thread has highlighted that MANY other people have had white fillings on the NHS & on their back teeth.

Regards shopping around ... this is not tescos. It is heakth care and dentistry. Sure we can give a ROUGH idea what ball park we are in but we can never say what you estimated costs would be without seeing you and doing an examination.

So you agree with me here :T !

Sparklyfairy

Toothsmith wrote: »

If you want the most biocompatible, and longest lasting material, then go for gold.

Nothing else comes close.

Probably the most healthy as well.