Silver Fillings to White

Swapping silver fillings for white ones

A lot of people don't know their "silver" fillings have a proper name. They're dental amalgam, a mix of metals, roughly half of which is mercury. They were the standard filling for well over a century, and plenty of us grew up with a mouthful of them.

People come to me to change them for all sorts of reasons. Some don't like how they look when they laugh. Some have old fillings that are cracked, leaking or worn. Some would simply rather not have mercury in their mouth, and want it taken out carefully.

Whatever the reason, the job is the same: take the old filling out carefully, and put a good white filling in its place.

Why how they're removed matters

Drilling out an amalgam filling releases mercury vapour and fine particles. That's why I use the SMART protocol, set out by the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology, for every amalgam I remove. In practice that means:

-a rubber dam, isolating the tooth

-high-volume suction close to the mouth

-a separate air supply for you, so you're not breathing the air around the tooth

-cutting the filling out in chunks, rather than grinding it to dust

-protective covering for you and my team

I'm the only IAOMT SMART Protocol Mentor in the UK, which means I help train other dentists in it. In September 2026 I was made a Fellow of the Academy, the only active Fellow in the UK. I've removed more than ten thousand amalgam fillings since I qualified in 2004.

What goes back in

For most teeth, a white composite. The one we use is BPA-free and free of the classic monomers older composites contained. It's matched to the shade of your tooth.

If a filling is very large, the tooth may need more support than a filling can give. Then I'll suggest a ceramic inlay or onlay, made to fit.

How many can be done at once?

Often all of them. Most people have between three and six amalgams, and I can usually replace those in one sitting, as long as I've seen your x-rays and photos first.

What it costs

You pay per new filling, with the removal included: £199 small, £299 medium, £329 large. Most are medium. Full cost breakdown here.

Coming from outside London?

You'd be in good company. Most of my patients travel in, from all over the UK. Read how we plan around your journey.

Next step

Message us on WhatsApp or call 020 7099 6651. Send your x-rays if you have them, and we'll tell you what's involved.This page is general information. Whether and how to replace a filling is decided with you at your assessment.