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Composite fillings over amalgam.

From what we've been taught there are clinically detectable levels of fluoride in the mouth 2 weeks after the placement of varnish. Fluoride treatment works if given the time and opportunity. Its not a quick fix and you have to let it do its job.

I asked about the varnish. They said there was no such thing.
All he had was Duraphat 5000, that he said only lasts hours, and I'd bought that anyway off ebay.
I couldn't have had that put all over my teeth anyway. It makes me vomit just putting it on one tooth. It's the most repulsive substance I have ever smelt or tasted.
My teeth had never seen fluoride in my life, yet no NHS dentist will give me a fluoride treatment.
Goodness knows what it would cost privately.....
 
Poppy
I think the trouble is that NHS dental care tries to base itself increasingly on only using 'evidence based dentistry' using some kind of cost-benefit analysis - the cynical would say as a means of cutting costs, others would say as a means of using public money wisely. I'm sitting on the fence on this one. I think this is why as an adult you've been told remineralisation will likely not work and is a waste of time.

All these methods (sealants, varnish - hey no-one's mentioned healozone lol) probably work in some cases in ideal mouth conditions. Most private dentists will do what you want after discussion based on what they personally have found has worked for them....I guess NHS dentists are more inclined to stick to whatever the latest memo has advised is appropriate or what they have been told in dental school (if newly released on the unsuspecting public) as they won't have the clinical experience to have come to any different conclusions from their own practice.

And as we all know, if you have 5 dentists in a room, and show them the same patient, they will likely come up with 5 different treatment plans or sth like that the saying goes. Even if they agree on the treatment they will likely disagree on the timing....there's more than one way to skin a cat. Hence why finding a dentist with a similar philosophy to your own is important.

It's just what they say varies so much.
One dentist happily saying a fissure seal can be put over a small cavity, another saying this is an insane idea, and would never work.

Private dentists saying there is loads you can do to arrest early caries, NHS dentists totally ignoring early visible decay for 5 years, saying there is nothing wrong, and even if there was, there is nothing at all you can do to reverse early decay...

The more I learn and the more I ask, the more confused I get!
Surely NHS dentists know about products to arrest decay?
Haven't things like NovaMin and Recaldent been proved to work then?
NHS dentists look blank when I mention such things. They seem to absolutely HATE some smart arse going on like they know it all! But I have to educate myself on such things, as they sure aren't going to!

My problems aren't over having gone private, as I can't afford private treatment, only a private check-up once a year.
 
I don't know about remineralising toothpastes but my dentist gave me good comments about my teeth, for a change, after I had used arm and hammer enamel care for a few months at night time.

On a further note, I need help with which fillings I should consider replacing. My fillings are as such; two on the upper second premolar and one on the lower second molar. If I was to get rid of a metal fillings which tooth would be best to replace the filling on, based on how often the teeth are used for chewing and biting?
 
I don't know about remineralising toothpastes but my dentist gave me good comments about my teeth, for a change, after I had used arm and hammer enamel care for a few months at night time.

On a further note, I need help with which fillings I should consider replacing. My fillings are as such; two on the upper second premolar and one on the lower second molar. If I was to get rid of a metal fillings which tooth would be best to replace the filling on, based on how often the teeth are used for chewing and biting?

I heard Arm and Hammer was good for enamel care.
But I'm looking for something a bit stronger, to actually remineralise the enamel lost by slight decay and tiny cavity.
I don't see how any product can fill in a hole though!
I can see how lots of fluoride could arrest caries in enamel, but expecting a hole to eventually disappear seems a bit optimistic!
Recaldent and NovaMin and Xylotol seems the best bet.
 
When you say amalgam do you mean the metal silver fillings? I have one of those that I got when I was in the first grade. That is the only time in my life I have been to a dentist until recently. I can tell you that I hate this filling. It reacts to metal and drives me crazy. Also, I'm not thrilled about the fact that it has mercury in it either. I would definitely go with the new white fillings... resin I guess. I just had 2 of those done.
 
When you say amalgam do you mean the metal silver fillings? I have one of those that I got when I was in the first grade. That is the only time in my life I have been to a dentist until recently. I can tell you that I hate this filling. It reacts to metal and drives me crazy. Also, I'm not thrilled about the fact that it has mercury in it either. I would definitely go with the new white fillings... resin I guess. I just had 2 of those done.

Amalgam is silver, yes.
I'd love to have my 35 year old 5 small silver fillings replaced with white ones too. But have been told I should wait until they break, as they could last a lot longer.
I just don't feel they will. :(

I hear the average length of time a silver filling lasts is just 7 - 8 years, so I'm way over this.
I can't really imagine them lasting forever, and would prefer to get them replaced before they come loose and let decay in, causing problems.

Wish I knew how long they will last.
Gordon says a lifetime, but American dentists say just 7 years, which doesn't sound long for a silver one....thought they lasted longer than that on average.

I'd def go for white ones when I have to replace, but as they aren't as strong, I'd be scared I'd have to keep on and on replacing them, until in the end, I'd lose the teeth in old age. :o

That seems mad, when they are only tiny fillings.
This is why I'm so keen on preventing fillings at all costs.
Because getting a filling isn't the end of the matter.....Then you have a lifetime of upkeep and replacing, each time traumatising the tooth more and more, until you could end up losing it many years on.
 
Well, I had my silver filling when I was in the first grade.... and I am now 42. I have never had any problems with it other than the reaction to metal and wishing it did not have mercury in it. I don't want to cause unneccessary stress about it but there is a lot of debate on the safety of removing these older silver fillings and replacing them. The reason is because of the mercury in them. I have heard that a special process must be used in order for it to be safely removed and that just drilling them out can be harmful for the patient and the dentist because you inhale the small mercury particals. I know there are dentists that use a special procedure like keeping the filling cold with water, taking it out in chunks instead of drilling it out in fine particals and also giving the patient a separate oxygen source also using the suction thing close all the time. I have one of these fillings and considered having it replaced with the new resin filling but I have decided to just leave it alone for now. My dentist says they can cause teeth to crack ect... because they expand/shrink with heat and cold but so far I have never had a problem. I would like to know Gordon's thoughts on this.

As a p.s. I cannot say that I agree with the 7 year longevity of silver fillings because it has been about 30 some odd years for mine but I would still recommend the white fillings not only because they look better but they won't react to metal. Ugh, I hate that.
 
Wish I knew how long they will last.
Gordon says a lifetime, but American dentists say just 7 years, which doesn't sound long for a silver one....thought they lasted longer than that on average.

7 years?.....This doesn't reflect well on the skill level of American dentists re placing of amalgam fillings....35 + years is very typical but then maybe NHS fillings in 1970s were done to last (like most stuff back then;)).
Doing it to a lower quality level guarantees the dentist repeat business....but they look a bit incompetent if they expect patients to be happy to be told their amalgam will only last for 7 years. That low figure may have sth to do with fear of lawsuits as well I suppose.
 
Yeah, I was surprised with the 7 - 8 year average for America.
Though I hear all the time that my friends' fillings have come out and theirs are way newer than mine.

I guess a lot is down to what you eat.
I've never eaten sweets, crunching rubbish into the 35 year old fillings!

I still feel uncomfortable waiting for them to fail though, because that could mean trouble, and risk harming the tooth underneath maybe.
I'm sure they'll need replacing at some point, but if I replaced them now, who's to say they will last like the ones done in 1976 did?
They must have been well done, though one feels horribly thin. (Dentist says not....)

It would just look nice to have white ones.
I have a silver filling that shows very slightly between 2 upper molars.
Had I been told it would show, I'd have paid for white, but wasn't told. I've never liked it. I reckon it loooks like decay, and if people see it when I smile, they might think I have black decay between teeeth....YUCK...:mad:

So do silver fillings done nowadays not last as long as years ago then??
 
Well, I had my silver filling when I was in the first grade.... and I am now 42. I have never had any problems with it other than the reaction to metal and wishing it did not have mercury in it. I don't want to cause unneccessary stress about it but there is a lot of debate on the safety of removing these older silver fillings and replacing them. The reason is because of the mercury in them. I have heard that a special process must be used in order for it to be safely removed and that just drilling them out can be harmful for the patient and the dentist because you inhale the small mercury particals. I know there are dentists that use a special procedure like keeping the filling cold with water, taking it out in chunks instead of drilling it out in fine particals and also giving the patient a separate oxygen source also using the suction thing close all the time. I have one of these fillings and considered having it replaced with the new resin filling but I have decided to just leave it alone for now. My dentist says they can cause teeth to crack ect... because they expand/shrink with heat and cold but so far I have never had a problem. I would like to know Gordon's thoughts on this.

As a p.s. I cannot say that I agree with the 7 year longevity of silver fillings because it has been about 30 some odd years for mine but I would still recommend the white fillings not only because they look better but they won't react to metal. Ugh, I hate that.

The 7 years was the average in America.

I heard old silver fillings could cause teeth to crack too, but I don't know how old is old??
1970's or 1950's...??

If you had a white filling aged 9 in a biting surface of a molar, think how many times that would have to be replaced in a lifetime....
It would get hammered being a molar I would think, and white isn't as strong.
Maybe some dentists do white ones as strong as silver these days, but how would you find such a dentist?
What would you ask for to get an ultra strong white one I wonder...??
 
Opinion among dentists seems to be divided over whether amalgam or composite is the better choice. New composite materials are being developed all the time whereas amalgam has withstood the test of time (probably relatively unchanged in composition?).

I think if you have an amalgam at the front that shows, you can justify a cosmetic change based on self-esteem issues so long as you accept there is a small risk (another insult to tooth's nerve) involved in doing it.

If you are cool (ie not paranoid about) with amalgam and already have it in situ because of your age, an experienced ethical dentist who is skilful at amalgam and composite (and not anti-amalgam philosophically) will likely tend to choose the 'best' material in their opinion at the time for any particular restoration based on what they would place in their mouth rather than what the NHS provides/covers.
It's not something you always get a choice on even with a private dentist as they may have a strong view as to what will likely work best (longest) in a particular location.

My longest lasting composite which is on an rct'd tooth which previously had an amalgam in is 18 years.
I'm willing to bet for both that technique and quality workmanship is the most important factor for longevity of either type of material...plus as you say how patient cares for it afterwards as well.
 
It's hardly visible really Brit, I just don't like the thought people might think it's decay. :(

The NHS will give you white at the front, but this is between the pre-molar & the next molar back, so not at the front.
But you can see a black mark between these teeth when I smile, which I've always hated, and was annoyed I wasn't told in advance it would show.

I can't see how fillings between the teeth will get any wear and tear, so I'd have chosen white.
Don't know about white on the biting surface of a molar though. It would look nice having white, but I'd worry they wouldn't be strong enough.

If I had a small filling replaced, why would they need to drill down to the nerve, when the initial drilling went no-where near the pulp?
You'd think they could just stick a white one on top!!
 
If I had a small filling replaced, why would they need to drill down to the nerve, when the initial drilling went no-where near the pulp?
You'd think they could just stick a white one on top!!

They wouldn't have to go down to the nerve, (if they did you might need a root canal lol) but any drilling (heat, vibration) is another 'insult' to the tooth.
 
I'm a bit thick about things like root canals, crowns, etc, as I've not had one..If decay goes out of the bottom of the dentine, does that mean you need a root canal? I don't really know what that is...A filling in the root I presume...??
So what happens with that then? (Sorry to deviate the thread!) How do you put a filling in a root?
So all root canals are a result of neglect and advanced decay??
 
So all root canals are a result of neglect and advanced decay??

Err no...you can have perfect oral hygiene and then get a toothache in a tooth which has been fine for years but which has previously been 'insulted' with a filling. This happened to me twice! It even happens to dentists of our age with old fillings lol.

Nerves in teeth can spontaneously die or can die as a result of trauma....ever been accidentally elbowed in the mouth by a child? If so a tooth could conceivably develop a problem at a later stage.

On both occasions the dentists sent me away the first time I attended with a grumbling not-constant ache saying it might be 'reversible pupitis'.....they would only go in and open it up (ie start a root canal) when it became more severe BUT and this is important - as soon as it did pass that point, they saw me immediately....so it is still worth going along as soon as you have a problem so you can minimise your suffering...as they can't very well not fit you in straightaway if they are already aware of your grumbling tooth which they chose to leave. Both these dentists were private not NHS.
Just google for info on root canals there's loads of it out there and it's mostly reputable. We don't put it on here with diagrams etc etc very much as some phobics understandably find it too offputting.
This site is one Letsconnect recommends:

https://www.animated-teeth.com/root_canal/t5_root_canal_treatment.htm

Actually if you read that whole site you could probably award yourself an honorary dental degree!
 
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That's interesting Brit, ta.
Bummer, I always thought needing a root canal was severe neglected decay, that I was confident I would never get...
I've never had toothache, and having finally found a toothpaste from America I can just about tolerate (though despise) I really thought I'd never have a problem with my teeth again....
Now I hear a tooth could just misbehave for no reason....grrrrr.....:(

:thumbsup:
 
Get this Poppy.... I asked the girl at the desk at my dentists office a question.... can't remember exactly what it was.... but she said I should ask the dentist because she had never had a cavity before in her whole life. :o Can you imagine???? I thought my goodness... how lucky you are. LOL
 
Get this Poppy.... I asked the girl at the desk at my dentists office a question.... can't remember exactly what it was.... but she said I should ask the dentist because she had never had a cavity before in her whole life. :o Can you imagine???? I thought my goodness... how lucky you are. LOL

How old was she?
If she's young, there's really no reason why she should ever get a cavity.
Kids get their teeth fissure sealed now, and dentists don't drill surface decay any more, but try and arrest the decay before it becomes a cavity. (Unless you see my previous dentist, who doesn't know what decay looks like until it becomes a hole that needs filling and has never heard of remineralisation.....:mad: :mad: :mad:)

I'm convinced I should never have had any of my small fillings aged 9.
There were no holes (I remember looking hard) and no fissure seals were given when I was a child or teenager.
I feel robbed! I should have no fillings either!
 
Well, maybe that was a dumb thing that I was so surprised... I'm one of those people that never went to the dentist my whole life because we could not afford it. I would say she was probably in her 20's possibly early 30's but I doubt it. Maybe it's more common than I thought ... but I was quite astounded. LOL
 
Well, maybe that was a dumb thing that I was so surprised... I'm one of those people that never went to the dentist my whole life because we could not afford it. I would say she was probably in her 20's possibly early 30's but I doubt it. Maybe it's more common than I thought ... but I was quite astounded. LOL

There are still plenty of young people around with poor teeth in the UK when we have the NHS. (Not free for most, but much cheaper than private, and free for kids.)

I'm just envious of the chances they get now that I didn't.
As kids in the UK get free treatment they have no excuse for ANY decay if they take care of their teeth.
In many countries people aren't so lucky to be able to have access to good health care.
That's why I'm so interested in preventing decay.
I have absolutely no intention of ever having decay again, or getting gum disease.
I will prevent this by working hard and doing the right things.
I'm sure it's achieveable, so I'm trying to promote some of my ideas on here.
Once people get their teeth fixed, they will want to keep them good, so they never have trouble again! ;D
 
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