Mercury Amalgam Filling Removal

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Traditional silver or mercury amalgam fillings (also commonly known as metal fillings) have become a concern to many of our clients because of the mercury they contain. Although amalgam fillings are a combination of metals including silver, tin, copper and zinc – mercury comprises up to 50% of the amalgam filling. Little has changed with mercury amalgam filling since it was invented in 1813 by the English chemist, Bell. Apart from being unsightly they have remained an effective filling material for nearly 150 years in dentistry due their stability & affordability. However, there is now a wider, and in our opinion far superior, range of material choices available and beginning in 1999, our dental team chose white (also known as composite resin or tooth coloured) fillings for all of our dental work involving filling placement. Our patients increasingly request the removal of their mercury amalgam fillings & have them replaced with bonded, tooth coloured, non-metallic restorations ie white composite resin fillings or porcelain overlays or crowns. They have concerns with overexposure to mercury from amalgam fillings and also are also worried about tooth fractures and secondary tooth decay as a result of decades old amalgam fillings. White fillings are virtually invisible, strengthen the tooth as they are bonnded in, long lasting and can be shaded by our dentists to expertly match existing teeth

If you have concerns over your health and fillings, our dentists can discuss at consultation the simple, safe & effective procedures for the removal & disposal of mercury amalgam. In just a single visit, several amalgam fillings can be removed.

On request, some of the protocols we employ are

Teeth isolated using rubber dam prior to amalgam removal

Using a Rubber Dam - a rubber sheet that prevents amalgam being swallowed or inhaled by isolating the teeth to be operated on prior to mercury amalgam filling replacement. Tristan, Onnara & Katherine routinely use rubber dam for safe amalgum removal.
Oxygen – piped oxygen for you during the procedure.
Vapour & Amalgam Slurry Extraction – a powerful high-speed suction to evacuate the rubber dam area of the amalgam slurry & vapour.
Saliva ejector placement – a smaller suction can be placed on the tongue side of the rubber dam helping to evacuate saliva & and any