- Welcome Message from Dr. Hack
- What’s New?
- Recommendation: Mercury in Fillings
- Offers
- Rhymes With Gingivitis: Cartoon by Fritz
- More Dental Trivia
Welcome Message
Dear Patient,
As you read our fourth monthly newsletter, we’re still getting great feedback from our current and past patients. So if there’s an article you particularly like, please let us know.
Keep smiling!
Mike Hack
What’s New?
NEW DVDS TO WATCH. If you’re a patient with an upcoming appointment, we have a vast library of DVD movies for patients to watch. Some of our most popular movies are:
- Comedy –– “Office Space”
- Drama –– (Classic) “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest”
- Music –– “Standing in The Shadows of Motown”
- Documentary –– “Wordplay”
Recommendation: Mercury in Fillings
To use or not to use? This is the dilemma.
A common question I get these days is whether fillings containing mercury are safe. My answer is always this: there is no scientific evidence to show that it’s unsafe. There have been numerous studies done on this issue, including one reported by the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine. The ones that fulfill the criteria of scientifically designed have proven that amalgam fillings (made of silver, mercury, copper, and some other trace elements) leach very minute, almost indistinguishable amounts. While these small amounts are detectable (barely) in the urine, they are far below the levels that are considered of any concern.
In fact, amalgam fillings are endorsed by the World Health Organization, the American Dental Association, the Centers for Disease Control, as well as every other organization that deals with such matters. The analogy I use is that oxygen is a dangerously flammable gas and hydrogen is toxic, but combining them makes water. Mercury is, of course, very toxic but in amalgam fillings it’s inert. And we’ve been using amalgam for over 150 years without any hard evidence of problems. There are some anecdotal reports of people being cured of various conditions by having their amalgam fillings removed. But “anecdotal” is just that. There is no proof, while, as I stated above, there is science demonstrating safety. Some day we may find out that these fillings are harmful, but unless the science is dispelled, they are considered perfectly safe.
So why use them at all? The bottom line is that amalgam is an excellent material. The alternative is a composite (“tooth-colored”) filling. (I’m excluding gold and porcelain in this discussion.) Again basing choices on scientific studies, many have been done on the durability of the two materials and amalgam always wins. That means it lasts longer, pure and simple. It is also “forgiving,” meaning that, over time, it corrodes at the margins and “re-seals” itself. Amalgam has a track record that composite can’t match since the latter has only been used routinely in dentistry for about 25 years. Amalgam fillings take less time, so therefore cost less than composite ones.
Does it sound like I’m pushing amalgam? That’s not at all my intent. Most people these days want composite because it blends in with the tooth. It has some advantages and composites are certainly gratifying to do. The purpose of this article is to #1, dispel the notion that mercury-containing fillings are deleterious, and #2, to give you accurate and full information so if the time comes, you can make an educated choice.
[This article is archived on the Financial District Dental Care website.]
Offers
Lots of our patients are asking us about this popular offer. To brighten your teeth, take advantage of our BRIGHT, WHITE OFFER –– Teeth Whitening for just $173 (normally $453).
And, as part of our “Refer A Friend” Program, if you refer someone to our office and they use our FREE WHITENING offer, they’ll pay just $367 for a comprehensive examination, cleaning, a complete set of X-rays, and FREE whitening (normally $453). That’s a savings of $200! And for referring someone, we’ll give you a Gift Card good for FREE WHITENING for yourself.
BOTH OFFERS EXPIRE JUNE 30, 2009.
Rhymes with Gingivitis
Dental Trivia
The correct answers to patient Gil Zeimer’s March/April Trivia Quiz about TV programs about dental product TV commercials were 1) Brush your teeth with Pepsodent; 2) Bucky Beaver; 3) Gardol; and 4) Crest.
The May/June Trivia contest focuses on questions about famous dentists who had other careers:
- Question #1: What golfing dentist was popular in the 1950s and 1960s on the PGA Tour?
- Question #2: What dentist was close friends with Wyatt Earp in the town of Deadwood?
- Question #3: What actor played that dentist in the movie “Tombstone”?
Congratulations to our March/April Gift Card winners: Roseann C. and Donna W.
MAY/JUNE TRIVIA QUESTIONS:
The first three responses to correctly answer these questions will receive a Starbucks Gift Card. Former winners are not eligible to participate.
RESPOND
© 2009. Financial District Dental. All Rights Reserved.
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