Hi,
I'm a 30 year old who has gotten white (I assume composite?) fillings on 7 of my back teeth when I was a child.
I've seen at least 4 dentists over the years, and none have said anything in my adult life about them needing to be removed. On my most recent visit to a dentist, I was told that these fillings only help kids protect against cavities and bad hygene but need to be removed when you are an adult. The dentist also noted that I had "brown cracks" in a few places where he says bacteria are burrowing.
These fillings or teeth never bother me and I feel totally fine.
He said I need to get each filling removed ($50 each, after his "discount" that I don't even understand where it came from was applied).
I researched online and found no such evidence for needing to remove a resin composite. I saw that metal ones need to be removed and so do those that cause cracks, pain, and other problems.
So my question for dentists is, am I being scammed into an expensive procedure? Is it true that leaving these fillings in may cause bacteria to build up under them where my toothbrush can't reach, and cause issues down the road? Could it even cause damage to my enamel, gums, or teeth? Will I need fillings down the road or is it safe to keep my back molars free of fillings if I get these removed? Or is the dentist going to tell me I need to fork out more money for re-fillings in the future?!
I am just not sure what to believe because I have gotten no indication from previous dentists or seen anything online stating that white composits need to come out in adults.
Thanks!
I'm a 30 year old who has gotten white (I assume composite?) fillings on 7 of my back teeth when I was a child.
I've seen at least 4 dentists over the years, and none have said anything in my adult life about them needing to be removed. On my most recent visit to a dentist, I was told that these fillings only help kids protect against cavities and bad hygene but need to be removed when you are an adult. The dentist also noted that I had "brown cracks" in a few places where he says bacteria are burrowing.
These fillings or teeth never bother me and I feel totally fine.
He said I need to get each filling removed ($50 each, after his "discount" that I don't even understand where it came from was applied).
I researched online and found no such evidence for needing to remove a resin composite. I saw that metal ones need to be removed and so do those that cause cracks, pain, and other problems.
So my question for dentists is, am I being scammed into an expensive procedure? Is it true that leaving these fillings in may cause bacteria to build up under them where my toothbrush can't reach, and cause issues down the road? Could it even cause damage to my enamel, gums, or teeth? Will I need fillings down the road or is it safe to keep my back molars free of fillings if I get these removed? Or is the dentist going to tell me I need to fork out more money for re-fillings in the future?!
I am just not sure what to believe because I have gotten no indication from previous dentists or seen anything online stating that white composits need to come out in adults.
Thanks!