Are Amalgam Fillings (Silver Fillings) necessary?
What is Amalgam Fillings?
Amalgam (silver filling) is a widely used material in 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.
For more than 150 years, metal amalgam fillings have been used in dentistry. Pre-mixed silver-colored fillings are used 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.
The Advantages Of Choosing Amalgam Fillings
Amalgam fillings are thought to be the strongest and most long-lasting way to restore a tooth. They’re also known as silver fillings because they’re made up of about half mercury and half silver. It’s been used in dentistry for decades and has proven to be a reliable and durable filling material.
5 Reasons to choose Amalgam Fillings
1. 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. Dental 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
Dental fillings are used for a number of reasons, one of which is to improve the strength and structure of teeth. When a cavity has been present in a tooth, it can weaken the tooth and make it more susceptible to further decay. A filling will be placed into the cavity and used as a support structure for the weakened tooth. This helps prevent future deterioration or cracking that may occur due to additional Dental fillings can be used to conceal discolored teeth. Dental fillings serve as a way for dentists to repair and restore teeth that have been damaged, decayed or injured.
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Is Dental Amalgam Safe?
Dental fillings are used for a variety of purposes, including improving the strength and structure of teeth. When a cavity develops in a tooth, it weakens the tooth and makes it more vulnerable to further decay. The cavity will be filled with a filling that will act as a support structure for the weakened tooth. Additional dental fillings can be used to conceal discoloured teeth, which helps to prevent future deterioration or cracking. Dentists use dental fillings to repair and restore teeth that have been broken, decayed, or injured.
Amalgam Fillings vs Composite Fillings
A composite filling is a tooth-colored filling material that is used to restore the shape of a cavity while also sealing it. Composite fillings are made of plastic resins mixed with small amounts of other materials such as glass or metal oxides, whereas amalgam fillings are made of mercury.
Is your Amalgam Filling Breaking down?
- • 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.
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.
Different types of dental fillings are recommended for certain specific situations, but amalgam fillings are often considered one of your top choices in a wide variety of cases.
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 amalgam 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 Todays Dental Now.
