P
Poppy1234
taking a break from the forum
- Joined
- Aug 13, 2010
- Messages
- 261
- Location
- Sheffield and Stockport, UK.
I've been corresponding with a dentist in America, (researching for a community radio show I'm doing on preventing tooth decay) and he told me the average life of silver fillings in the USA is just 7 - 8 years.
I told him mine have lasted 35 years, and most people in the UK report a similar length of time for them to last, and even longer.
It's got him thinking!!
He's helped me a lot, and so I wanted to ask his question on here for him, as I'm interested too...
So....are dentists in the USA too keen to replace perfectly good fillings just for the money??
What are the guidelines for UK NHS and private dentists for replacing fillings??
Only when they break? Or when they are deemed to be getting thin??
He asks........
I have been thinking a lot about your fillings lasting 35 years. I wonder, because a lot of what I write is based on tons of research showing average lifespan of fillings is much lower than you report. I also have corresponded with another person from England who reported their filling longevity similar to yours.
The only difference I can think of is the possibility that US dentists are making the judgement of when to replace fillings differently than dentists in England.
I have no idea how dentists in the National Health Service in England paid for fillings and what kind of limitations are placed. In other words I'm wondering if the incentives are different in England from those in the US.
I can't find out how it works there, but I would appreciate any information you might be able to pass on about this. I really am curious to know if the average life of fillings could be so different because of this. The cost over a lifetime is tremendously higher with a shorter lifespan for each filling.
I hope you can find out for me.
Can you help him???
I told him mine have lasted 35 years, and most people in the UK report a similar length of time for them to last, and even longer.
It's got him thinking!!
He's helped me a lot, and so I wanted to ask his question on here for him, as I'm interested too...
So....are dentists in the USA too keen to replace perfectly good fillings just for the money??
What are the guidelines for UK NHS and private dentists for replacing fillings??
Only when they break? Or when they are deemed to be getting thin??
He asks........
I have been thinking a lot about your fillings lasting 35 years. I wonder, because a lot of what I write is based on tons of research showing average lifespan of fillings is much lower than you report. I also have corresponded with another person from England who reported their filling longevity similar to yours.
The only difference I can think of is the possibility that US dentists are making the judgement of when to replace fillings differently than dentists in England.
I have no idea how dentists in the National Health Service in England paid for fillings and what kind of limitations are placed. In other words I'm wondering if the incentives are different in England from those in the US.
I can't find out how it works there, but I would appreciate any information you might be able to pass on about this. I really am curious to know if the average life of fillings could be so different because of this. The cost over a lifetime is tremendously higher with a shorter lifespan for each filling.
I hope you can find out for me.
Can you help him???