Are you worried because you’ve cavities, and it is slowly damaging your teeth? Well, that’s the case of a concern, but you should not worry too much, as multiple types of treatments are available through which you can easily eliminate the cavity and have a bright smile back again. Based on your teeth condition, the dentist may suggest different treatment procedures, but when it comes to the cavity, the most common treatment preferred by the dentist is Amalgam Filling.
What is amalgam filling?
Actually, amalgam filling is a process of filling some mercury-based material in your tooth so that the decayed tooth or tooth with cavity could be filled, and no space should be left.
The amalgam filling is more than 150 years old treatment procedure, it is entirely safe, and millions of people have gone through this treatment. And if you want to understand what an amalgam is in dentistry, then, in short, you can say a silver-colored material when filling in your teeth is known as an amalgam filling. The point to note is, amalgam is silver in color but is not silver. In actuality, amalgam has a mixture of mercury, silver, copper, and tin.
Wait, are you worried like how can we go with a treatment that contains mercury..
Is amalgam fillings safe?
Well, Yes. As per the dentists, experts, and research scientists, going with amalgam filling is entirely safe. If we talk about facts, we consume mercury in various forms, including air, water, and sometimes food. You already know what is amalgam filling made of, i.e., silver, copper, tin, and mercury. It doesn’t contain mercury as a whole, but a small amount. And the small amount of mercury is regularly consumed by us. So, as a result, when you go with an amalgam filling, which obviously has mercury, then it won’t harm you.
Also, dentists have been doing this for more than 150 years, so every dentist is well aware of the prevention methods to follow while doing the amalgam filling.
We know that amalgam filling has mercury, but the question is…
Why is mercury used in dental amalgam? Why not other materials?
Mercury has a property of better flexibility. That means, when mercury is mixed with any type of allowing powder, then with the combination, the mercury transforms itself into more soft and flexible material. And this is what actually fills our teeth, and hence as a result, what we get is more flexible and soft amalgam filling.
The best part of going with amalgam filling is it is less costly. Not only this, with an amalgam filling, you also get the most effective cavity elimination treatment. And if you are curious to know how long does amalgam filling last, then the answer is about 10 to 15 years, which itself is a considerable time period.
Unlike other treatment procedures, amalgam or silver filling has more durability. And so, you don’t need to go with more treatments.
Even though we know amalgam filling is a good treatment procedure, we still may want to know about some alternate treatments. That means, what are the other treatment methods available instead of an amalgam filling.
To be honest, this is the most common question asked by many people. Based on your teeth’s condition or your health condition, the dentist may suggest different types of fillings such as Gold Fillings, Composite Resins, Porcelain Fillings, and a few more.
Gold fillings are more durable than amalgam fillings but are pretty expensive than silver fillings. In other words, gold fillings may be sustainable for about 15 to 20 years, whereas the silver fillings can only be durable for 10-15 years.
And composite resins or plastic resins are cheap, effective, but are not lasting. With composite resins, you can easily match your teeth’ color and appearance, but it is not that powerful, i.e., with coffee or tea, the filling may fade away.
And just like gold fillings, porcelain fillings are also good and more effective, but the cost is also high when compared to composite or silver fillings.
It is also suggested that pregnant women and children less than age six should not go with silver fillings. And as a treatment, you should immediately consult your dentist or West Keller Dental for a suitable treatment for you.
What happens when you go with amalgam fillings?
The process of an amalgam filling is simple; before the dentist starts the procedure, your teeth will be cleaned appropriately, which means any affected or damaged area will be cleaned. Once done with that, the actual filling will take place.
When should you go with dental fillings?
Well, unfortunately, you can not easily determine whether or not you need dental fillings. For that, you need to go to a dentist who will properly examine your teeth, and based on the situation, the treatment procedure could be advised. And even if you feel the cavity on your own, you shouldn’t decide to go with the filling; you should always consult a dentist for the same.
Once you’re done with the filling, here are the do’s and don’ts that you should follow:
- You should check the bite, which means check whether or not you are comfortable. Usually, it may not feel normal for the first 1 or 2 days, but the condition will go normally. And if you don’t feel comfortable for more than two days, you should consult a dentist.
- If you feel any kind of pain, you should meet your dentist about the issue. In about all cases, there is a small amount of pain, but when the filling is deep, the pain becomes more sensitive, and so you should immediately consult the dentist.
- You should also not drink hot beverages, tea, or coffee, and smoking is a big no for people who have gone through dental amalgam filling.
Still not sure what to do? Why not connect with West Keller Dental? Go ahead, and book an appointment now.