Santa Monica Dentist Answers Your Questions About Mercury Free Dentistry

Written by Dr. Follette on May 24, 2016

More and more dental patients are seeking out mercury-free dentistry, and consequently contacting our Santa Monica dentist with questions! So today we are answering some commonly asked questions about mercury-free dental care. We hope that this information will help you on your path to enjoying a whole and healthy smile.

Q: Wait, mercury is used in dentistry?

A: Traditionally, when a patients needed to restore damaged teeth they had to settle for amalgam fillings. These fillings are crafted from a number of metals—a filling is usually part liquid mercury and part sliver, tin, and/or copper. You have probably noticed these fillings at some point, because they appear as somewhat dark and metallic once in place.

Q: What does your office do differently?

A: Rather than using traditional amalgam fillings, our dental team uses composite fillings to repair teeth. These fillings are crafted from dental resin. They are completely free of mercury, and they look like natural dental enamel.

Q: Why do you use mercury-free fillings?

A: There are a number of reasons to choose composite fillings. These fillings do not require our team to eliminate as much dental enamel during placement as amalgam fillings do. Additionally, composite fillings are not heat-reactive. Amalgam fillings expand and contract in response to temperatures; over time this can weaken teeth and lead to fracture and breakage.

When it comes to mercury-free dentistry there are a couple of ways to pursue treatment. When you have new dental problems, you can pursue mercury-free dental solutions, rather than traditional amalgam fillings. You can also replace existing amalgam fillings with more modern composite material, in order to make your smile mercury-free.

As always, you can contact our Santa Monica dentist if you want to learn more about mercury-free dentistry, or restorative dental care in general. We look forward to speaking with you!