In the last few years in particular the concern over mercury amalgam filling has become all the more serious. An increasing number of patients across the UK these days want to know what the cost of this procedure is. Other than asking about the price they also keep searching for a skilled and reliable dental professional who can clear away mercury amalgam fillings from their teeth safely.
This topic is crucial for you if –
- Currently you have mercury amalgam silver fillings in your teeth and you are interested to find out how your health may enhance if you have those fillings removed
- You develop any symptom or condition related to mercury amalgam fillings
- You have already removed the mercury amalgam silver fillings removed from your tooth or teeth and you are interested in participating in mercury detoxification programs
As such in the following sections of this post we will discuss few basics related to amalgam fillings, including the cost of mercury filling removal. Let us get started!
Removing mercury amalgam fillings from the teeth – the cost involved
How much will be the cost to remove mercury fillings from the teeth? This is a common question that comes from patients.
Just like any other dental treatment removing a mercury amalgam filling from the teeth requires a dentist to thoroughly diagnose your mouth too. This initial diagnosis or examination involves dental x-rays, taking intraoral pictures and obviously carefully assessing your dental as well as medical history.
Before removing mercury amalgam fillings from one’s teeth a dentist needs to determine a few things like the following –
- The total number of silver amalgam fillings in an individual’s mouth that need to be removed
- The size of a mercury amalgam filling or fillings
- The exact location of a metal filling inside the individual’s mouth
Based on all these factors the exact cost of mercury filling removal for a patient is determined. The cost of removing as well as replacing single mercury filling across the dental surgeries. And around London usually ranges from £80 to £150. This cost covers the following –
- The removal process itself
- All necessary preparatory work and
- The replacement filling material which is usually ceramic or composite resin
Removing a simple mercury filling may prove difficult and exorbitantly costly
If your mercury amalgam filling is still in good shape then as you replace it with composite material the procedure will include the cost of a regular filling. On the other hand if the existing amalgam filling is in a bad. And deteriorated state and leaking then the cost of the procedure will go up for sure. The cost also goes up if the amalgam filling has already started affecting your health or that of natural composition of the tooth. Moreover if decay sets in or around the filling then that also makes the cost go higher.
Replacing an amalgam filling may also indicate replacing an onlay or a dental crown. There may not be sufficient natural structure of the tooth left to support a regular filling. Considering these probabilities certain factors are always taken into account while estimating the cost of a safe amalgam removal procedure. The factors include the following –
- Is the existing silver amalgam filling so big that further restoration of the tooth is a necessity?
- In case further restoration is indeed needed then what kind of restoration will be most suitable for a given patient – a dental crown, an inlay onlay. And simply a standard composite filling?
Each of these factors plays a role in determining the exact cost of the procedure involving amalgam filling removal from the tooth.
Removal of mercury fillings from the teeth – few vital facts to consider
Mercury is a severely toxic substance when human health and wellbeing are concerned. The society which we are living in is more health conscious than those in the past. In this circumstance the overwhelming majority of people prefer to have their mercury amalgam fillings removed. And replaced with better options. It is important to mention in this context the number of silver fillings in an individual’s mouth is directly proportional to harmful mercury level in the person’s body.
Mercury filling removal – potential risks involved
Mercury is a metal which is obtained naturally from both air and water. It is usually present in the majority of seafood items that we eat. But direct contact with this metal over a prolong period of time usually proves dangerous for our health and wellbeing. Typical symptoms that show up with lengthy involvement with the toxic metal include loss of memory bad temper, overall physical weakness, higher anxiety levels and chronic headaches, etc.
Till the recent past amalgam fillings were widely used in restorative dentistry. An amalgam filling is mostly composed of a mixture of silver, tin, copper and about half the proportion of mercury. Why mercury amalgams were so popular in use? A dentist who quotes reasonable cost for mercury filling removal in the UK explains it is a strong durable solution that came at low cost. And because of these reasons it was so popular in the world of dentistry.
But now better technology and materials are available which enable dentists to avoid using mercury amalgam fillings anymore. Mercury amalgam fillings are categorically avoided pregnant women and children below 6. These days, composite resin material which comes in the colour of the tooth is largely replacing mercury amalgams.
Few benefits of mercury amalgam filling removal
Removing mercury amalgam fillings provide lots of benefits which include the following –
- Mercury amalgam filling removal shields you from exposure to harmful and toxic mercury. In course of time mercury vapour is released from this range of tooth fillings while you chew your foods well or bite on hard food items.
- Replacing mercury amalgam fillings with composite fillings improves overall aesthetics to a great extent. This makes people no more conscious about how their smile appears.
- If you are already experiencing the symptoms of toxic mercury exposure to your body then replacing the mercury amalgam filling with composite alternative is going to reduce those symptoms or have them completely disappear.
- According to skilled and experienced dentists working at the Smile Clinic London removal of toxic mercury amalgam filling gives people peace of mind.
Also read : What are composite veneers and its benefits