How long should amalgam fillings last?

[cavity998]

I had terrible dental health as a teenager and got 14 amalgam fillings between the ages of 14-16. Now, at 27, my dentist wants to replace almost all of them. They have either failed, cracked, or gotten more decay underneath. It's been 9 years since I've been to the dentist so some are pretty bad. At least 6 of these teeth are going to need caps and 2 might need pulled out. I'm absolutely terrified and it doesn't help that I have new decay too. How bad is getting amalgam replaced? Do they really go bad after 11-13 years? I'm hoping for white caps but I'm not sure what my insurance covers.

 

[Gordon]

Amalgam can last for decades, I've got fillings which are over 50 years old now.

It sounds like you need to make some adjustments to your diet if you have so much decay going on, sorry.