The controversy over the safety of mercury fillings has caused many people to consider having them removed. Modern alternatives like composite resin and porcelain fillings are safer and just as effective in protecting your teeth from future infection and decay. Hood River, Oregon, residents can turn to Dr. Kevin Prates at Heights Family Dental for the safe amalgam filling removal services they need.
Here are some of the benefits you stand to gain by having silver fillings removed:
1. Protection Against Mercury Exposure
Concerns about mercury exposure from amalgam fillings are not new. If you have a lot of fillings, ongoing mercury exposure over the years can pose health risks. The metal alloys in amalgam fillings can also trigger metal allergies. As composite fillings are metal and mercury-free, they’re a better choice for your oral and overall health.
2. More Natural Appearance
Composite fillings have a natural tooth-colored appearance that blends in better with your smile. Instead of flashing metal when you smile, your teeth will have a pleasing, natural look, even after cavity treatment. Composite fillings give you a confident smile you can showcase with pride.
3. Fewer Bouts with Tooth Sensitivity
Amalgam fillings, being made of metal, are strong conductors of cold and heat, causing sensitivity when you eat hot or cold foods and drinks. Composite fillings are a mixture of resin material and powdered glass. This resin mixture seals your tooth, protecting its inner chamber and nerves. This makes sensitivity less of an issue with composite resin fillings.
4. Structural Support
Amalgam fillings often require a lot of drilling to make room for the filling. Sometimes, even healthy parts of your tooth are removed, weakening its structure. Composite fillings don’t require much drilling for their application, as the filling bonds directly with your tooth. Less drilling means more of your natural tooth structure is preserved, keeping your tooth strong and healthy for future use.
5. Less Risk of Decay
Amalgam fillings contract and expand with temperature changes in your mouth, which can cause your filling to crack or come loose. This provides a way for bacteria to enter and reinfect your tooth. Composites are applied in layers and molded to the contours of your tooth, leaving no cracks or crevices for bacteria to seep through.
6. Stronger Teeth
By bonding directly with your tooth enamel, composite fillings actually strengthen your teeth for future use. When used as a bonding agent, composites can repair chips and cracks in your teeth and rebuild a broken tooth, extending its lifespan and usefulness.
7. No Metallic Taste
Amalgam fillings can leave a metallic taste in your mouth from metal or mercury slowly seeping out of the filling and getting into your teeth or gums. To avoid this and other issues with silver fillings, it’s best to have them removed.
Dental Mercury Amalgam Removal Near Me
To learn more about safe amalgam removal in Hood River, OR, contact Dr. Kevin Prates from Heights Family Dental at (541) 386-2020.Â
