Amalgam vs. Composite – Dental Opinions Vary

For well over a hundred years, dentists have "filled" teeth with dental amalgam. Basically, dental amalgam consists mostly of silver with trace amounts of copper and tin mixed with virtually pure mercury to produce a putty-like mass, which hardens in about an hour. In my grandfather’s day, this was mixed with a mortar and pestle, but now there is a machine specially made to mix these components together.
The resulting "filling" is very hard, but is colored silver to black, which makes it cosmetically questionable in today’s esthetically-conscious market.
About fifty-years ago, composite resin filling material burst upon the market. Basically a very high-grade, specialized plastic composite was originally two pastes mixed together to then set or harden within a few minutes. This means that they set only on an exposure to a very intense blue light, giving the dentist almost unlimited time to shape or contour the filling. Today’s composites are extremely varied as to strength and polish-ability reflecting the requirements called for in different parts of mouth. Teeth are etched with a mild acid, producing microscopic grooves in the enamel. Composite is then bonded into the individual teeth and, when properly done, is almost impossible to separate from the tooth without the proper dental equipment. Best of all, they are tooth-colored, with hundreds of shades available to match any particular tooth producing a very life-like result.
For many years, the dental community has been split on the appropriateness of using dental amalgam in humans. Many accusations have been leveled at amalgam, including suggestions that mercury leaking from the restorations causes everything from Multiple Sclerosis to Autism. Many studies have been done over the years and results have been produced to support every possible position. This continues to be a hot topic in dentistry. However, the American Dental Association has continued to endorse the use of dental amalgam without reservation.
Composite resin is slightly more expensive than amalgam, due to the fact that it is somewhat more labor intensive and the materials are more expensive. Nevertheless, most patients today opt for composite for esthetic reasons. This certainly seems to be the direction operative dentistry is going. Millions of dollars each year are invested in research related to making composites stronger, more beautiful, and longer lasting. Amalgam is what it always has been and probably always will be: a utility dental material with limited application.

Orthodontics- 2/5/09

The first orthodontist was Dr. Edward H Angle who limited his practice to straightening teeth in the 1880’s. Traditionally, early orthodontists did not want to see the patient until all of the permanent teeth were present in the mouth, about age 12-14. At that point, the orthodontist would extract enough teeth to make it mathematically possible to fit all the remaining teeth in the arch and move them around until they were "straight." In the 1970’s orthodontists realized that by catching developmental problems earlier, they could, by use of appliances, direct the growth of the upper and/or lower arches to accommodate the size of the teeth. That is why your dentist may recommend an orthodontic as early as six or seven of years of age.
The process of orthodontics is possible because of the ability to move teeth bodily through bone by applying physical pressure to the tooth. The bone breaks down on the side away from the pressure and new bone is laid down behind it as it moves. Actually, our teeth remain where they are in our mouths because of continuous orthodontic pressures. The tongue is constantly pushing from the inside, the lips push from the outside. Along with stabilizing positional forces resultant from the bite relationship, the consequences of all the above is that our teeth remain in their same relative positions throughout our adult life.
The newest orthodontic development in the last few years has been "Invisalign." The biggest drawback to traditional orthodontics has always been the discomfort and inconvenience of the brackets and wires that are actually glued to the teeth. Invisalign is a process of moving the teeth by the use of a series of removable clear plastic aligners. This extremely convenient and patient-friendly technology is very popular because, unlike traditional braces, the appliance is invisible and can be removed while brushing and flossing or, unfortunately, any time the patient wishes. Therein lies one of the only disadvantages, the patient must wear the appliances for them to work and the treatment, unlike traditional orthodontics, relies upon patient compliance. Nevertheless, many adult patients embrace with the Invisalign process who would never consider traditional orthodontics.
Your dentist can help you decide if orthodontics is the appropriate treatment for your specific problem.