Dental Solutions
“I love my teeth and my smile. The work was done very softly and pleasant, and Dr. Gross and his team really cared and even worked on “odd” hours as I was a bit pushed for time leaving USA for Europe. Thank you Dr. Gross – Thank you Renee and the rest of the team – You are great!”
- Pernilla
Metal Amalgam Fillings
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
Toxic Teeth
Do you have some old metal amalgam fillings? They have been the standard way to fill a tooth cavity for many decades. But in more recent years, as cosmetic dentistry has continually gained popularity and more dentists have sought training so they could offer it, amalgam fillings have been reconsidered.
Amalgam fillings are sometimes called “silver fillings”, and they do contain some silver. They are made of approximately 50 percent mercury, 30 percent copper, small amounts of tin and silver, and a trace of zinc. Controversy has bubbled up over these recent years about how harmful that 50 percent of mercury might be over time.
What is Mercury?
Mercury (also called quicksilver) is one of earth’s heavy metals, and a known toxin. Although it is a metal, it is one of six elements which are liquid at an average room temperature. It has been used in thermometers for a long time (although now we mostly have digital thermometers), because it expands with heat. It is also used in barometers and a variety of scientific instruments. It is found in deposits all over the world and is known to have been used in the ancient cultures of China, Greece, Egypt, and Rome.
The Controversy Over Mercury in Amalgam Fillings
Mercury responds quickly to heat and gives off mercury vapor. So each time we put a hot food or drink in our mouths, that small amount of mercury responds with a little vapor which is absorbed by the body. Similarly, when we brush and chew, the friction stimulates vapor. Over time, as happens with all heavy metals such as lead (another known toxin), the chemicals build up in the body to potentially toxic levels.
The question has been: do amalgam fillings generate enough mercury vapor to pose a health threat? It is known that more major exposure to mercury is toxic, and when our cosmetic dentists remove and replace a person’s mouthful of metal fillings, they protect themselves from the toxic vapor generated by drilling out the mercury filling. Some countries have banned mercury completely.
Mercury Toxicity
Mercury poisoning damages the central nervous system, including the brain, liver, stomach, kidneys, and other organs. The symptoms you would experience include:
- Vision, hearing and speech impairment
- Reduced body coordination
- Skin discoloration
- Itching or pain anywhere in the body
- Increased sweating and salivation
- Fast heartbeat
- High blood pressure
Severity of symptoms depends on how long a person was exposed to the mercury and by which route (breathing vapors, ingesting mercury etc.) it entered the body. Very severe cases are fatal.
Mercury Warning Issued by the FDA
Until this week (June, 2008), the Food and Drug Administration has supported the use of mercury in dental fillings. However, it has now issued a warning about its dangers for pregnant women, unborn babies, and young children. This group has already been advised to limit seafood consumption for the same reason: potential mercury toxicity.
The small bodies of babies and growing children are more susceptible to poisoning, and a pregnant woman’s blood nourishes the unborn baby through the placenta, which could start an accumulation of mercury in that tiny body.
Dental Alternatives to Amalgam
At Smile Perfect, we have never wanted to subject our patients to any unnecessary health risk, and we offer two excellent alternatives to mercury fillings.
- Porcelain Fillings
These are custom-crafted from dental porcelain and bonded permanently to the tooth. Porcelain fillings strengthen the tooth, extend its lifetime, and are visually indistinguishable as being fillings. Our cosmetic dentists match the shade of porcelain used to your individual tooth color. You can read more about porcelain fillings on our Metal-Free Fillings Questions page. - White Composite Fillings
Dental composite, also called dental bonding, is a soft, malleable substance which can be molded to fill a small chip, to give a tooth a slightly different shape or size, to cover cracks or discoloration, and to fill small gaps between teeth. It is also used to fill cavities.
A white composite filling begins as a soft substance but once the cavity is filled and your bite tested and found to be correct and comfortable, the composite is hardened with a curing light. This takes just a few seconds. Then it is fine-tuned if necessary, and polished, and is virtually invisible as a dental restoration. More on Dental Bonding.
If you would like to know more about the potential danger of mercury fillings and the advantages of porcelain or white composite fillings, please contact us to schedule a personal consultation. Our four offices serve Boca Raton, Ft. Lauderdale, Deerfield and Plantation, Florida.
SmilePerfect Locations: Galleria • Plantation • Deerfield • Boca
