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due to stresses caused by the seal. Expansion over time of the silver amalgam creates stress in the body of the dental unit. This process contributes to chipping and even deep longitudinal cracking, up to and including breaking the tooth in half. Modern white fillings have a compression process going on.
This discussion of the dental amalgam controversy outlines the debate over whether dental amalgam (the mercury alloy in dental fillings) should be used.Supporters claim that it is safe, effective and long-lasting, while critics argue that amalgam is unsafe because it may cause mercury poisoning and other toxicity.
Hal Alan Huggins (1937 – November 29, 2014) was an American alternative dentistry advocate and campaigner against the use of dental amalgam fillings and other dental therapies that he believed to be unsafe. [1] [2] Huggins began to promote his ideas in the 1970s and played a major role in generating controversy over the use of amalgam. [3]
[20] [21] Due to prolonged practice in the field of dentistry and working with amalgam there is a significant exposure to mercury among professionals. [22] The use of dental fillings containing mercury is to be phased down in accordance with the Minamata Convention, however its use remains widespread. [21]
Composites and amalgam are used mainly for direct restoration. Composites can be made of color matching the tooth, and the surface can be polished after the filling procedure has been completed. Amalgam fillings expand with age, possibly cracking the tooth and requiring repair and filling replacement, but chance of leakage of filling is less.
Versatility: Composite fillings can be used to repair chipped, broken or worn teeth [18] which would not be repairable using amalgam fillings. Repairability: In many cases of minor damage to a composite filling, the damage can be easily repaired by adding additional composite. An amalgam filling might require complete replacement.
Cracks with width less than 18 µm are difficult to detect with the naked eye, making dental microscopes an essential tool for crack identification. 6. Periodontal Probing. Narrow, deep periodontal pockets at a suspicious tooth site may indicate a subgingival crack. The depth of the pocket can indirectly reflect the crack's subgingival extension.
Amalgam is a metallic filling material composed from a mixture of mercury (from 43% to 54%) and a powdered alloy made mostly of silver, tin, zinc and copper, commonly called the amalgam alloy. [16] Amalgam does not adhere to tooth structure without the aid of cements or use of techniques which lock in the filling, using the same principles as a ...