Additionally many patients have a fear of dental fillings containing mercury. Silver amalgam has been replaced by direct and indirect tooth-colored filling options. For the consumer conscious of appearance and aesthetics, there is an option for restoration of minor tooth structure loss with a material that provides longevity as well as strength and aesthetic value.
Our office is proud to inform you, as a consumer, that we have not used silver (mercury containing) fillings in more than 10 years.
Our office prides itself on a historical reputation that we have not placed silver amalgam fillings since 1995. We have always committed to utilizing only the highest quality dental restorative products such as 3M Dental composites (www.3Mdental.com) and adhesives. Many people are aware of 3M’s adhesive division via Scotch Tape but most people do not realize that 3M is a market leader in quality proven dental materials.
We recently incorporated new technology from Kavo-Kerr dental under the trade name of Sonic Fill. This revolutionary technology provides stronger more dense filled composite with less shrinkage. This revolutionary material provides longevity in wear resistance and superior performance for the patient. For more information about this revolutionary technology please follow the link to www.sonicfill.com
Many patients do not realize that the ADA places the life of a silver amalgam filling at 3-5 years. When an amalgam filling is laced in the cavity preparation a cavity varnish is utilized to create a temporary seal between the filling preparation and the amalgam filling. This varnish washes out after a few months and the corrosion process that turns most amalgam fillings black in color begins. As time moves on, the corrosion begins to wash out between the filling and the tooth structure, allowing bacteria to begin the decay process under the filling material where it cannot be accessed or clinically evaluated. This process can lead to a very dangerous and unfortunate situation. When the recurrent decay becomes large enough, the decay infiltrates the root canal space and causes nerve death and need for root canal therapy to save the tooth. All of this can be prevented by realizing that the mouth is a very harsh environment to place restorative filling materials into.
Utilizing state of the art high quality filling restorative materials that have undergone thorough testing from the manufacturer, provides a higher standard of care to our patients in terms of quality, longevity, and value.
While many patients seek out a dental office that only places “tooth-colored” filling materials for aesthetic reasons, we support that concept as well and all the other advantages that come with high-quality physiologically stable materials. Dr. LaTocha is very conscious of potential systemic health-related concerns with dental materials.