NHS Molar Root Canal

Toothsmith

izzybella16 wrote: »

This is what what I don't understand about amalgam.....why put mercury in there?

Amalgam (chemistry) An amalgam is an alloy of mercury with another metal. Almost all metals can form amalgams with mercury, the notable exceptions being iron, platinum, tungsten, and tantalum. Silver-mercury amalgams are important in dentistry, and gold-mercury amalgam is used in the extraction of gold from ore.

If it wasn't mercury - it wouldn't be an 'amalgam' :rotfl:

izzybella16

Why use mercury in fillings though? What properties does it have that other non-toxic metals don't?

Keep_pedalling

izzybella16 wrote: »

This is what what I don't understand about amalgam.....why put mercury in there?

Because other metals are not liquid at room temperature, so are not suitable. Amalgam has been used in billions of fillings over the last150 years, and there is no real evidence that it causes a serious risk to health.

More info here

http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/ProductsandMedicalProcedures/DentalProducts/DentalAmalgam/ucm171094.htm

izzybella16

Keep_pedalling wrote: »

Because other metals are not liquid at room temperature, so are not suitable. Amalgam has been used in billions of fillings over the last150 years, and there is no real evidence that it causes a serious risk to health.

More info here

http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/ProductsandMedicalProcedures/DentalProducts/DentalAmalgam/ucm171094.htm

We get told to be careful of eating fish because of minute traces of mercury in them but it's ok to have chunks of the stuff in our teeth constantly leeching it into our mouth. Don't believe anything the FDA says.

izzybella16

Also I don't believe mercury is the only metal liquid at room temperature.

welshdent

izzybella16 wrote: »

Because he did not do it properly, he forced the filling is as hard as he could..it felt painful! This is not how you do a root canal!

Actually if you are doing cold lateral condensation you DO have to press hard.

I routinely do molar root canal treatment on the NHS - I have a special interest in it so I am perhaps not typical but every single place I have worked at do them too and the dentists ALL take their time and do them as well as they can.

brook2jack

If you read my earlier reply you would have seen gallium (the only other "liquid" metal was tried and was worse in every way including toxicity. http://www.nature.com/bdj/journal/v189/n6/full/4800755a.html

The mouth is incredibly challenging there are extremes of heat, pressure, acidity, enzymic action and also it's attached to a living being.

Very few materials can survive in this challenging environment .

As was also said before most dentists and dental nurses have amalgam fillings and are in contact with amalgam every day. Including at the times when you are most in contact with vapour .... When you are removing old amalgams.

It's difficult to see why the people who are most at risk from the "hazards " of amalgam fillings are still , on the whole , placing them and still are not suffering from a greater number of ill consequences than the general population.

brook2jack

izzybella16 wrote: »

Also I don't believe mercury is the only metal liquid at room temperature.

You are right but I suspect you wouldn't want any of these near your mouth.

Four elements melt just a few degrees above room temperature.

Francium (Fr), a radioactive and extremely reactive metal, melts around 300 K.

Cesium (Cs), a soft metal that violently reacts with water, melts at 301.59 K.

Gallium (Ga), a grayish metal, melts at 303.3 K. Gallium's near-ambient melting point is sometimes demonstrated with a picture of a gallium rod liquefying in someone's bare hand. Wear gloves if you try this yourself: gallium causes skin rashes and can depress bone marrow function.

Rubidium (Rb), another soft reactive metal, melts at 312.46 K.

Keep_pedalling

izzybella16 wrote: »

We get told to be careful of eating fish because of minute traces of mercury in them but it's ok to have chunks of the stuff in our teeth constantly leeching it into our mouth. Don't believe anything the FDA says.

So would you rather believe site like this one?

http://www.dentalwellness4u.com/layperson/symptoms.html

The opening statement is patently untrue there are more toxic substances than lead, arsenic for instance. There is no science attached to this they just want to make lots of money scaring people into unnessasary dental treatment.

izzybella16

Over 100 years ago I'm sure they had their reasons for using mercury. Today with the advances made in technology and composites mercury just isn't needed.