Mercury-free Dentistry

These days, more than ever before, people do not want mercury fillings in their mouth. Who can blame them? These types of dental fillings have been placed dating back to the Civil War. The only reason they are still used at all is because they are cheap and they are easy to place. Even dentists who place and remove metal mercury fillings are required to have high-grade mercury separators in our water lines so that mercury doesn’t accidentally get spilled into our sewage and water treatment systems. As of today, is illegal to place metal mercury fillings in 28 countries around the world. 

So even though there are a number of American studies that show that these fillings are acceptably safe, we do not recommend them to our patients because we know that there are much better options available. Whether patients are concerned about health issues, toxicity, or simply don’t want dark grey fillings in their teeth, new advances in technology for placing beautiful, white, esthetic restorations mean that patients have the option to choose something better. 

At Advanced Dentistry of Amarillo, we believe that bonded adhesive composite fillings are far superior to older metal mercury fillings. This is why we only recommend the two best types of restorations: porcelain or composite resin. Porcelain is beautiful, translucent, and highly durable when created by a top-notch dental laboratory technician. There is much less removal of tooth structure with porcelain restorations (inlays and onlays). The porcelain has equal strength as the original tooth and is actually bonded in, rendering it just as strong as the original tooth. Porcelain is used to repair teeth that have broken or chipped, or when teeth have large, cracked, metal fillings. Composite resin is a tooth colored plastic that can be placed in one visit. Generally, composite is a great option for smaller restorations, and is an excellent replacement alternative to most mercury fillings.

Laser Dentistry

With our state-of-the-art dental lasers, we are able to do certain procedures much more comfortably and efficiently! We mainly use our dental laser for gum treatments such as gingival esthetic recontouring. Do you or someone you know have a “gummy smile?” Gingival recontouring is used to make short stubby teeth appear longer and more natural when you smile. This can be now be done blade-free with no bleeding and much faster healing time thanks to this technology. In addition to this, we have also invested in a separate laser, called the DIAGNOdent Laser. This laser functions by helping us to detect areas of decay and bacteria inside your teeth much more thoroughly than by visual inspection alone. By examining your mouth with this laser, we can help to treat any dental decay as it begins, BEFORE it starts to cause you pain or discomfort.

Laser dentistry also helps make routine restorative treatments, such as crown appointments more comfortable. It can even be used during hygiene visits to kill harmful bacteria around your teeth. To find out more about how laser dentistry can benefit you and give you the smile you’ve always dreamed of, let us help you today.