How can we help you?
Your questions are always welcome at Gill Dental. We want you to be fully informed and comfortable with decisions you make about your family's dental care. Our team has many years of experience and can answer any oral health care questions you have. No question is too big or too small – if it's a concern for you, it's a concern for us, too.
We've chosen a few questions we hear frequently and shared them below. However, you probably have some of your own, so please contact us if you don't see your question answered here.
Fillings
Silver fillings, also known as amalgam fillings, are a blend of silver, copper, and zinc, mixed with elemental mercury. Dentists have used amalgam fillings to fill teeth since the early 1800s with great success.
At Gill Dental, we do everything possible to ensure that your treatments are not just effective, but safe. Recently there has been a lot of press about the safety of amalgam fillings and the effect they may have on your overall health.
The controversy regarding these fillings comes from claims that the exposure to mercury vapor and particles from fillings can lead to general health problems. However, multiple studies have found that there’s no relationship between amalgam fillings and any adverse health conditions. In fact, The American Dental Association (ADA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), and others support the use of silver fillings as a safe and cost effective choice for restoring a damaged tooth.
Amalgam fillings are extremely durable, so they’re primarily used on molars that have to withstand a lot of biting force. Because of the esthetic impact of amalgam fillings, we don’t normally place amalgam fillings on the teeth that show when you smile.
If you want your teeth to be as healthy as they can be, you should floss at least once a day to remove plaque from the surface and in between your teeth. Obviously brushing is important, but it works hand-in-hand with flossing.
This is because your toothbrush cannot get into all those hard-to-reach areas between teeth. Flossing is necessary because it cleans all the nooks and crannies that you can’t reach with a toothbrush. If plaque is not removed from these areas, it will harden and form calculus/tartar, which contributes to gum disease. Also, the food debris in plaque gets eaten by bacteria, which causes acid to be produced, which in turn causes cavities in your teeth.
It’s also essential to visit a dental hygienist twice a year (more often if indicated) for professional cleanings. Think of these visits as a tune-up – you maintain your oral hygiene at home, and every six months we’ll give you a fresh start with a thorough dental cleaning.
If it’s been a while since you’ve had a dental cleaning, please call Gill Dental to arrange an appointment. As part of your cleaning, we will also instruct you about the most effective ways to brush and floss.