Dental Amalgam
Amalgam dental restorations which are also known as silver fillings are the number one choice for restoring teeth. These silver fillings have been used for over a hundred years to fill in cavities where there has been tooth decay. The question many have is “what is dental amalgam?” Dental amalgam is a mixture of materials containing powdered alloy, metals and mercury. There have been some concerns, however about the safety of this mercury containing filling material. “Amalgam is in the same safety class as gold and composite fillings” (FDA) and does not pose the safety concerns as once thought. Compared to other dental materials, such as composite and glass ionomer, amalgam is the “most studied and tested.” (NCAHF) Many dentists, throughout the world, use silver filling material as opposed to composites to restore teeth because this metal filling material is durable, relatively safe and can be placed where moisture control is an issue. (CDC)
There are many reasons to use amalgam for restorations but one of the best reasons is the durability of this material. Amalgam is very pliable and can withstand the wear and tear of chewing on the posterior teeth, such as molars. In some patients, amalgam fillings have been in their teeth for many years without cracking or leaking. “A seventeen-year long study published in 2003 found a significantly higher survival time for extensive amalgam restorations than for extensive composite restorations.” (JADA, p. 764) The use of amalgam is very common for pediatric dentists to use on children and shows to be a “viable and safe choice for dental patients.” (ADA) Another plus for using amalgam is when there is severe tooth damage. Occasionally, it is used by some dentists for crow...
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... U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 11 Aug. 2009. Web. 20 Mar. 2011. .
“Dental Amalgam Use and Benefits.” Dept. of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control. Dept. of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control, 28 May 2010. Web. 20 Mar. 2011. .
National Council Against Health Fraud. “Postition Paper on Amalgam Fillings.” National Council Against Health Fraud. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2011. .
Soncini, Jennifer Ann, et al. “The Longevity of Amalgam versus Compomer/Composite Restorations in Posterior Primary and Permanent Teeth.” Journal of the American Dental Association 138 (June JUNE, 2007): 763-772. JADA. Web. 22 Mar. 2011. .
Afshar H, Jafari A, Khami M, et al. Evaluation of Microleakage in Composite-Composite and Amalgam-Composite Interfaces in Tooth with Preventive Resin Restoration. Journal of Dentistry 2012; 9(2):128-34.
Pit and fissure sealants are tooth coloured materials that are applied on the occlusal surfaces of the posterior teeth in deep grooves, pits and fissures. They protect the tooth from various bacterial plaques in these caries prone areas of the teeth. The sealants protect these areas by sealing of the entrance to bacteria which give rise to dental caries in susceptible individuals especially in children. Pit and fissure sealants are now commonly being used due to the increase in the awareness among public about dental caries prevention
...at more tentatively, with fluoride gels and varnishes or a chlorhexidine varnish. Some dentists may restore root caries with amalgam restorations. Another treatment option used by some dentists to restore root caries is Glass Ionomer Cements. Glass ionomer cements were first introduced in the early 1970s. They have good adherence to mineralized tooth tissue, which keeps the removal of tooth structure to a minimum. Glass ionomer cements also have the ability to leak and absorb fluoride into the tooth, which decreases the rate of secondary caries. These factors have increased the potential for glass ionomer cements to replace amalgam as a restorative material. (Hammel)
Dr. Gary Silva and his team are highly trained and experienced in providing restorations for all sorts of dental issues. We offer complete and partial dentures, tooth-colored fillings, crowns, bridges, and more. Dr. Silva’s unique background gave him real restorative experience early in his career. For more than 20 years, Dr. Silva has been offering patients the chance to gain a beautiful, functional smile with his restorative dentistry.
3) Describe the rationale and demonstrate how to chart existing restorations (amalgam, composite, gold, crowns, bridges, other), missing teeth, incipient caries and caries.
Dental carries is one of the most common oral diseases in the world, and it often goes untreated due to the expense of treatment. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) 60 to 90 percent of school aged children throughout the world suffer from untreated dental carries. Ethnic minorities, the poor, the elderly, and those who are mentally and/or physically disabled are other disparities who also suffer from untreated dental caries (Alcorn & Rogo; 2012). Looking for a way to solve the epidemic of dental caries by providing affordable treatment, silver diamine fluoride (SDF), also known as the “silver fluoride bullet,” was created. Claiming to be both affordable and effective, SDF could be the answer to low cost carries treatment the world has been searching for. The purpose of this paper is to research the efficacy of silver diamine fluoride in comparison to sodium fluoride varnish. Our PICO question is: In a patient with dentinal caries, will the use of silver diamine fluoride compared to sodium fluoride varnish, be more effective at arresting caries?
After the treatment and procedure is complete, patients leave with healthier, more beautiful teeth, giving them the confidence to ask someone out on a date or the confidence to smile on an important job interview. Dentistry is and has been for centuries, an important aspect of people’s ...
...an be seen that composite teeth form a high stability bond than PMMA teeth. This is due to the filler content allowing for low shrinkage, increased wear resistance and better cross-linkage with the base. In overall consensus the technique of heat-curing is believed to achieve significantly more polymer cross-linkage than that of self-curing the acrylic resin PMMA base - giving us a stronger base to teeth interface. It should be noted however that both techniques can be used for denture fabrication to achieve a desired result and it is up to the dentist and the technician to determine which one they prefer however, composite teeth bonded to a heat-cured PMMA base works best. Though the tooth and base by themselves may be strong, if the interface between them is not strong, this will result in the overall denture produced being weak independent of material selection.
Wiener, R. Constance, Richard J. Crout, and Michael A. Wiener. "Toothpaste use by children, oral
28.Austrian Minister of health, Austria to be amalgam free by the year 2000. FDI Dental World, March/April, 1993, page 6.
Cappelli, D. P., & Mobley, C. C. (2008). Prevention in clinical oral health care. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby Elsevier.
Our analysis revealed that Affinis® had more dimensional stability in comparison to Panasil® and in the Panasil® impression material, the percentage of dimensional change was significant after 168 h. However, dimensional changes in all of the evaluation times were in the American Dental Association (ADA) standard range. Therefore, these materials had acceptable clinical dimensional stability for approximately 168 h. In the current study, impressions were made from stainless steel dies following the ADA specification for impression materials. This provides a protocol that can be easily replicated by others and it is the same as making a clinical
Cosmetic dentistry is a specialized field that deals with improving the aesthetics of teeth and the human face. The teeth are an important part of human beauty. Even minor damage to the teeth, such as breakage or loss can drastically alter the overall appearance of the face. This is where cosmetic dentistry comes in to restore beauty. Cosmetic dentistry has become a highly specialized branch due to various advancements in surgical procedures and diagnostic techniques. Several new materials have also been discovered. These materials are very close to the natural enamel and bone from which teeth are made and are virtually indistinguishable. Cosmetic dentistry is an option in conditions such as teeth loss, gaps between teeth, cracked or chipped teeth, cavities and dental
Growing up I heard many stories from my peers of their experiences at the dentist’s office. It is upsetting to say that most of my visits were vividly terrifying. As a child, the grinding, scratching, and high-pitched twangs of the instruments digging around in my mouth would leave my ears ringing and teeth vibrating every single time. The smell of fluoride and disinfectants permanently infected the air, sending chills through my body the minute I walked in. I quickly learned that latex posses an extremely unappetizing aftertaste. Needless to say, I was not always enthusiastic about going to the dentist’s office and getting braces did not make anything better for me.
The existence of micro-leakage in dental restorations was first identified in scientific research in 19126. In a study done by Harper (1912), air pressure was used to penetrate the surface between an amalgam restoration and cavity preparation7. By applying pressure through a hole in the pulpal floor, Harper could quantify the amount of pressure needed to establish leakage through the emergence of bubbles from the margins of the restoration. Research has come a long way since Harper first recognized micro-leakage. Adaptations of new materials used when placing composite restorations like BondAband, a light-cured glass-ionomer cement has been shown to reduce marginal micro-leakage in posterior restorations8. A decrease in microleakage has also been shown with the use of an ...