Mr. Staples
Period 1
3/28/16
Chemistry of Dental Fillings I chose to do my term paper on the chemistry behind dental fillings because after school I am planning on going in to the dentistry field and need to know the background on fillings. Many experiment have been done to find the best solutions of dental fillings. Different metals have been tested over the many decades to see which would have the strongest and best effect for your teeth.
There are many things that has to happen during the filling process. The nova cane shot is used to numb the gums and the tooth roots. The rubber dam is used to prevent anything from getting swallowed or dropped …show more content…
Tin was really popular during the civil war. This tin filling was used when the patient couldn’t afford the gold filling. The tin filling also could sometimes be placed in places where the gold fillings could not fit. Platinum was used occasionally during the 19th century. Platinum was only occasionally used because it’s too hard to be formed in to a foil. [2] Silver was a popular filling also during the 19th century but like platinum was hard to be used. Both silver and platinum are less malleable then gold is. [2] Amalgam has been used for many years and is still used today. During the civil war silver, tin, mercury fillings were mostly used. This material was placed where the gold couldn’t fit also. Amalgam when set is hard and last many years but turns teeth black because it is oxidized in the mouth. [1] Temporary filling materials were made of zinc chloride and zinc oxide known as oxy-chloride of zinc. Amalgam is a mixture of mercury with one or more other metals. Many dental amalgams are called silver amalgams because silver is the principal constituent that will react with mercury. Due to the mercury vapor amount in amalgam filling being so high could affect the brain and kidneys could have some. Dental amalgam apparently was first used by the …show more content…
They use a cement and sealants to make the alternative tooth filling. They contain many different materials including a resin base and a ceramic. The composites are used as a paste to the tooth cavity and typically hardens using a visible blue light. Both dental amalgams and various alternative materials are considered effective and safe to use. Resins is a tooth colored dental filling. This provides a good strong support to the fractured tooth in to medium sized fillings which need to be strong enough to stand pressure from chewing food. When fillings are done and you leave the dentist office if you are witnessing any pain or irritation to the chemicals you should call the dentist office to get checked off.