What is dental amalgam? Dental amalgam is a dental filling material used to fill cavities caused by tooth decay.

It has been used for more than 150 years in hundreds of millions of patients. Dental amalgam is a mixture of metals, consisting of liquid mercury and a powdered alloy composed of silver, tin, and copper. Approximately 50% of dental amalgam is elemental mercury by weight. Dental amalgam fillings are also known as silver fillings because of their silver-like appearance. When placing dental amalgam, the dentist first drills the tooth to remove the decay and then shapes the tooth cavity for placement of the amalgam filling. Next, under appropriate safety conditions, the dentist mixes the powdered alloy with the liquid mercury to form an amalgam putty. (These components are provided to the dentist in a capsule as shown in the graphic.) This softened amalgam putty is placed in the prepared cavity, where it hardens into a solid filling. What should I know before getting a dental amalgam filling? Deciding what filling material to use to treat dental decay is a choice that must be made by you and your dentist. As you consider your options, you should keep in mind the following information. Potential Benefits: Dental amalgam fillings are strong and long-lasting, so they are less likely to break than some other types of fillings. Dental amalgam is the least expensive type of filling material. Potential Risks: Dental amalgam contains elemental mercury. It releases low levels of mercury vapor that can be inhaled. High levels of mercury vapor exposure are associated with adverse effects in the brain and the kidneys. FDA has reviewed the best available scientific evidence to determine whether the low levels of mercury vapor associated with dental amalgam fillings are a cause for concern. Based on this evidence, FDA considers dental amalgam fillings safe for adults and children ages 6 and above. The amount of mercury measured in the bodies of people with dental amalgam fillings is well below levels associated with adverse health effects. Even in adults and children ages 6 and above who have fifteen or more amalgam surfaces, mercury exposure due to dental amalgam fillings has been found to be far below the lowest levels associated with harm. Clinical studies in adults and children ages 6 and above have also found no link between dental amalgam fillings and health problems. There is limited clinical information about the potential effects of dental amalgam fillings on pregnant women and their developing fetuses, and on children under the age of 6, including breastfed infants. However, the estimated amount of mercury in breast milk attributable to dental amalgam is low and falls well below general levels for oral intake that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers safe. FDA concludes that the existing data support a finding that infants are not at risk for adverse health effects from the breast milk of women exposed to mercury vapor from dental amalgam. The estimated daily dose of mercury vapor in children under age 6 with dental amalgams is also expected to be at or below levels that the EPA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) consider safe. Pregnant or nursing mothers and parents with young children should talk with their dentists if they have concerns about dental amalgam. Some individuals have an allergy or sensitivity to mercury or the other components of dental amalgam (such as silver, copper, or tin). Dental amalgam might cause these individuals to develop oral lesions or other contact reactions. If you are allergic to any of the

metals in dental amalgam, you should not get amalgam fillings. You can discuss other treatment options with your dentist.. Why is mercury used in dental amalgam? Approximately half of a dental amalgam filling is liquid mercury and the other half is a powdered alloy of silver, tin, and copper. Mercury is used to bind the alloy particles together into a strong, durable, and solid filling. Mercurys unique properties (it is the only metal that is a liquid at room temperature and that bonds well with the powdered alloy) make it an important component of dental amalgam that contributes to its durability. Is the mercury in dental amalgam the same as the mercury in some types of fish? No. There are several different chemical forms of mercury: elemental mercury, inorganic mercury, and methylmercury. The form of mercury associated with dental amalgam is elemental mercury, which releases mercury vapor. The form of mercury found in fish is methylmercury, a type of organic mercury. Mercury vapor is mainly absorbed by the lungs. Methylmercury is mainly absorbed through the digestive tract. The body processes these forms of mercury differently and has different levels of tolerance for mercury vapor and methylmercury. Methylmercury is more toxic than mercury vapor. If I am concerned about the mercury in dental amalgam, should I have my fillings removed? If your fillings are in good condition and there is no decay beneath the filling, FDA does not recommend that you have your amalgam fillings removed or replaced. Removing sound amalgam fillings results in unnecessary loss of healthy tooth structure, and exposes you to additional mercury vapor released during the removal process. However, if you believe you have an allergy or sensitivity to mercury or any of the other metals in dental amalgam (such as silver, tin, or copper), you should discuss treatment options with your dentist. Situations when amalgam use should be avoided People who are advised to avoid getting new amalgam fillings or having existing ones removed or replaced (where possible) include: Pregnant women mercury may cross the placenta and enter the bloodstream of the foetus. Women who are breastfeeding mercury may be passed to the baby through breast milk. Children growing and developing teeth are more sensitive to the effects of any chemical substances in the environment, including mercury. People with kidney disease high levels of mercury exposure can affect the kidneys, so exposure to mercury should be minimised for people with kidney disease. While there is currently no scientific evidence directly linking amalgam with either ill health or birth defects, these recommendations have been made for precautionary reasons.

Replacing amalgam fillings Deciding to have your amalgam fillings replaced is your choice and should be made in consultation with your dentist or oral health professional. If you are considering having them replaced, it is important you consider the following: Replacement can be expensive. Replacing your filling often causes more of the natural tooth to be lost. Mercury levels rise in the body immediately after an amalgam filling is replaced, due to handling of the amalgam. During replacement of your amalgam filling, exposure to mercury can be reduced by using a rubber shielding device called a dental dam. Extra suction during the removal of a filling can also reduce exposure to mercury. Dentists or oral health professionals can cut away the amalgam filling rather than drilling it out, which can also help reduce mercury exposure.

Amalgam Fillings

Used by dentists for more than a century, dental amalgam is the most thoroughly researched and tested restorative material among all those in use. It is durable, easy to use, highly resistant to wear and relatively inexpensive in comparison to other materials. For those reasons, it remains a valued treatment option for dentists and their patients. Dental amalgam is a stable alloy made by combining elemental mercury, silver, tin, copper and possibly other metallic elements. Although dental amalgam continues to be a safe, commonly used restorative material, some concern has been raised because of its mercury content. However, the mercury in amalgam combines with other metals to render it stable and safe for use in filling teeth. While questions have arisen about the safety of dental amalgam relating to its mercury content, the major U.S. and international scientific and health bodies, including the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organization, among others have been satisfied that dental amalgam is a safe, reliable and effective restorative material. Because amalgam fillings can withstand very high chewing loads, they are particularly useful for restoring molars in the back of the mouth where chewing load is greatest. They are also useful in areas where a cavity preparation is difficult to keep dry during the filling replacement, such as in deep fillings below the gum line. Amalgam fillings, like other filling

materials, are considered biocompatiblethey are well tolerated by patients with only rare occurrences of allergic response. Disadvantages of amalgam include possible short-term sensitivity to hot or cold after the filling is placed. The silver-colored filling is not as natural looking as one that is toothcolored, especially when the restoration is near the front of the mouth, and shows when the patient laughs or speaks. And to prepare the tooth, the dentist may need to remove more tooth structure to accommodate an amalgam filling than for other types of fillings jacket crown Type: Term 1. a hollow crown of acrylic resin, fused porcelain or cast gold, combinations of gold and acrylic or gold and porcelain; it fits over the prepared stump of the natural crown Gold Crowns
Some dental crowns are completely made of metal. The classic metal used for dental crown is gold, or to be more precise a gold alloy. Over several decades a number of different metal alloys have been used in the making of dental crowns. Some of these metals are silver in color rather than yellow as gold. As with all the dental crowns they provide a good alternative to restructuring your dental treatment, but these are not so popular as they once were. Gold Crowns Gold crowns are usually moulded from jewellery grade gold, but it could be made from other alloys also. There are different types of metals including high noble, noble & base metal alloys. Gold has another important quality, its hypo-allergenic, so is suitable for those patients who have specific allergic sensitivities, these crowns be full gold crowns or porcelain covered gold. More popular these days people choose zirconium crowns because of their esthetic qualities.

Gold Crowns Overview General Definition: A crown is a type of dental restoration which completely encloses or caps a tooth or dental implant & is typically bound to the tooth using dental cement. Crowns can be made from many materials, which are typically fabricated using out-of-mouth methods. Crowns are often used to indicate the strength or appearance of the teeth to improve. Full-porcelain (ceramic) dental materials include porcelain, ceramic or glass screen fillings & crowns (aka jacket crown, a metal free option).

Gold Crown Procedure consists of: Removal of parts of your natural tooth structure to accommodate the dental crown. A temporary crown will be installed between visits, while the custom crown is made in our laboratories, from an impression of the original tooth The temporary crown is removed and the new custom gold crown is securely bonded in place.

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