A Health Guide to the Three Modern Methods of Saving Your Teeth from Decay

Seeing a dentist at least once a year is an advice we've all heard of since our younger years. The reasons for doing so are varied: for a cleaning, a filling, or a more complex procedure. By becoming aware of the many facets of both familiar and more advanced procedures, you may be able to improve the results.

Left alone, a decayed tooth can become infected, causing pain and eventually the loss of the tooth. Modern dentistry can prevent this from happening with these three methods:

1. Dental amalgams. For moderately decayed teeth, dentists drill the cavity and fill it with a strong material - usually a dental amalgam made of silver, tin, copper, and mercury. In the past decade, concerns have been raised over the mercury in amalgams. When fillings break down, as they all eventually do, small particles of mercury enter the bloodstream, and some people feared that this might increase the risk of arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and Alzheimer's disease. But studies have found no link between medical disorders and amalgam fillings that contain mercury. It appears that the amount of mercury released by the amalgam is so minute that it doesn't do any damage. Health experts say that amalgam is safe for all but a small number of people who are specifically sensitive or allergic to mercury and who may suffer severe health problems even from low exposure. [Read Full Article]