Dental restoration is one of the major services that Dr. Jeff Gardner offers in his mission to provide quality oral care. This involves the repair of teeth to their natural size, shape, and structural integrity to regain function and strength. The process can be performed by Mount Pleasant dental practitioners like Dr. Jeff Gardner through several means including the use of metal braces, implants, crowns, and amalgams.
One of these procedures—dental amalgams or a restorative silver filling applied on teeth—has been an object of hot debate. The root of the issue is the high mercury content of the material which can bring about health hazards. Despite being a common form of treatment in the past, oral care providers are now beginning to use safer alternatives to these metal fillings.
According to medical professionals, dental amalgams contain 50% mercury, and because of that, it has become more toxic than lead, cadmium, and even arsenic. Dentists used this material before because of the low manufacturing cost and high durability. The mercury content also inhibits bacterial growth and prevents the recurrence of tooth decay. Despite all these benefits, it remains a concern that metal fillings with this toxic element can bring about health hazards every time a person chews, drinks, swallows, or breathes.
Mt. Pleasant, SC dental practitioners like Dr. Jeff Gardner will tell you that more recent clinical research has revealed that the mercury content of dental amalgams can be transported through the blood. Because of its cytotoxic properties, it can begin killing or damaging body cells. The harmful element has the power to effect a fetus during pregnancy and can effect the nervous system, particularly the brain.
Mt. Pleasant, SC dentists like Dr. Jeff Gardner and his team offer quality oral care minus the amalgam and mercury scare. Instead of using silver fillings for their patients, dental restoration treatments are completed through the application of inlays and onlays, porcelain crowns and laminates, and safer dental implants. Through these and more, they can bring back the patients’ pearly whites without compromising their overall well-being.
Moreover, surveys revealed that most Americans (about 76 percent) remain clueless that mercury is the primary content of the amalgam fillings. Because of this, they do not take the necessary steps to have their existing fillings removed. Thankfully today, a reliable Mt. Pleasant dentist like Dr. Jeff Gardner can thoroughly check up on the oral conditions of patients and help them get rid of threats like dental amalgams containing mercury.