According to national research, approximately 25% of Americans have untreated dental caries and 96% of Americans have significant dental decay by the time they reach the age of 65. It’s no wonder why over 100,000 new amalgam fillings are placed annually. But while the ADA insists mercury fillings are safe and effective options for dental care, many medical and academic studies claim otherwise and back up those claims with scientific fact. Of course, each patient is different so individual resistance plays a large part in those final results. But here are a few reasons why you should consider replacing silver fillings with non-mercury tooth fillings.
Amalgams Can Cause Your Teeth to Break
Amalgam fillings contain several types of metal that combine together in the form of a putty. Once placed in the mouth that putty hardens to a solid metal consistency. Amalgams do not move or offer any type of flexibility once filled into the tooth. However, over the course of time, that metal can react to various temperatures. Ice, cold beverages, hot food, and even coffee can make the metal expand and compress inside an already weakened tooth. And if enough extremes are present, the weakened tooth can crack or fracture under the pressure. Non-mercury tooth fillings bond with the tooth and flex as necessary without reacting so drastically to temperature changes.
Amalgam Fillings May Be Corrosive and Stain
Amalgams have been the primary type of fillings used for over 150 years. They’re affordable and set quickly without needing to be customized or specially molded. But they do contain an alloy of specific metals. These metals include silver, tin, mercury, and copper as the main combination. Sometimes indium, palladium, nickel, and zinc are added to the mix. Amalgams are known to last a decade or longer, but they may eventually expand, compress, loosen, or even corrode due to a combination of life factors and bodily reactions with the metal. Once the metal loosens and begins breaking down, the silver fillings can leave behind blue or black stains on the previously filled teeth. And in some cases, those stains can be so severe that they’re confused with further decay or require the tooth to be completely removed.
Amalgam Fillings Contain Mercury
Metal of any kind inside the body can corrode, break down, and release gases or contaminants into the bloodstream. Mercury, one of the most toxic substances on the planet, is the primary metal in amalgams accounting for approximately 50% of the metal overall. Some metals are less harmful than others and there’s a huge difference between inorganic and organic metals. But science has proven that the main metals in amalgams can attack neurotransmitters in the brain. Even if the mercury in amalgams is inorganic, it can convert to organic once it begins breaking down. However, the combination of silver, zinc, tin, nickel, and copper can result in more problems at first. And many of those problems can end up being periodontal issues such as gum disease, oral lesions, bone loss, sinusitis, TMJ, and oral cancer. Fortunately, a call to your Fort Lauderdale Holistic Dentist can eliminate these concerns once and for all by replacing your silver fillings with non-mercury tooth fillings.