Dental amalgams are a great material that provided major leaps in the world of dentistry. While being such a major advance they have also became an issue of great debate. The mercury in dental fillings has been thought to cause central nervous system complications, an overall diminished well-being in some patients, and Alzheimer. The dental field should incorporate safer filling materials for patients. In this article we will take a look at the history of the silver amalgam and view both the negative and null views of this issue.
Throughout the history of dental medicine dentist have searched for the perfect material to aid in the treatment of the most common problem in people’s mouths, cavities. The material would also be useful in fixing chipped and broken teeth. Dentist needed a material that was strong, relatively low costing, easy to apply, durable, and able to limit the growth of bacteria. In the early 19th century in France dentist found their wonder material and that material was amalgam. The dental amalgam is constructed of a mixture of mercury and at least one other metal such as zinc, copper, tin, or silver. The combinations of these metals are the foundation of what gives silver amalgams their strong make up and shiny metallic appearance.
The earliest use of amalgams in dentistry is still quite unknown to researchers but there are claims that it may have been dated as far back as 659 A.D. in China. Before the discovery of the amalgam dentist tried all types of material to help in the restoration of teeth. Stone chips, resin, cork, gum, turpentine, lead, and gold were some of the early materials that were boiled up and poured on teeth to create fillings. A dentist by the name of Louis Regnart had the brilliant idea t...
... middle of paper ...
...we have seen the negative views of this debate we will take a look at the views of null opinion on dental amalgams. As stated before over 90% of people have traditional dental amalgams that contain the toxic element mercury. Even though there could be a chance of getting serious side effects many of us have experienced none. While mercury is the main component in dental amalgams and has been linked to several illnesses there is still no solid health consensus that states it is the primary culprit. Cases of people that suffer adverse symptoms and blame them on mercury exposure could have other factors to place the true blame on.
Mercury can be found in abundance all throughout our atmosphere. We receive dosages of mercury every day from the air, foods such as fish, and water. Albeit these dosages of mercury are minute and cause little to no effects on our bodies.
Afshar H, Jafari A, Khami M, et al. Evaluation of Microleakage in Composite-Composite and Amalgam-Composite Interfaces in Tooth with Preventive Resin Restoration. Journal of Dentistry 2012; 9(2):128-34.
Pit and fissure sealants are tooth coloured materials that are applied on the occlusal surfaces of the posterior teeth in deep grooves, pits and fissures. They protect the tooth from various bacterial plaques in these caries prone areas of the teeth. The sealants protect these areas by sealing of the entrance to bacteria which give rise to dental caries in susceptible individuals especially in children. Pit and fissure sealants are now commonly being used due to the increase in the awareness among public about dental caries prevention
Braces came about in the early 1800s, but humans were practicing orthodontics before Christ. David Evans, DDS, says that many mummified remains, with what researchers believe could have been an early attempt to close gaps in teeth, were discovered by archaeologist early in ancient history. He states, “These remains have a cord made from animal intestines (known as catgut) wrapped or run along the teeth in a very similar style to how modern orthodontists run orthodontic wire along the teeth in an effort to close off gaps.” The Surgeon Dentist, written by Pierre Fauchard, the father of modern dentistry, was published in 1728. His book gave birth to modern Orthodontics.
Abnormal wear of tooth surfaces was an orthodontic problem early on, even ancient people wanted straight teeth! To close gaps, it has been construed that catgut did the work now done by today’s orthodontic wire. In 400-500 BC, Hippocrates and Aristotle both ruminated about ways to level teeth and fix many dental conditions. It should be noted that in Medieval times, expert barbers often performed dental “operations”, extractions, and procedures such as blood-letting. In seventeen twenty-eight, French Dentist Pierre Fauchard published a book called “The Surgeon Dentist” about ways to straighten and align teeth. He used a device called a “Bandeau,” a horse-shaped piece of precious metal which helped...
The purpose of this paper is to research the efficacy of silver diamine fluoride in comparison to sodium fluoride varnish. Our PICO question is: In a patient with dentinal caries, will the use of silver diamine fluoride compared to sodium fluoride varnish, be more effective at arresting caries? Fluoride has been established for many years as an effective ingredient in the fight against caries. Silver has been used in health care as an anti-bacterial agent in many medical applications such as silver sutures and silver catheters. Silver diamine fluoride was created to increase the effectiveness of both.
In 1728, Pierre Fauchard, was well known for publishing a book called, "The Natural History of The Human Teeth". In today’s society dental persons still use many of the procedures that was used during the 17th century. For example, Pierre Fauchard was the man who came up with the process of dental fillings; he also proved that acid come from...
When it comes to products that are being marketed, there are many different brands that are trying to be sold. It is important for the dentist to know which brand is best for the office. Research can be done online. They can compare the uses, advantages, and cost. The main use for composite resin dental materials is for restoring teeth that has been affected by decay and other damages (know your teeth, 2007). Composite resin is different from other dental materials because it is a white filling. It can be matched to the patient’s natural tooth color so the appearance is not an issue. Patients have the option of choosing between non esthetic and esthetic filling. That is why some patients prefer to have composite resin fillings than other dental materials. It is used for cosmetic purposes as well as fixing the decayed teeth. When the patient has a composite filling done, the dentist will place it on the tooth in layers. Most often, a light is used to harden the material. After the layers are in place and it is auto cured by the light, the dentist uses electronic instruments to reshape the tooth. It is important to shape it back as much as possible to the original tooth structure and anatomy....
Knowing the origins of career is key to understanding the importance of why it began. According to the American Dental Association (ADA), dentistry's ancient origins began in 500 B.C. with the belief of "tooth worms as the cause of teeth decay." Later down the road in 1700 – 1550 B.C., an Egyptian text reveals toothache remedies. Oral cavity issues were provident in a very early time of humanity. As a result, oral cavity issues continued therefore so did research which inspired Hippocrates and Aristotle to write
The existence of micro-leakage in dental restorations was first identified in scientific research in 19126. In a study done by Harper (1912), air pressure was used to penetrate the surface between an amalgam restoration and cavity preparation7. By applying pressure through a hole in the pulpal floor, Harper could quantify the amount of pressure needed to establish leakage through the emergence of bubbles from the margins of the restoration. Research has come a long way since Harper first recognized micro-leakage. Adaptations of new materials used when placing composite restorations like BondAband, a light-cured glass-ionomer cement has been shown to reduce marginal micro-leakage in posterior restorations8. A decrease in microleakage has also been shown with the use of an ...
...al society of dentists, the American Society of Dental Surgeons was founded in New York City.”(Dentistry Encyclopedia Britannica). In 1844 an American dentist named Horace Wels discovered the anesthetic properties of nitrous oxide which could be used in dental surgery and treatment. After discovering it, later he used it in his surgeries. Numerous advances in dentistry were equipment, materials, and techniques came back to back to one another. In 1864 vulcanized rubber was introduced as a substitute for people that could pay for costly gold dentures. The very first dental school to be joined with a university was Harvard University which was in 1867. Most dentists were still being trained in a system of preceptorship with a real established dentist. The very start is licensure in the United States first happened in 1868, with the states New York, Ohio, and Kentucky.
Our analysis revealed that Affinis® had more dimensional stability in comparison to Panasil® and in the Panasil® impression material, the percentage of dimensional change was significant after 168 h. However, dimensional changes in all of the evaluation times were in the American Dental Association (ADA) standard range. Therefore, these materials had acceptable clinical dimensional stability for approximately 168 h. In the current study, impressions were made from stainless steel dies following the ADA specification for impression materials. This provides a protocol that can be easily replicated by others and it is the same as making a clinical
Dentists have been around for thousands of years. Dentistry got its start in the Indus Valley of India And Pakistan. “The earliest history of treating tooth related problems goes all the way back to 7000 BC, where the Indus Valley Civilization shows evidence of treating the mouth for tooth decay. The first method of treatment was bow drills, which were ancient primitive tools used for woodworking and treating tooth problems.” (http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2012/12/the-history-of-dentistry/)paragrah1 .These industrious would be dentists were master bead makers who used bow drills to cure tooth problems. From the ancient Egyptians to the Greco-Romans to early Chinese civilizations dentists have existed to aid the people with their teeth problems.
Growing up I heard many stories from my peers of their experiences at the dentist’s office. It is upsetting to say that most of my visits were vividly terrifying. As a child, the grinding, scratching, and high-pitched twangs of the instruments digging around in my mouth would leave my ears ringing and teeth vibrating every single time. The smell of fluoride and disinfectants permanently infected the air, sending chills through my body the minute I walked in. I quickly learned that latex posses an extremely unappetizing aftertaste. Needless to say, I was not always enthusiastic about going to the dentist’s office and getting braces did not make anything better for me.
Cosmetic dentistry is a specialized field that deals with improving the aesthetics of teeth and the human face. The teeth are an important part of human beauty. Even minor damage to the teeth, such as breakage or loss can drastically alter the overall appearance of the face. This is where cosmetic dentistry comes in to restore beauty. Cosmetic dentistry has become a highly specialized branch due to various advancements in surgical procedures and diagnostic techniques. Several new materials have also been discovered. These materials are very close to the natural enamel and bone from which teeth are made and are virtually indistinguishable. Cosmetic dentistry is an option in conditions such as teeth loss, gaps between teeth, cracked or chipped teeth, cavities and dental
However, fish and shellfish contain traces of mercury. For most people, the risk from mercury by eating fish and shellfish is not a health concern. Yet, some fish and shellfish contain higher levels of mercury that may harm an unborn baby or young child's developing nervous system. The risks from mercury in fish and shellfish depend on the amount of fish and shellfish eaten and the levels of mercury in the fish and shellfish. Therefore, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental