Metal to White Fillings
When it makes sense to replace silver fillings, what replaces them, how we remove them safely, and what it costs.
Can I Change My Metal Fillings to White?
Yes. Metal (amalgam) fillings can be replaced with tooth-coloured composite fillings or, for larger fillings, bonded ceramic onlays. A sound metal filling doesn't need replacing for health reasons, so most people replace them for appearance, or because a filling is worn, cracked or leaking. The old filling is removed carefully under local anaesthetic, usually in one visit per filling. At St Vincent Smile in Finnieston, Glasgow, white fillings on back teeth start from £118 and a ceramic onlay is £750, with dental plan members saving 10%.
Swapping Metal for White
Yes. Old silver-coloured fillings, called amalgam, can be removed and replaced with tooth-coloured materials that match your natural teeth. The right material depends on how much of the tooth the old filling takes up. Small and medium fillings are replaced with composite, a resin that's bonded directly to the tooth and shaped in the same visit. Where the old filling is large, or the walls of the tooth around it are thin, a ceramic onlay made from a digital scan gives a stronger, longer-lasting result.
Amalgam has been used for well over a century and does its job well. The reasons people ask us about replacing it are usually about how it looks, especially on teeth that show when they laugh, or because an old filling has started to fail.
If They Cause No Problems
Not for health reasons alone. UK health guidance is that intact amalgam fillings are safe, and removing a sound filling takes away a little more tooth each time, because the cavity has to be cleaned and reshaped. In the UK, amalgam is no longer used for children under 15 or for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding unless there's a specific clinical need, but a sound amalgam filling that's already in place can stay.
Most people replace them because they don't like how they look, or because a filling has started to wear, crack or leak. Signs a metal filling is failing include a grey shadow or a crack in the tooth around it, food catching, sensitivity to cold or sweet things, or a rough edge your tongue keeps finding. We check every filling at your examination and tell you which, if any, need attention.
Replacing Your Fillings?
Book an examination and we'll check each one and talk you through the options.
What Are the Options?
| Option | Best for | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| White composite filling | Small to medium fillings | From £118, back tooth |
| Ceramic onlay | Large fillings, or teeth with weakened walls | £750 |
| Ceramic crown | Heavily filled or cracked teeth | From £675 |
Fees are from our 2026 price list and are confirmed in your written plan before anything is done. Dental plan members save 10%.2 The fee for a composite filling rises with the number of surfaces it covers, so a filling that wraps over two or three sides of a back tooth costs more than a single-surface one. If several large fillings need onlays, treatment of £1,500 or more can be spread with interest-free finance, subject to status. Our guide to crowns, onlays and fillings explains how we choose between them.
What Happens at the Appointment?
Replacing a filling usually takes one visit for composite, or two for an onlay.
- We check each filling, with X-rays where needed, to see how deep it goes and whether there's decay underneath
- The tooth is numbed with local anaesthetic
- The old filling is removed carefully, using strong suction and, where appropriate, a protective rubber dam, a thin sheet that isolates the tooth and keeps debris out of your mouth
- The tooth is cleaned and any decay underneath is treated
- For composite, the new filling is bonded in, shaped to your bite and polished, and you leave with it finished
- For an onlay, the tooth is scanned on our iTero Lumina, with no putty, a temporary filling is placed, and the ceramic onlay is bonded in at a second visit
You'll be numb for a couple of hours afterwards, so take care eating until the feeling returns.
Replace Them All at Once?
Not usually. We'd normally replace fillings that are failing or most visible first, and keep an eye on the rest. There's no benefit to removing a sound filling early, and each replacement means a little more tooth is lost, so we'd rather time it well than rush.
If you'd like to replace several for appearance, we can plan them over one or two visits, usually working on one side of the mouth at a time so you can still eat comfortably. If you're also thinking about whitening, the order matters: composite doesn't lighten, so we'd whiten first with our home whitening kit, £350, wait for the shade to settle, and then match the new fillings to your whiter teeth.
Are White Fillings as Strong?
Modern composite is strong and bonds to the tooth, which helps support it. For small and medium fillings on back teeth it performs well for many years. Composite is more technique-sensitive than amalgam: the tooth has to be kept dry while it's placed, which is one reason we use a rubber dam, and it's built up in layers and set with a light. Done carefully, it seals the tooth well.
For very large fillings on back teeth, a ceramic onlay is usually the longer-lasting option. It's made outside the mouth to fit the tooth exactly, covers the biting surface and protects the remaining walls from splitting. We'll recommend what suits each tooth rather than using one material for everything. If you grind your teeth, a custom night guard, £210, protects new fillings as well as the teeth around them.
Looking After Your New Fillings
White fillings need the same care as your natural teeth. Brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, clean between your teeth daily, and keep your dental examinations so we can check the edges. Composite can pick up stain from tea, coffee, red wine and smoking over the years, and a polish at your hygiene visit keeps it looking fresh.
A new filling may feel slightly sensitive to cold for a few days, which usually settles on its own. If it feels high when you bite together, or sensitivity lasts more than a couple of weeks, come back and we'll check it. A small adjustment to the bite takes a few minutes and often solves the problem.
Questions
This guide is general information, not a diagnosis. A dentist needs to examine you to say what is right for your teeth.