High cost of dental care?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Amalgam fillings? I wouldn't bother with those.

Mercury... Mess you up!

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Amalgam fillings? I wouldn't bother with those.

Mercury... Mess you up!

Is mercury in dental amalgam safe?

Mercury in dental amalgam is not poisonous. When mercury is combined with other materials in dental amalgam, its chemical nature changes, so it is essentially harmless.

The amount released in the mouth under the pressure of chewing and grinding is extremely small (1-3 micrograms)** and no cause for alarm. In fact, it is less than what patients are exposed to in food, air, and water ( 5-7 micrograms a day)**.

Ongoing scientific studies conducted over the past 100 years continue to prove that amalgam is not harmful. Claims of diseases caused by mercury in amalgam are anecdotal, as are claims of miraculous cures achieved by removing amalgam. These claims have not been proven scientifically

http://www.dentalgentlecare.com/dental_amalgam.htm

[tallcoolone 102]

That does sound reasonable. Totally OT (ok well not totally) but my dad is a periodontist who has sold his practice since he retired and both the guy who bought it and the surrounding practices (both oral surgery and dental) have seen at LEAST a 40% decline in patients. The economy has hit even the dentists since people now second guess whether they REALLY need the work done.

Economy in Dallas is good.

Building many new skyscrapers downtown

New office and warehouse building being built all over the place.

You should of got all your medical and dental taken care of in PI, a hell of a lot cheaper. Fillings about $10 per tooth.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

That ain't what the WHO says Steve

[mox 298]

Amalgam fillings? I wouldn't bother with those.

Mercury... Mess you up!

Damn straight. For me, it's lead fillings or nothing.

[AlHayatZween 2]

In 2005, I had my teeth X-rayed, examined and cleaned for $75 with no insurance.

Yeah, this sounds similar to my old dentist in Jersey. But times that by 7 or 8 fillings and it gets pretty pricey.

[DeadPoolX 9]

That ain't what the WHO says Steve

Who cares what Peter Townshend says.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

That ain't what the WHO says Steve

I'll have to look at what their findings were, but honestly, everything I've read is that they are safe ...but people tend be hysterical over water fluoridation too. If there's solid science that it is dangerous, then fine - they should be banned, but I don't any country that has a ban on mercury fillings.

Edit: I see that Norway has recently banned them.

I still believe they are safe...

Edited January 12, 2009 by Mister Fancypants

[Peikko 1,575]

My dentist is Iranian.

[Old Dominion 26]

That does sound reasonable. Totally OT (ok well not totally) but my dad is a periodontist who has sold his practice since he retired and both the guy who bought it and the surrounding practices (both oral surgery and dental) have seen at LEAST a 40% decline in patients. The economy has hit even the dentists since people now second guess whether they REALLY need the work done.

Economy in Dallas is good.

Building many new skyscrapers downtown

New office and warehouse building being built all over the place.

You should of got all your medical and dental taken care of in PI, a hell of a lot cheaper. Fillings about $10 per tooth.

When Dubya leaves Washington, he won't be able to look after the Texas economy anymore.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

That ain't what the WHO says Steve

I'll have to look at what their findings were, but honestly, everything I've read is that they are safe ...but people tend be hysterical over water fluoridation too. If there's solid science that it is dangerous, then fine - they should be banned, but I don't any country that has a ban on mercury fillings.

Edit: I see that Norway has recently banned them.

I still believe they are safe...

The ADA position is that they are safe and dentists can be struck off for unethical conduct if they recommend to patients to have them removed.

Thee is a lot of research on it, not least that 50% of adult mercury exposure comes from fillings.

There aren't firm conclusions but there are indications.

[Peikko 1,575]

Just have all your teeth capped/crowned. Fillings are for the poor people.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Yeah nothing like a mouthful of hold

[mnieto 2]

I freaked out when I realized that our out-of-pocket expense for my one filling was 122$...#######?!?

Now I'll have us switch the dentist.

The one my husband has used until now (until I came along and found out how expensive a filling is) is not a member in the insurance network. I went through the statements our insurance sent us and compared the prices.Had we used a dentist who's in the network we would have paid 62$ for the filling.

I know that dentist will hate me for that

[NickD 203]

Seems like rates skyrocketed with the AIDS scare, dentists walk in like they are going to disarm a nuclear bomb.

Can remember as a kid, my mom paying 2 bucks for a filling, today, even a tiny one is around 125 bucks. Mom got false teeth for 150, dentist wants 3,500 to make a small bridge for my wife. Yeah, we got other quotes. Orthodontist lowest charge is well over 5 grand.