Fillings
Dental decay creates holes in our teeth.
An organic acid produced by bacteria dissolves away the hard outer
covering of our teeth, which is called enamel. Fillings are a man-made
material designed to fill in or restore the damaged areas of decayed
teeth.
Fillings can also replace areas of teeth that have been damaged by fracture, abrasion, erosion or defects due to hard and invasive tooth brushing.
Dental amalgam is a mixture of metals used to fill back teeth. Most people know amalgam fillings as silver fillings, as this is one of the major metals in the amalgam filling. One of the metals in the mixture is a 50 % amount of mercury which has led some people to say that dental amalgam is dangerous. When mercury is combined with the other metals in dental amalgam, its chemical nature changes, forming a hard dense metal mixture. There is much less metalic mercury in dental amalgam than what patients are exposed to in food, air, and water.
Ongoing scientific studies conducted over the past 100 years continue to show that dental amalgam is safe to use as a restorative material in dentistry. Dental amalgam has withstood the test of time, is a very durable and inexpensive material and has been used safely for more than 150 years. It is estimated that well over 1 billion amalgam restorations (fillings) are placed annually.
Dentists appreciate using dental amalgam because it is easier to work with than other alternatives and because it is less expensive for both - the patient and the doctor- and it can be placed in 1/3 of the time than a white (Bonding) filling can be done.
Gold and porcelain are used as alternatives to amalgam fillings , with gold being the best material of all time and having either a yellow or silver look and porcelain being tooth colored, that is white ! They both do need a 2nd apointment when they come back from the dental laboratory to seat and cement them . (about 20 minutees)
Having said that, Dr. Goodman prides himself of being a mercury- free (Amalgam free) dental office which uses only the best, newest and safest materials available in the European and American market. Comparing porcelain and gold fillings (Inlays, Onlays) Dr. Goodman normally recommends the material that will give the best results, comparing costs to longivity and function in your particullar case and situation.
Fillings can also replace areas of teeth that have been damaged by fracture, abrasion, erosion or defects due to hard and invasive tooth brushing.
Dental amalgam is a mixture of metals used to fill back teeth. Most people know amalgam fillings as silver fillings, as this is one of the major metals in the amalgam filling. One of the metals in the mixture is a 50 % amount of mercury which has led some people to say that dental amalgam is dangerous. When mercury is combined with the other metals in dental amalgam, its chemical nature changes, forming a hard dense metal mixture. There is much less metalic mercury in dental amalgam than what patients are exposed to in food, air, and water.
Ongoing scientific studies conducted over the past 100 years continue to show that dental amalgam is safe to use as a restorative material in dentistry. Dental amalgam has withstood the test of time, is a very durable and inexpensive material and has been used safely for more than 150 years. It is estimated that well over 1 billion amalgam restorations (fillings) are placed annually.
Dentists appreciate using dental amalgam because it is easier to work with than other alternatives and because it is less expensive for both - the patient and the doctor- and it can be placed in 1/3 of the time than a white (Bonding) filling can be done.
Gold and porcelain are used as alternatives to amalgam fillings , with gold being the best material of all time and having either a yellow or silver look and porcelain being tooth colored, that is white ! They both do need a 2nd apointment when they come back from the dental laboratory to seat and cement them . (about 20 minutees)
Having said that, Dr. Goodman prides himself of being a mercury- free (Amalgam free) dental office which uses only the best, newest and safest materials available in the European and American market. Comparing porcelain and gold fillings (Inlays, Onlays) Dr. Goodman normally recommends the material that will give the best results, comparing costs to longivity and function in your particullar case and situation.