A client came to see us who had old amalgam mercury fillings from childhood and wanted to make sure they were still in good shape. After throughly examining her dental health we discovered that a number of her old amalgam mercury fillings were failing.
Amalgam fillings over time expand and contract. Combine this with the heavy force they are taking on eating and chewing result in micro-enamel cracks occuring in the tooth. Over a period of time decay will start to occur at the site of the cracks and the filling or tooth may break. This could potentially be disasterous for the tooth. If the break is a vertical fracture through the whole tooth it has a very poor outlook and will have to be extracted. This is why it is crucial for your dental health to regularly see your dentist to catch things early and be given the appropriate advice.
In this particular case one tooth had a very large amalgam in with visible fine hairline cracks to the back and side. The old mercury filling was safely removed and we discovered that the crack ran across the corner of the tooth. In this particular instance the best option for this tooth was to crown it. A crown acts like a bomb shelter for the tooth where it is protected from the sides as well as the top. The strongest tooth coloured crowns are zirconia porcelain crowns. The tooth is first prepared and an impression is taken. This is sent to the master ceramist who makes a stone model from the impression and digitally scans the tooth. After milling the zirconia, the tooth his built up using porcelain by our master creamist. Crowns are essentially handcrafted bespoke restorations which are then cemented into place to restore the bite. This allows you to chew and eat with confidence withour the risk of your teeth breaking.
Feel free to call Amanda the practice manager to book a comprehensive dental examination on 01252 723 008
