Amalgam Removal
Friendly and Knowledgable staff for your dental needs
Amalgam Removal
Bennett Gum, DDS, located at 1010 S King St #403, Honolulu is here to serve your entire family’s dental needs. From dental X-rays and exams to teeth whitening, and crowns, Dr. Gum provides excellent dental care in a welcoming environment. Call the office today to book an appointment for yourself or your family.
Frequently asked Questions:
Amalgam
Removal
What is dental amalgam?
Dental amalgam is a dental filling material used to fill cavities caused by tooth decay. It has been used for more than 150 years in hundreds of millions of patients around the world.
Dental amalgam is a mixture of metals, consisting of liquid (elemental) mercury and a powdered alloy composed of silver, tin, and copper. Approximately 50% of dental amalgam is elemental mercury by weight. The chemical properties of elemental mercury allow it to react with and bind together the silver/copper/tin alloy particles to form an amalgam (which simply means “a mixture or blend”).
Dental amalgam fillings are also known as “silver fillings” because of their silver-like appearance. Despite the name, “silver fillings” do contain more elemental mercury than they do silver.
Why is mercury used in dental amalgam?
Approximately half of a dental amalgam filling is liquid mercury and the other half is a powdered alloy of silver, tin, and copper. Mercury is used to bind the alloy particles together into a strong, durable, and solid filling. Mercury’s unique properties (it is a liquid at room temperature and thus bonds well with the alloy powder) make it an important component of dental amalgam that contributes to its durability.
If I am concerned about the mercury in dental amalgam, should I have my fillings removed?
If your fillings are in good condition and there is no decay beneath the filling, FDA does not recommend that you have your amalgam fillings removed or replaced. Removing sound amalgam fillings results in unnecessary loss of healthy tooth structure, and exposes you to additional mercury vapor released during the removal process.
However, if your existing amalgams are old, turning black or are separating from the existing tooth structure, safe removal and replacement with a composite filling is necessary to prevent further damage or decay.
Get in Touch with us
(808) 589-2486
Direct Line
1010 S King St #403
Honolulu, HI 96814
Address
doc.gum@gmail.com
(808) 596-8865
Fax
Office Hours
- Monday 8:00am - 5:00pm
- Tuesday 8:00am - 5:00pm
- Wednesday 8:00am - 6:00pm
- Thursday 8:00am - 2:00pm
- Friday 8:00am - 2:00pm
- Saturday Closed
- Sunday Closed