As the wheels of time turn and we learn more about what is going on around us, there is a tendency to throw away methods that have been around for decades and bring in the new. Dentistry in central Leeds is also constantly evolving and bringing in new things as well. However, scientific evidence can also be the reason for radical changes in dental techniques; the amalgam filling is exactly one such example of this. It has been used since, well forever and has been a great ally in the fight on tooth decay. This type of filling is tremendously strong and if the procedure is carried out correctly, an amalgam filling will long out-live you, yet it is getting some pretty bad press of late. The most obvious of issues that people have with it is that it is grey and this doesn’t exactly give off a natural look in the mouth when you smile as opposed to white, resin based fillings (although these are still yet to prove themselves in the longevity stakes). But it is what amalgam is made up from that has come to light: one of the ingredients in the filling is mercury- highly toxic and poisonous, which is why this type of filling is banned in some countries. It’s a hard call to make, but until we all start to live long into our hundreds, having an amalgam filling is still one of the best options to tackle tooth decay with.
