Safe Mercury Amalgam Removal Technique (SMART)
Do you have any metal amalgam fillings? They have been used for many decades to fill cavities, and, in some respects, they do a good job, at least for a while. To improve your smile, we can replace them with more attractive-looking white composite fillings that are also more biologically friendly.
At MedPlex Dental Holistic Dentistry, we offer metal-free dentistry in Orlando, Florida, and we do not use amalgam fillings. Perhaps the biggest disadvantage of metal fillings is that, along with some silver, zinc, copper and tin, the metal amalgam contains about 50 percent mercury.
THE MERCURY ISSUE
All metals expand in response to heat and contract in the cold, and mercury does it more than other metals, which is why it was used in thermometers. Metal amalgam expands and contracts with the hot and cold foods eaten, which puts chronic stress on the tooth it is filling. Eventually, it will separate from the margins of the tooth, allowing leakage, and decay may reinfect the tooth.
Further, mercury is a known toxin. Its use has been largely discontinued in thermometers and in the medical community generally. It gives off mercury vapor in the mouth each time the filling is rubbed or heated, as it is when you chew or drink anything hot, grind your teeth, or chew gum.
The vapor continues to rise for a while after those activities stop, and, over time, mercury may accumulate in body organs such as the kidneys and liver, whose job it is to rid the body of toxins. They may become overloaded and blocked, being less able to process other toxins. Rather than subject our patients to any unnecessary risk, we offer white fillings instead.
COSMETIC DISADVANTAGES OF METALS IN DENTISTRY
Besides metal amalgam, other metals have traditionally been used in dentistry, too.
– Gold alloy crowns are still widely used. The gold color stands out as obviously not natural, although it is serviceable and durable and it is more biocompatible than other metal alloys that have been used for crowns.
– PFM crowns (Porcelain-Fused-to-Metal) develop dark streaks along the gum line after a few years. That is because our gums gradually shrink as we get older, exposing the crown’s metal lining.
At MedPlex Dental Holistic Dentistry, we offer all-porcelain crowns and DIAMOND Lite crowns, which do not have those disadvantages.
REPLACING YOUR METAL FILLINGS WITH WHITE FILLINGS
Although the American Dental Association (ADA) believes that metal fillings are safe, it is your choice to have them in your mouth or not. Safety precautions must be taken when they are removed.
To protect you from the mercury vapor (and to help protect ourselves also), we use a rubber dam to cover the back of the throat, and a special air suction system, as well as high saliva evacuation, to carry it away. This means that you will not be inhaling as much mercury fumes or swallowing any amalgam fragments.
DIAMOND COMPOSITE MATERIALS FOR RESTORATIONS
In recent years, a lot of research has been done on dental materials. As a result, there are now more choices in how to have your dental restorations done. Materials are safer, more attractive, more durable, and easier to customize. At MedPlex Dental Holistic Dentistry, we use the DIAMOND line of dental materials for non-toxic dentistry.
DIAMOND materials are biocompatible, visually pleasing, and strong. Your DIAMOND restorations will match your teeth very closely in shade and translucency, making them invisible as restorations. You will have no gum irritation or allergic reaction. Your smile will be entirely natural-looking and your dental health improved.
These products are a complete line so that we can use DiamondBond primers to prepare your teeth, DiamondCrown or DiamondLite ceramic materials for your crowns or fillings, and DiamondBond or DiamondLink adhesives to attach them.
For more about how we protect you from harmful materials and enhance your dental and general health, please see our pages on Your Safety in Dentistry and Nutritional Consultations.
If you would like to schedule a personal consultation with our biological dentist and ask your questions about how holistic dentistry in Orlando, Florida, can help, please call or email our office today. We serve the entire Orlando, Florida, area, and we hope to meet with you shortly.