Amalgam (silver filling) is a widely used material in the dental filling. It is not much different from gold, but it is much less expensive and more durable than gold. As a result, it has become popular among those who need to restore their teeth.
Amalgam Fillings Over Traditional Silver Fillings.
Dentistry has been utilizing metal amalgam fillings for over 150 years. These fillings, composed of pre-mixed silver-colored material, are employed to restore decayed teeth. Depending on the location of the implant and the patient’s lifestyle, they can last for up to ten years. As a result, many patients who have metal amalgam fillings end up having multiple fillings over the course of their lives.
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The Advantages Of Choosing Amalgam Fillings
Dentists consider amalgam fillings, which consist of approximately half mercury and half silver, as the strongest and most long-lasting method for restoring teeth. These fillings have been widely used in dentistry for decades, demonstrating their reliability and durability as a trusted filling material.
5 Reasons to choose Amalgam Fillings
- Tooth Cavities play an important role. Know why
Did you know that tooth decay is the world’s most common disease? It outnumbers heart attacks and cancer in terms of prevalence. To combat this evil, we must devise new ways to prevent it.
The tooth cavity is a condition in which bacterial action has damaged the tooth enamel, causing infection and inflammation. It can also cause gum pain, tenderness, or swelling as a result of bacterial invasion, which is known as periodontal disease
2. Holes in the Teeth
Although teeth are the hardest substance in the human body, they can chip and crack over time. Teeth can develop holes for a variety of reasons. One of them is tooth decay caused by bacteria on the surface of the teeth. A dentist will fill a cavity with a composite resin to restore its strength and shape after it has formed. However, if this condition persists, the tooth may become too weak to support itself and may eventually fall out.
3. Fracture in the Teeth
The “edge” or “facial” fracture is the most common type of tooth fracture. These fractures occur when a tooth is struck by a hard object, causing the tooth to break off at its weakest point, which is usually just inside the gum line. Although facial fractures are rarely serious, they can cause pain and bleeding, necessitating immediate medical attention to avoid further damage or complications.
4. Dental Fillings for Discolored Teeth
Dental fillings can be used to conceal discolored teeth. This fillings serve as a way for dentists to repair and restore teeth that have been damaged, decayed or injured.
5. Dental Fillings to improve Tooth Structure
Dentists use dental fillings for various reasons, including enhancing the strength and structure of teeth. When a tooth has a cavity, it becomes weakened and vulnerable to further decay. Dentists place a filling in the cavity to provide support and prevent future deterioration or cracking. Additionally, dental fillings can be used to conceal discolored teeth. They enable dentists to repair and restore damaged, decayed, or injured teeth.
Is Dental Amalgam Safe?
Dentists utilize dental fillings for multiple purposes, one of which is to enhance the strength and structure of teeth. When a tooth develops a cavity, it weakens the tooth and increases its susceptibility to further decay. The dentist fills the cavity with a filling to provide support and strengthen the weakened tooth. Dental fillings can also be employed to conceal discolored teeth, preventing potential deterioration or cracking. Dentists actively use dental fillings to repair and restore broken, decayed, or injured teeth.
Amalgam Fillings vs Composite Fillings
Dentists use a tooth-colored filling material called composite filling to restore the shape of a cavity and seal it. Composite fillings consist of plastic resins mixed with small quantities of other materials like glass or metal oxides. In contrast, mercury is used in the creation of amalgam fillings.
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- • They’re durable and strong, so they’re less likely to break than other types of fillings.
- • Ideal for patients with a high risk of tooth decay, large tooth preparations, and situations where moisture makes other materials, such as resins, difficult to bond to the tooth.
- • The most affordable type of filling material.
• Used in hundreds of millions of patients around the world for over 150 years.
Are amalgam fillings better than composite?
If you have cavities, you may have heard that amalgam fillings are the best option. This is due to the fact that they are simple to install, durable, and long-lasting. Although your dentist will not use mercury in the filling process, amalgam contains other metals that could cause allergic reactions or even worse health problems.
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It is simple to understand why, whenever your dentist detects tooth decay, he must remove that decay as soon as possible and clean the tooth. Weakened decayed tooth structure is not only uncomfortable but places one’s entire oral and general health at risk.
As much as the rapid removal of tooth decay must occur, so too must the rapid restoration of the tooth. With the decayed material removed and the tooth cleaned, the tooth is not whole and does not perform as needed. Furthermore, open spaces in teeth just invite more bacteria and leftover food particles to build up and create new problems. One, therefore, fills in these open spaces with dental fillings.
Dentists often consider amalgam fillings as one of the top choices for a wide range of cases, although different types of dental fillings may be recommended for specific situations.
About Amalgam Fillings
Along with composite fillings, amalgam fillings are one of the more common types of dental fillings. Amalgam fillings are made from mercury and other metals like copper, silver or tin. Liquid mercury is mixed with powdered metals and is a useful component. It allows the filling to be malleable for proper shape.
Compared to other types of dental fillings, amalgam fillings are fairly inexpensive. These fillings are also extremely strong, which makes them ideal for use on back chewing teeth, where they need to withstand intense biting forces.
However, patients don’t always favor getting amalgam fillings. The aesthetic aspect of receiving an amalgam filling is often a concern as fillings are silver in color and therefore very visible in the mouth. This is not particularly aesthetically pleasing. Sometimes amalgam fillings can also cause allergies in the patient. Either to the small amount of mercury within them or to the other metals within them. Due to the mercury content and the fact that it can pass through the placenta, pregnant women are recommended not to get amalgam fillings.
How the Fillings are Placed
In order to place an amalgam filling, your dentist will:
- Thoroughly examine your mouth,
- Take x-rays of your teeth to determine the exact location and depth of the decay or damage to confirm whether amalgam fillings would be appropriate and workable,
- Discuss with you the situation and help you to make an informed decision about the use of amalgam fillings,
- Give you an injection of local anesthetic where appropriate to ensure a more comfortable procedure,
- Remove decay and dead tooth material,
- Clean the area thoroughly in preparation of receiving a filling,
- Place the amalgam filling in the tooth,
- Shape the amalgam filling properly and quickly so that it will contribute to proper tooth structure, function and comfort,
- Ensure the filling is smooth.
You will need to avoid chewing on the tooth that has received an amalgam filling for twenty-four hours after the filling placed.
Choosing Amalgam Fillings
While there has been some controversy about the safety of amalgam fillings, they have been used with great success for over a hundred years. Health agencies have reported that the mercury content in these fillings is truly too minimal to be harmful. On the other hand, dentists who work with amalgam fillings regularly do need to take precautions. They need to wear protective gear while working with this material.
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For more information about amalgam fillings and to learn whether they would be a good option for you, Contact your Dentist in Bowie.