Why are dental filling dark?

I always keep wondering why the dental filling Or crown or whatver they are called, always comes in a dark color? Shouldn't they be white so it's not so obvious?

Why are dental filling dark?
They are available in white. They may not be fully covered under your dental insurance. But, I had to get a filling and I paid a bit out of pocket so that it matches the rest of my teeth.
Reply:Well .you are given options the inner ones can be dark or m etal andthe outer ones maybe in ceramic...........the cost too varies
Reply:white fillings are used only in front teeth so that they are not visible. However, dark fillings are made of a material called omalgum which is stronger and does not corrode easily in the mouth.


Im a dentist by the way
Reply:its because its not your real teeth filling the real teeth is the best
Reply:I think you are refering to a amalgam filling there is white fillings but amalgam is a stronger material for back or deep fillings.
Reply:Amalgam is made up of at least 50% mercury, then usually about 35% silver, and the remainder copper %26amp; tin. Mercury is highly toxic to your body, so if you can afford them, I'd suggest that you get composite (white) fillings or inlays in large cavities.





Mercury amalgam fillings have never been proved safe; they've just been used for a long time. There is a lot of controversy about their safety, search online. And yes, they are stronger (becaue they're metal) than composite fillings, they also corrode and slightly enlarge, ensuring a tight seal between the cavity %26amp; filling. This corrosion and enlargement also breaks the structure of your tooth from the inside, which is why large amalgam fillings usually end up in a root canal or crown. More of the tooth also needs removed to place an amalgam so you lose more original, healthy tooth structure.





Check out this video on youtube, called "smoking teeth = poison gas"





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ylnQ-T7o...





I had my 2 amalgam's replaced earlier this year with a crown %26amp; inlay. Cost $2,100. It would have been a lot easier %26amp; cheaper to just have composite fillings placed in the first place.
Reply:Actually, if Teresa was actually a dentist, she would know the correct spelling of AMALGAM. And she would also know that the "white colored fillings" are not only used in the front of the teeth, but also in the back. Amalgam filling are the dark, metal fillings used in the back of the teeth. Basically the "metal" is packed into the hole where the decay was. Because it's just packed in there, there's more instances of breakage or the filling falling out. The composite, or white, fillings are starting to be used more in the back teeth. The composite material is packed into the teeth, then the dentist uses a light to "cure" the material so it is basically "glued" to the inside of the teeth. It is 4,000 times stronger than the natural teeth and can withstand the pressure of the teeth biting together more than the amalgam.