Can someone help me identify these?

[Lilian Choo]

I’ve been dating my girlfriend for about 8 months now, and i noticed these things in her teeth. She has them on every premolar and molar (all 16 teeth in the back) They look like dark silver, looks shiny, and feels round according to her. I asked her about them she doesn’t know what they are. We live in Singapore and the schools offer free dental in dental clinics (this will be important later). When I asked her about them she remembers being 10-11 (we are both 17) she went to the clinic because of this toothache she had. And they used the dental drill to drill her teeth and they also used other tools to “put pressure on the tooth” she also said the dentist didn’t numb her and it was painful. She also remembers a metallic taste and spending a lot of time at the clinic that day/week. Are they cavities? Does this have anything to do with her having really bad sensitivity to cold/hot stuff on those teeth? She also has toothaches from time to time in those teeth. Sorry if this sounds weird English isn’t my first language and I have no dental knowledge since I am pretty young. Ask if you need additional information

 

[Dr M]

So the silver that you see, is actually amalgam fillings. They were most likely done, due to her having cavities when she was younger. In terms of the sensitivity or pain-it is difficult to say without having some x-rays to look at. I suggest that she goes and sees a dentist in order to have a full evaluation done.

 

[Lilian Choo]

So the silver that you see, is actually amalgam fillings. They were most likely done, due to her having cavities when she was younger. In terms of the sensitivity or pain-it is difficult to say without having some x-rays to look at. I suggest that she goes and sees a dentist in order to have a full evaluation done.

What are amalgam fillings?

 

[Dr M]

They are metal fillings. You can google it for more information

 

[MattKW]

Amalgam fillings, look fine from the limited photo. They usually outlast composite fillings; I've had my amalgams for 50 years. If they do start to fail, it usually occurs as cracking of surrounding tooth structure which will be quickly evident. The sensitivity of which you speak are not usually associated with amalgams. The most common cause of sensitivity in young people nowadays tends to be excessive intake of acidic drinks (soft drinks, juices, sports drinks).