Amalgam Filling Case Study

As a hygienist, it is a responsibility to be able to educate our patients, and answer their questions to the best of our ability. There are numerous products in the dental field; many cause the patients to have concerns. Primarily with cost and also concerns about health. It is our obligation to keep in mind of the patient’s financial status when recommending certain products, as well as educating the patient that the product you are recommending is safe.

For the patient who has concerns about replacing their silver fillings with white fillings, it is important to educate the patient on the difference between the two. Amalgam fillings contain a mixture of metals such as silver, copper and tin, in addition to mercury, which binds these components into a hard, stable and safe substance. You can also inform the patient that amalgam fillings are strong enough to be used in back teeth, where high-pressure grinding and chewing require a product that is more durable and lasts longer. As for composite fillings or white fillings, they are composed of ceramic and plastic compounds. Composites imitate the appearance of natural teeth and patients may be interested in using them for their anterior teeth. Both types of restoration materials require effective care of …show more content…
The interest began to arise when patients were discovering that mercury was being used as a bonding agent in amalgam fillings. What most patients do not know is that when mercury is combined with other materials in dental amalgam, its chemical nature changes, which makes it harmless to the body. The amount of mercury released in the mouth under the pressure of chewing and grinding is extremely small and no cause for alarm. In fact, it is less than what patients are exposed to in food, air and water, and less than what gets released in patients who opt to have an existing amalgam filling removed (Delta Dental,