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| Dr. Benjamin Coon, D.D.S. |
Amalgams are the metal, silver-colored fillings for cavities in your teeth. In the United States, amalgams began to be used in the mid 1800s. Dental amalgam is a mixture of metals like silver, copper, and tin, which are combined with mercury. The mercury makes up about half of the mixture and acts as a “glue” to bind the components into a hard, stable, safe substance. This substance is malleable, and is placed into the tooth where it hardens. Amalgam is the least costly, quickest way to restore teeth, although it is not as widely used as it once was, thanks to other options. Dental amalgam has been used for more than 150 years, and can last in a patient’s mouth for more than 12 years.
Patients today are concerned about whether amalgam is safe, and are also concerned with the aesthetics of these more noticeable metal fillings. No scientific studies have demonstrated that the mercury contained in dental amalgam is harmful. For example, studies show that the mercury found in fillings is less than a person’s normal exposure to the mercury found in food, water and air. Therefore, dentists continue to place amalgams to preserve a tooth. The United States Public Health Service and the FDA’s Dental Products Panel are some of the many organizations that have determined amalgam is safe for preserving a tooth’s structure. However, a few people have been found to have an allergic reaction to mercury. Approximately one half of one percent of the population has a reaction to amalgam and mercury. If you think you have sensitivity to amalgam, please request a blood test from your physician or dentist.
Once your dentist determines that you have tooth decay, it is important to eliminate it. When the decay is removed, the amalgam is mixed and placed in your tooth. The filling is then carved and shaped, and your bite is adjusted. After the amalgam is placed, it can take up to two weeks for your filling to harden completely.
Lots of people are looking in to having their “silver fillings” replaced. Removal of any filling can cause structural damage to your teeth. So, unless you have recurrent decay under a filling or wish to change to white fillings for cosmetic reasons, there is no immediate reason to remove your amalgam fillings. Of course when amalgam fillings become loose, cracked, or broken, it is important to replace them. White fillings of porcelain or composite resin are now available, and have eclipsed amalgams in popularity.
At Glenwood Meadows Dental, we have chosen to use the tooth-colored composite filling material for three reasons. First, the fillings are more aesthetically pleasing to today's patients. Second, the composite fillings actually bond to the tooth, eliminating the very small gap that can occur between a tooth and an amalgam filling, which can sometimes lead to decay-- the exact opposite desired outcome for getting a filling to begin with. Finally, composite fillings have no "setting time", and the restoration is set by the time a patient leaves our office.
The decision to replace amalgams with other restoration materials should be decided by you and your dentist, and evaluated on several factors including aesthetic concerns, cost, tooth location, longevity of the restoration, and your preferences.
Dr. Benjamin Coon, D.D.S.
Glenwood Meadows Dental
40 Market Street, Suite A
Glenwood Springs, CO 81601
970-947-1717
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