What are mercury fillings?

The terms; silver fillings, amalgam fillings and mercury fillings all mean the same thing. Silver fillings are made from a dental material called amalgam. Dental amalgam is a liquid mercury and metal alloy mixture. Amalgam commonly consists of mercury (50%), silver (~22–32%), tin (~14%), zinc (~8%) and other trace metals. Amalgam fillings used to be very popular a long time ago. It was the only dental material used, in fact, for many years. Once, white (resin composite) fillings were developed, many dentists have stopped using amalgam. Mercury filling removal is a popular procedure, we offer to patients, at Corio Central Dental.

 

Are mercury fillings bad for your health?

The effects of silver fillings on overall health, is a concern for some patients. The media often talks about the dangers of mercury fillings. Can mercury can leak out of the fillings and circulate around your body? There is very little evidence based, conclusive research, to suggest one way or the other.  We have had patients report feeling better, once all their mercury fillings have been replaced.

Should I have mercury filling removal?

At Corio Central dental, we do not recommend prophylactically removing all silver fillings. We only suggest that patients replace silver fillings, if there is a problem with them. The photos included below, show some of the problems that commonly occur in teeth with old mercury fillings.

 

Top 10 reasons you should replace your mercury fillings to white fillings:

• silver filling is broken
• tooth around filling is chipped
• amalgam filling is leaking
• mercury filling causing a crack in your tooth
• metal filling causing staining of your tooth
• existing filling worn down and ineffective
• old filings cosmetically unacceptable
• amalgam fillings have deteriorated, after decades of use
• tooth decay under the silver filling
• poor fitting filling, causing gum inflammation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is mercury filling removal difficult?

The difficulty depends on the size of existing silver filling, because that determines how much healthy natural tooth is remaining. Replacement of a small mercury filling to a white filling is a standard and relatively easy dental procedure. However, if the tooth around the silver filling has broken down and there is minimal tooth structure remaining, a crown may be required to rebuild the tooth.

 

Do you offer mercury fillings to your patients?

At Corio Central Dental, we only offer white fillings to patients.

 

Before and After:

The image below shows an example of what the teeth look like, once the mercury filling removal is completed.

 

I WANT TO DISCUSS REMOVING MY SILVER FILLINGS – CLICK HERE

No braces, smile makeover in Geelong

One of the biggest reasons patients feel embarrassed to smile is because they are not happy with the way their teeth look. We absolutely LOVE to surprise our patients and help them achieve a better smile in sometimes, a single visit, without any braces or Invisalign. A smile makeover is one of the treatments we routinely provide to our patients, at Corio Central Dental.

What is a smile makeover?

A smile makeover is a customised improvement of a person’s smile to make it appear more pleasing. Each smile may require something different and for that reason our professional and dedicated dentists take the time to assess what your particular concerns and needs are, before starting the transformation. It may involve changing the shape and or colour of your teeth, replacing old fillings or replacing missing teeth.

Which problems can a smile makeover fix?

• yellow teeth
• chipped teeth
• broken teeth
• discoloured fillings
• teeth that are too short
• gaps between teeth
• cracked teeth
• poor position of teeth
• missing teeth
• gum problems
• uneven size teeth

How much does it cost?

Each smile is as different as the person who wears it, so each treatment is unique. Once our dentists have had a chance to meet you and understand the best approach in improving your smile, we will offer a written treatment plan, so that the total cost is very clear before and treatment is commenced. We even offer the option to get your smile looking it’s best ever now and up to 12 months to pay the treatment off, via ZipMoney

 

How long does it take to create?

This completely depends on which concerns we are trying to address. Some enhancements can be done in a sinlge visit, while others may take months to achieve.

The following are some examples of improvements, which can be done in a single visit:

• Bonded veneers
• Replacing discoloured fillings
• In office whitening session
• Closing gaps between front teeth
• Polishing chipped teeth
• Fixing broken teeth

The long term dental health and success of the smile makeover is closely related to the home oral hygiene. Our team will offer special home care instructions, suited to your teeth and gums, to ensure your new smile lasts for life!

 

Book My Smile Makeover Consultation TODAY!

 

What is bad breath?

A foul odour coming from the mouth is called halitosis. Bad breath is most commonly caused by bacteria. There are a number of reasons for this, the most common being dental decay and gum disease.

Reasons for bad breath:

• tooth decay
• gum disease
• impacted wisdom teeth
• poor oral care
• smoking
• dry mouth – can be caused by medications
• acid reflux
• gastrointestinal problems
• oral disease, such as infections
• foods – onions, garlic etc
• stress
• medical problems such as diabetes, cancer, kidney disease etc

What can I do to fix bad breath?

The first step is to find the real cause of bad breath. A great place to start is schedule a visit to Corio Central Dental. A dental check up will reveal, whether the origin of halitosis is coming from the mouth. Dental decay, gum disease and even oral cancer can be completely pain free, so unless a dentist has a look, patients may be completely unaware that any disease is present.

Sample scenario:

A patient comes to seek help, for his bad breath. This patient is in his mid 30’s. He is healthy and not taking any medications. He is committed to brushing his teeth twice a day, flossing and even using Listerine. The halitosis continues and he is fresh out of ideas. A dental check up reveals an impacted wisdom teeth, the patient had no idea was there. This is the real culprit for this patient’s bad breath. The wisdom tooth has cut through the gum, but there is not enough space for it to completely erupt into the mouth. This partial eruption causes the tooth to be covered by a layer of gum and food gets trapped under this gum flap. No amount of cleaning can help, so it begins to decay and causes pretty bad breath. Solution? Simple – wisdom tooth is removed and patient no longer has bad breath.

 

What if I don’t have any dental disease?

If a dentist gives the all clear for your teeth and gums, the next step is to speak to your GP. Halitosis may be originating from the bacteria that live in your gut and special testing may be required to check for this.

 

PLEASE HELP ME TO FIX MY BAD BREATH – BOOK APPOINTMENT HERE