The advantage of composites are primarily esthetic. Composite filling materials are better than ever, but still have a tendancy for microleakage, are technique sensitive to place, and generally speaking have an expected lifespan shorter than amalgam. Unfortunately there is a significant financial advantage for a dentist who can place a composite in the same amount of chairtime as an amalgam, b/c composites obtain higher fees. Buyer beware.

Amalgam is not esthetic, however they last forever, can be applied to a wider array of situations, and are much more forgiving in the presence of saliva contamination during placement, or extension below the gumline. Study after study continues to show that there is no harmful effects of dental amalgam. The small amount of mercury in them is tightly bound and has not been shown to leach out over time. You get many times more mercury from eating one can of tuna!

Gold has great advantage as a material. It has similar wear characteristics to enamel, and can be adapted to the tooth better than most materials. It's lifespan is the longest on the whole. But, it is not esthetic, so this drives many people away the same way it does from amalgam.

Funny, a couple years back I read a survey of dentists in one of the dental journals, asking what they recommended for their patients compared to what they would want in their own mouth. Most said they recommended composite and porcelain to their patients, but for their own mouths they would want gold and amalgam.

Granted you have to compromise in cosmetic/esthetic areas (ie: tooth surfaces that show in your smile), in these sites composite and porcelain are the obvious choices.

Nick
95 900S
(I may or may not be a dentist :) )

posted by 68.49.12...

• OT: Amalgam fillings, steve, Mon, 18 Jun 2007 20:35:08
  • Re: OT: Amalgam fillings, Nickshu, Thu, 21 Jun 2007 19:34:04 <-- Viewing This Message
  • I've brutalized my share of composites,, SeeVTSaab, Tue, 19 Jun 2007 06:52:06
  • seems to be true, my dentist tells me...., baggsly , Mon, 18 Jun 2007 23:31:07
    • I've had LOTS of amalgam for about 40 years>, Mike in Anchorage, Tue, 19 Jun 2007 01:15:49
      • about amalgam and mercury..., CrNiFe , Tue, 19 Jun 2007 06:55:26
        • Amalgam makes a better seal against the tooth, Chaz, Tue, 19 Jun 2007 18:39:28

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