Is Your Metal Filling Concerning You?

Prior to the 1980s, if you had a dental cavity, your dentist would likely repair it using an amalgam filling. Amalgam fillings are also referred to as silver fillings, metal fillings or mercury fillings. While they've been used in dentistry for over 150 years by millions of patients around the world, it is not uncommon for patients to be concerned about having these metal materials lingering in their mouths.

After the invention of the tooth-colored filling using composite resin, there was a sharp decline in silver fillings. But if you had a filling as a child, you may want to remove your old amalgam fillings and replace them with a more conservative and cosmetically superior filling treatment material. Green Dentistry proudly offers metal filling removal, which should always be carried out with a specialized protocol for safety.

Reasons to Get Mercury Fillings Removed

Whether you want your mercury fillings removed due to cosmetic reasons or the concern of potential health risks, there are good reasons to consider it. If your mercury fillings are 20 years and older, causing gum inflammation, preventing you from flossing, or have decay underneath, you may want (or need) to replace them with a non-amalgam restoration.

You can trust our team of qualified dental experts at Green Dentistry to use the most advanced dental equipment to remove mercury fillings in your mouth. Dr. Park is a certified member of the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology. As such, she adheres to the SMART (Safe Mercury Amalgam Removal Technique) protocol when removing amalgam fillings which contain mercury. This protocol is designed to reduce your exposure to mercury during the procedure. Dr. Park also uses a special oral vacuum to filter and remove mercury vapors during this procedure.

To learn more about how metal filling removal can give you peace of mind, contact our Alexandria dental office today.