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Do your teeth have Mercury in retrograde?

As old silver mercury fillings age and are exposed to extreme hot and cold, like coffee and ice cream, they expand and contract leaving gaps between the tooth and the filling over time. when that happens bacteria can sneak between and under the filling where it can't be seen visually and can only be seen only by x-ray. The older fillings are made of a mix of silver and mercury to make the material workable to be molded into the cavity space where the infected tooth structure was removed. New restorative materials are more stable under temperature changes and chemically bond to the tooth structure sealing the edge of the tooth making it less likely to get re-infected by bacteria in your mouth. Take a look in your mouth and see if you have mercury silver filling in your mouth that might need attention. Give us a call if you have questions or book a telehealth consult so we can see what your concerns are!

Call us at 310-453-3747! We'd love to hear from you!

Author
Kari L. Sakurai , D.D.S. Dr. Sakurai is on staff at UCLA Medical Center, St. John's Health, SM-UCLA Orthopedic Hospital, and at LAC+USC as Assistant Adjunct Professor of Clinical Dentistry. With over 25 years of clinical experience and teaching at cutting edge, Universities helps us deliver the evidence-based technology care to our patients.

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