Composites VS Amalgam Fillings
The Lake Stevens Dental Clinic is dedicated to providing the highest quality of dental care possible for our patients. This includes filling cavities with tooth colored composite and porcelain material only (as opposed to mercury containing amalgam fillings). The Clinic stopped using amalgam in the early 1990.
We no longer provide amalgam fillings for the following reasons:
- A tooth colored filling is stronger because it actually bonds to your tooth. The composite bonds all the remaining walls of the tooth together.
- Because amalgams do not bond to tooth structure, there is a gap between the filling and the tooth, which significantly decreases the strength of the tooth. This gap provides a pathway for bacteria and acids to get into and cause further decay.
- Amalgam fillings expand and contract so much, they create a wedge in the tooth leading to a weakened tooth structure. The tooth, over time will eventually break apart and the only thing remaining in your mouth will be the filling.
- Silver fillings are ugly. We like to give people beautiful teeth.
Can I have my old amalgam fillings removed?
- Yes. There isn’t a restoration that lasts forever. This is particularly true of large fillings. As the teeth, and the amalgams in them, break down over the years, the amalgam fillings will be replaced with tooth colored or crowns of one sort or another.
- However, if you have concerns about possible (although generally unproven) negative health effects due to amalgam fillings, they can be removed at an accelerated schedule.We can also replace amalgams if a patient requests us to. However, amalgam replacement can’t be done just for cosmetic reasons to meet requirements for most insurance programs.
- The Clinic frequently uses it’s Isolite suction system to help reduce exposure to the amalgam particles during filling replacement procedures. The Isolite combines a bite block, light and suction device into a single unit. Many patients find having their fillings done with the isolite to be easier than without because of the bite block and constant suction keeps all the junk from being swallowed.
- The Clinic also has environmentally friendly equipment designed to keep the amalgam scrap from entering into the waste water system.
- Generally, all the hysteria about mercury/silver amalgams is just that, hysteria… There are rare individuals who are actually allergic to amalgams but for the general population, amalgams provide decent restorative option for years without significant health risks.
- FYI, Dr Fred still has several small amalgams that are over twenty years old. When they finally break down, he will have them replaced with tooth colored fillings.