Mercury-Free Dentistry in Bellevue, WA
 Mercury-free dentistry at Bella Dental Care in Bellevue, WA means we use natural-looking, tooth-colored materials for fillings and restorations rather than the old metal amalgam.
If you have dark silver fillings and would rather not, we can replace them with restorations that blend in with your natural teeth.
Amalgam, the silver-colored metal used for fillings for over a century, has fallen out of favor in our office. For most patients we consider it outdated: it shows as dark spots when you smile or laugh, it does not bond to the tooth, and as it ages it can let decay creep in underneath. We replace every metal filling we encounter with a better-matched, tooth-colored filling or restoration.
Whether your reason is the way the metal looks, a cracked old filling, or simply a preference to have no metal in your mouth, we are glad to help. The materials we use today are strong, natural in color, and bonded directly to the tooth.
On This Page
What Is Mercury-Free Dentistry?
 Mercury-free dentistry simply means we do not place amalgam, the metal filling material that contains mercury mixed with silver and other metals. Instead, we restore teeth with tooth-colored composite or ceramic, which we match to the shade of your own teeth.
These modern materials do more than look better. Composite and ceramic bond directly to the tooth, which lets us preserve more of your natural tooth structure than amalgam, which had to be wedged into a shaped pocket to stay put. They also do not expand and contract with hot and cold the way metal does.
Why Replace Old Metal Fillings?
There are a few common reasons patients decide to switch.
- Appearance – dark metal shows when you laugh or talk, especially on lower teeth
- Age and wear – older amalgams can crack the tooth around them or develop decay along the edges as the seal breaks down
- A better bond – tooth-colored materials seal to the tooth, while amalgam only sits in place
- Personal preference – some patients would simply rather not have metal in their mouth
Not every old filling needs to come out right away. If a metal filling is intact and doing its job, we will tell you so rather than push to replace it.
What We Use Instead
For smaller restorations, a tooth-colored composite filling is usually the answer, bonded and shaped in a single visit. For larger areas where more strength is needed, we often use a pressed-ceramic onlay, a custom-made restoration that holds up to heavy chewing force. We recommend the option that fits the size of the repair, drawing on the full range of dental filling options we offer.
Your Mercury-Free Dentist in Bellevue
Your restorations at Bella Dental Care are handled by Dr. Rima Abifaker, a general dentist with more than 29 years of experience and a DDS from Loma Linda University School of Dentistry. Replacing metal fillings with tooth-colored materials is everyday restorative work for her. More in her full bio.
Dr. Abifaker is also Bioclear certified, a tooth-colored composite technique that calls for a careful eye for shade and shape. That same attention to how a restoration looks and fits is what makes a replaced filling blend in rather than stand out.
She will also tell you straight whether a filling actually needs replacing, and which ones can wait. The goal is a mouth that is comfortable and looks the way you want, not swapping out metal for its own sake.
How We Replace Metal Fillings, Step by Step
 Replacing an old metal filling is a routine, comfortable visit, usually done in a single appointment per tooth.
Numbing and Careful Removal
We first numb the tooth so you stay comfortable. When we take out the old amalgam, we use protective measures, including isolating the tooth and using high-volume suction, to keep stray material away from you and clear it out cleanly. The old filling and any decay underneath come out together.
Placing the New Restoration
With the tooth clean, we bond a tooth-colored composite into place, shaping and hardening it in layers so it matches the tooth and restores its strength. For a larger repair, we may instead fit a custom ceramic onlay. Either way, we check your bite before you leave so the new restoration feels natural when you chew.
If You Are Replacing Several
Some patients want all their old metal fillings swapped over time, which we can plan across a few visits to keep each one short. For patients who feel anxious about dental work, or who want more done in one sitting, our sedation dentistry options are available.
Benefits of Going Mercury-Free
The most visible benefit is the obvious one: your fillings no longer show. Replacing dark metal with a shade-matched restoration means your back teeth look natural when you laugh or open wide, which many patients at Bella Dental Care appreciate more than they expected.
There are practical advantages beyond appearance.
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A natural look - Tooth-colored composite and ceramic match your own teeth, so a repaired tooth blends in instead of flashing metal
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More of your tooth preserved - Because these materials bond to the tooth, we can often remove less healthy structure than amalgam required
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Less temperature sensitivity - Unlike metal, tooth-colored materials do not conduct hot and cold the same way, which can mean less of that zing from a cold drink
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A solid, sealed repair - Bonding seals the restoration to the tooth, leaving fewer gaps where decay can sneak back in |
For patients who would simply rather not carry metal in their mouth, replacing it also brings a quieter kind of benefit: peace of mind.
Why Choose Our Team for Mercury-Free Care
We made tooth-colored materials our default years ago, and we will offer to replace metal fillings when we find them, though only when it actually benefits you. It is one piece of the broader restorative dentistry we provide.
Matching a restoration to a natural tooth takes a careful eye, which is where our cosmetic experience shows. Our Bioclear training is built around exactly this kind of shade-and-shape work, so a replaced filling tends to disappear into the tooth rather than look like a patch.
Comfort is part of it too, from the calm, spa-style setting to the protective steps we take during removal. We care for patients across Bellevue and the Eastside, including Kirkland, Issaquah, and Sammamish, who want their dental work to look like no work at all.
Cost and Insurance
Cost matters, and we’ll be straightforward about it. What a replacement costs depends on the size of the filling and the material, since a small composite is different from a custom ceramic onlay, and on how many you are having done.
Insurance is worth understanding here. When a metal filling is failing or has decay underneath, replacing it is usually covered like any other filling. When a filling is sound and you are replacing it mainly for appearance, a plan may treat that as elective and cover less. Our team will check how your coverage applies before you decide.
Our insurance and financing options explain how benefits and payment generally work, and flexible payment plans are available, which helps when you are replacing several fillings over time.
Schedule Your Mercury-Free Consultation
If you are ready to trade dark metal fillings for a more natural-looking smile, we would love to help. Call Bella Dental Care at (425) 208-0032 to get started, or request an appointment online. We are at 1550 140th Avenue NE, Suite 110 in Bellevue, WA 98005-4500. You can also contact us with any questions before you book.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to replace my silver fillings?
Not always. A metal filling that is intact and sealing well can usually stay, and we will tell you when that is the case. The signs that one should come out are a crack you can feel with your tongue, sensitivity to pressure or temperature, or a dark line forming at the edge. Beyond that, replacing a filling for appearance is a personal choice we are happy to support.
Are amalgam fillings dangerous?
Amalgam has been used for over a century, and major health authorities consider it acceptable for most people. That said, many patients today simply prefer not to have metal in their mouth, and tooth-colored materials work just as well or better for most fillings. We are glad to replace amalgam whether your reason is appearance, a failing filling, or personal preference, and we do not pressure anyone either way.
Is it safe to have amalgam fillings removed?
Yes. Removing an old filling is a routine procedure, and we take protective steps during it, such as isolating the tooth and using strong suction, to keep the process clean and comfortable. Most patients find replacing a filling no different from having one placed in the first place.
Will tooth-colored fillings look natural?
Yes, that is the main point of them. We match the composite or ceramic to the shade of your surrounding teeth and shape it to the tooth's natural contours, so a finished restoration is hard to spot even up close. On front teeth especially, a well-matched tooth-colored filling is far more discreet than the dark edge of an old metal one.
How long do tooth-colored fillings last?
With good care, a tooth-colored filling can last many years, often as long as the amalgam it replaced. The main thing that shortens its life is wear or a new cavity forming at the edge, which is exactly what we watch for at your regular checkups. Larger ceramic restorations tend to last even longer, since they stand up better to years of chewing.
Can I replace all my metal fillings at once?
Yes, though there is no rush to do it all in one day. There is no medical urgency to remove sound fillings, so we usually take care of any that are failing first and leave the rest to a timeline that suits you. Many patients replace one or two at their regular checkups rather than scheduling a separate marathon visit.
Are tooth-colored fillings more expensive than metal ones?
Often a little, yes, because the materials and the bonding process cost more than amalgam. For most patients the difference is modest, especially for a standard composite filling, and many find the natural look well worth it. Where cost climbs is with custom ceramic onlays for larger repairs, which we only recommend when a tooth genuinely needs that strength. Our Bellevue team gives you a clear estimate before anything starts, and our insurance and financing options cover the basics.
Will my new fillings be as strong as the metal ones?
For most teeth, yes. Composite bonds to the tooth and is strong enough for everyday chewing on small and medium fillings. The one spot where it has limits is a very large repair on a back molar, where we use a ceramic onlay that handles more force than a big composite or the old amalgam could. |
