Amalgam Filling Removal Asheville, NC
Preserving your health, one smile at a time.
Why Are Fillings Necessary?
We all have bacteria in our mouths. There are good bacteria and there are bad bacteria. Some of these bacteria convert the food we eat into acid, especially sugary, starchy, sticky foods. The acid eats away at the healthy enamel and leaves behind tooth decay or cavities.
The tiny holes left in your teeth will only worsen without a dentist’s help. You might have increased tooth sensitivity, toothaches, bleeding gums, or bad breath. If you’re interested in holistic wellness and want a mercury filling removal due to a previous procedure, Dr. Pang can assist.
For more information on this topic, refer to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)’s Minamata Convention on Mercury and the safe removal of Mercury Fillings guidelines.
How does Asheville Holistic Dentist ensure safe removal of Mercury Amalgam Fillings?
Our office is SMART certified which means we have completed rigorous coursework and testing by the IAOMT to safely remove dental amalgam fillings. We use safety measures like face shields, hair & body impermeable coverings, non-latex dental dams, and specific equipment to ensure safe removal.
Why Are Mercury Amalgam Fillings Unfavorable?
Mercury, often used in dental amalgams for fillings, presents serious environmental concerns. Once released into the environment (air, soil, water), mercury can harm wildlife for centuries. Dental amalgams or silver fillings contain about 50 percent mercury, along with silver, copper, tin, and zinc.
Mercury amalgam fillings are still in use in many dental practices. While you, personally, may not choose silver fillings, the dental office can continue using the product. Here at Asheville Holistic Dentist, this product is not available on our premises.
Dr. Peter Pang’s practice takes steps to mitigate environmental impacts. During an amalgam filling removal in Asheville, NC, we use devices called amalgam separators to contain the mercury. While it’s not mandated for all dental offices, we choose to bear the extra cost associated with this process as part of our commitment to environmental protection. We hire a hazard waste disposal team to safely remove the contained mercury. This prevents it from being released into our local wastewater.
Our Safe Removal Processes
The International Academy of Oral Medicine & Toxicology (IAOMT) have devised techniques for the safe removal of silver, mercury, and amalgam fillings.
SMART Certified: Our office has completed the rigorous coursework and testing/examinations by the IAOMT to become a SMART certificated dental office in the safe removal of dental amalgam fillings. The educational programming includes learning about the application of safety measures and using specialized equipment.
We use face shields, hair and body impermeable coverings, non-latex dental dams, and charcoal and chlorella rinses. The small diameter carbide drill functions with copious amounts of water to section the amalgam into large chunks for removal. Additionally, we leverage an external oral aerosol vacuum alongside a high-speed evacuation fitted with a clean-up device.
Contact Asheville Holistic Dentist Today
Dr. Peter Pang prioritizes every patient’s health. If you received a silver fitting in the past and want to remove it, the practice offers amalgam fitting removal in Asheville, NC. Call the office today to schedule an appointment!
Amalgam Fillings and Removal
Frequently Asked Questions
When Amalgam is removed how is it disposed of?
Once Mercury is released into the air, soil and/or water, it can pose a threat to wildlife for centuries. Waste Water from Dental amalgam has been recognized as the leading end-use sector of mercury in the United States. Dental offices have been recognized as the main source of mercury discharges to publicly-owned treatment works (POTWs).
(Source: https://iaomt.org/resources/dental-mercury-facts/dental-amalgam-mercury-pollution/),
Asheville Holistic Dentist uses Amalgam Separators to contain this substance when removing Silver fillings. We then pay for a Hazard Waste Disposal team to remove the product to prevent it from being released into our local waste water. Again, most dental offices do not have these separators because they are not required.
What filling material is used to replace amalgam fillings when removed?
Once we remove the mercury filling – there are two options that can be utilized to plug the hole caused by the previous silver filling material.
Resin Options: – If your previous Mercury silver filling was small in size, we can use white resin materials to fill in the hole. This is a softer plastic material. It can be compared to using a “spackle” to fill in a small hole in a wall. We use BPA-Free White Resin Filling materials. If you have concerns about the Biocompatibility of these products for you, please ask our staff about having a test performed. (Allow 4 weeks for test results).
Non-Plastic Options: – Most Mercury fillings are wedged into your tooth, leaving them wider at the base underneath than what you see on top of your tooth. Much like its behavior in old thermometers, the mercury expanding/contracting may have additional cracked your remaining tooth enamel. Ceramic Porcelain Filling materials, such as Inlays, Onlays or crowns are required in most instances to “fill-in” the large space left by removing dental mercury amalgam. Especially if molar teeth need to hold up against chewing forces.
Do you place amalgam fillings in your office at all?
Here at Asheville Holistic Dentist, this product is not available on our premises.
Source: https://iaomt.org/resources/dental- mercury-facts/dental-amalgam-mercury- pollution/