Can metallic fillings be removed with lasers?

• A. Yes
• B. No
• C. Only gold
• D. Lasers cannot remove metallic fillings and may produce poisonous vapor from mercury

Answer: (D)

Metals in fillings, especially dental amalgam that contains mercury, don’t respond well to laser energy. Lasers rely on absorbing energy to ablate material, but metal tends to reflect a lot of that energy and, even when it’s absorbed, heat quickly spreads through the metal and into surrounding tooth structure. This makes controlled and complete removal unreliable and can risk damage to the tooth or soft tissues. More importantly, heating amalgam can release mercury vapor, which is toxic if inhaled by the patient or clinician. For these safety and effectiveness concerns, lasers aren’t used to remove metallic fillings. Conventional drilling remains the standard method.