Posts tagged “amalgam fillings”

New teeth in an hour with cosmetic bonding from London W1 dentist

November 8th, 2009

Cosmetic bonding is one of the simplest and most affordable of the cosmetic dentistry procedures. It can transform the appearance of a patient’s teeth in just one session with little or no associated risk or discomfort. The procedure involves the skilful mixing of resin to closely match the colour of the existing teeth and sculpting in into the desired shape before setting it hard with the intense heat of a dental laser.

Bonding has a wide variety of uses in dentistry and is commonly used to fill dental cavities and to replace old silver amalgam fillings. It can also be used to repair broken, chipped or cracked teeth and to mask the effects of worn or discoloured teeth. Although, it can become weak in large quantities so it is not used to fill large cavities. In these cases the dentists will fill the cavity with specially prepared porcelain implants, which can be held in by cosmetic bonding for extra security.

Unless the procedure is dealing with an exposed cavity most cosmetic bonding treatments will be completely pain-free. Before it is applied, the surface enamel of the teeth is etched to give extra grip. The bonding will then be spread in several thin layers, each time being set firm with the laser. When the bonding application is finished it is polished and buffed to resemble smooth enamel.

Cosmetic bonding is offered by all cosmetic dentists who are skilled in its application, although some dentists may be more adept at cosmetic bonding than others. Some dentists receive further training in the uses of bonding because of its importance as a dental tool. Consult a London W1 dentist to see if your teeth could benefit from cosmetic bonding.

Have Your Amalgam Fillings Done in Central London

June 7th, 2009

In most cases, if you are considering having amalgam fillings installed, then you have tooth decay in a molar. There is no question that you will want to gain access to a dentist that will remove as little healthy tooth material as possible. Therefore, if you need to have amalgam fillings, you may want to have them done by a Central London dentist.

As you may be aware, amalgam fillings are silver coloured, and made from mercury alloys. Even though there are many different kinds of filling materials available today, amalgam is still the cheapest and most durable. That said, if you need to have this type of filling, you may want to take some extra time to be prepared. While you may not need to take time off from work after having fillings done, you may want to take a few hours off beforehand. This will give you time to relax and get rid of any extra stress.

If you normally feel anxious about dental procedures, you may want to ask your dentist for a sedative, or something else that will help you relax. Unfortunately, if you are on medications for certain conditions, some of your options may be limited. That said, usually your dentist will be able to come up with a suitable answer. If you still feel concerned, you may also want to talk to your primary care doctor about other ways to help you remain calm and comfortable while you are getting amalgam fillings.

When you have tooth decay in a molar or premolar it is very important to have it treated as quickly as possible. Once these teeth become infected or seriously damaged, it will reduce your ability to eat properly. As may be expected, this can have serious consequences on every other aspect of your personal health. Regardless of how you may feel about having fillings installed, they represent a better alternative than simply doing nothing.

Tags: amalgam fillings, tooth decay
Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off

Is Mercury Dental Amalgam a health concern in Central London

June 21st, 2008

For the past 15 years, the health concern for mercury amalgam fillings is being discussed by health authorities in many countries throughout the world. This health concern is being reviewed at greater frequency is because of the recent increased in the incidence of people with symptoms like that of chronic mercury poisoning such as: nervousness, depression, general weakness, sleeplessness, headache and skin allergy. Are these ill-heath symptoms in the increase in the dwellers of London city?
Why is there a safety concerns about dental mercury amalgam?
It is believed that mercury vapour is being released whenever the mercury amalgam fillings are placed in the teeth or being removed from the teeth. Mercury vapour is also released during prolonged chewing. This mercury vapour is believed to cause neurological disorders in certain sensitive individuals.
Although there is no concrete scientific evidence that dental amalgam poses a significant health concern to the general population, many countries have their own protocol. This concern has resulted in a few countries like Canada and Sweden to take precaution measure to avoid the use of mercury containing products. Apparently dental amalgam is the most commonly used dental filling throughout the world. Perhaps there is at least one amalgam filling in those above 40 years old in London.
Before proceeding further let me tell you what is this dental mercury amalgam?
The silver-coloured material that is used to fill the cavities of teeth is called the dental mercury amalgam. This dental amalgam is made from two nearly equal parts of liquid mercury and a mixture of metallic powder which contains silver, tin, zinc, copper and other metals. This dental filling mixture is very durable and cost effective as compare to other materials like: tooth coloured resin composites and glass ionomer cement.
Is the concern for dental amalgam still valid today?
As per a new German study published in the recent April 2008 issue of the Journal of Dental Research, there is no good reason to worry about the health hazard by dental amalgam.
In this study 90 patients with unspecific medical or psychological complaints were divided into three groups.
Group 1 (removal group)
Patients with amalgam fillings removed.

Group 2 (removal-plus group)
Patients who had their amalgam removed and received detoxification by giving high doses of vitamin and trace elements.

Group 3 (control group)
This last group of 30 patients did not have their amalgams removed. However they were given a health-promotion program that consisted of good nutrition, exercise, and various techniques for relaxation.

In this study, the most common complaints were skin rash, headache, nervousness, sleeplessness, general weakness or tiredness, and more frequent attacks of infectious diseases. The less frequent complaining symptoms were those related to allergies, sensory disorders, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and the urological system.
At the end of the 12 months studies, there was a drop of 3.5 points in the main complaints sum score for the Group 1 (removal group) and Group 2 (removal-plus group). Group 3 (control group), the no-removal group had a drop of 2.5 points.
These symptoms continued to improve throughout the 18 months follow-up period in all the 3 groups. This improved in the health of all the three groups was found to be of statistically significant.
Hence the authors concluded that there should not be any overt worry about the health hazard by dental mercury amalgam. They suggested that those with amalgam dental fillings should adopt a healthier lifestyle with good nutrition, exercise, and some relaxation techniques. This change in the lifestyle can improve the patients’ immune system and thus able to reduce the anxiety over amalgam. However the placebo effect should not be overlook.
Although it is agreed that there is no convincing evidence that mercury amalgams can cause health problems in the majority of the population, the advisory panel to the FDA continue to hold meetings to review regularly. Many of the experts still believe that there is lack of knowledge concerning the effects of mercury amalgam on specific groups of people such as those pregnant women, small children, and people who are more sensitive to mercury.
If you still have concerned about the possible ill-health effects of mercury amalgam fillings, you are advised to talk with your dentist or doctor and choose the non-mercury based dental filling materials.

Tags: amalgam fillings, dental filling, mercury poisoning
Posted in Dental Fillings | Comments Off