What are tips for the safe removal of mercury fillings by Wrentham dentist?
At Advanced Dental Practices, we welcome patients in the Wrentham, MA area who are interested in achieving healthy, beautiful smiles. Many times, this may include the removal and replacement of mercury fillings. Our dentist, Dr. Rawat, has seen patients deal with mercury toxicity caused by their silver amalgam fillings. While dentists have been using these types of materials for fillings for many years, they are not safe and appropriate for the smile due to their mercury content. The IAOMT reports that many silver amalgam fillings are made of approximately 50 percent mercury, which is a toxic substance.
What can be done?
The best way to address silver amalgam fillings is to remove them, as needed, and replace them. These mercury fillings should be removed in a certain way to ensure safety. Dr. Rawat and his team of professionals at Advanced Dental Practices are here to assist patients with safe and effective removal as advised by the IAOMT.
Tips for safe removal of mercury
Our staff follows the strict protocols of silver amalgam filling removal set forth by the IAOMT, which has laid out standards that should be followed to protect everyone throughout the process of amalgam removal and replacement. Below are just a few of the steps that our team takes to ensure safe removal and replacement of composite resin alternatives:
- The room where fillings are removed should be adequately filtrated with a high-volume air filtration system to remove mercury vapor and particles of amalgam
- Open windows if possible to reduce mercury concentration
- Special rinses should be provided to the patient prior to their treatment that includes an adsorbent
- Patients and staff should wear protective gowns and covers
- The use of nitrile gloves that are not latex should be worn by a dentist and all personnel in the treatment room
- The use of face shields and hair coverings should be worn by a dentist and all personnel in the treatment room
- External air/oxygen should be delivered to the patient via a special mask to avoid inhalation of mercury vapor or amalgam particles during the procedure
- Dental dams should be placed for patients with a non-latex nitrile
- Use of a saliva ejector for reduced mercury exposure
- Use of an oral aerosol vacuum within a few inches of the patient’s mouth to mitigate exposure to mercury
- Use of water to reduce heat and keep mercury vapor levels low
- The breaking down of amalgam into large chunks if possible
- Compliance with federal, state, and other local regulations regarding the handling and disposal of mercury-contaminated clothing and equipment
At Advanced Dental Practices, we follow the standards and protocols set forth by the IAOMT, because we care about the health of our patients and our personnel. We encourage patients to ask questions about the process so that they know how we proceed and what we do to ensure safety. We want our patients to be fully educated on the entire process from start to finish so there are no surprises, and to help patients fully understand why we do what we do. We want to keep our patients healthy and reduce exposure to mercury while providing them with safer, aesthetic alternatives to these fillings. All our patients are excited to have their dark, unhealthy fillings replaced with composite resin. This is our replacement material for cavities and it has many advantages over silver amalgam fillings used in the past.
Contact our staff today to learn more about safe mercury removal and replacement
The team at Advanced Dental Practices encourages patients to take the time to learn about solutions for their smiles, including the removal of toxic mercury fillings by a dentist who is a member of the IAOMT. Dr. Rawat and his staff are dedicated to helping patients achieve healthy smiles and replacing these types of fillings with solutions that are more appropriate and aesthetic. If you are ready to discuss this and other cosmetic treatments with our team, call us at (508) 456-7111 and visit our practice at 21 East Street in Wrentham, MA. We welcome new patients.
