Q&A about Dentistry-Answered by a qualified Goan Dentist

shirleyart

I have a veneer that has cracked. Is it possible to get it repaired/replaced in India. I expect to be in the Diu area in the month of December and would appreciate a recommendation on a dentist. If not Diu is there a facility close by in Gujurat?

Goandentist

Hi Shirley,

Yes you can have the Veneer done in Diu. Choose the Empress-II system which is by far one of the best Veneer systems today. Will send you details of a dentist i know there by PM in a couple of days.

Regards

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Dr. Ambert Pimenta
www.goadentist.com

The India Mike Dental thread

jandb

I have had root canal treatments done to a number of teeth over the past 10 years with silver amalgam being the filling. Is there any way I can have the silver amalgam removed and replaced with composite resin? Is there a chance of mercury poisoning when removing the old amalgam fillings? Or would it be better to have the root canal teeth extracted and replaced with implants?

If you are having a large quantity of implants done do you offer a discount package based on the amount of work being done?

Thanks in advance.

Nick-H

So many people haveing trouble with Mercury amalgam!

I don't think I ever sufferred mercury poisoning, but as each filling came up for replacement I had it replaced (where technically possible, according to my dentist at that time) with resin.

Thing is: more mercury will be released during the removal of the fillings than you would absorb in years from them in place.

I watched a program a long time back in which an eminent metallurgist positively slaughtered a senoir totally-safe-no-risk-at-all bod in the British Dental governing body. Great fun

My Chennai dentist looked shocked when I mentioned mercury and said he hadn't used it for ten years!

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Just one member of the IndiaMike Mod Team

jandb

I think amalgam fillings are a major problem and cause health problems for people, in particular when they are used as a filler in root canals. There is definately a risk associated with them being removed by drill. Extraction and implants maybe a safer option.

Would love to see the program/documentary you mentioned above.

Nick-H

...it was years ago, before UK establishment even started to admit that, yes, there might be a problem for some people and that perhaps they'd start by not giving amalgam fillings to pregnant women...

Yes, it was fun. it went along the lines of;

Eminent Metallurgist: You'll have read AB's paper on the dangers of mercury, of course?

BDA Man: Errr, I don't think so...

EM But you'll know about the XYZ experiments which showed [bad stuff about mercury]

BM Well, I'm not familiar with those experiments

EM But you will be aware of the precautions used for last nn years where mercury is used in Industry, even in minute amounts, due to its accepted high level of toxicity

BM I.... I.... But.... But...

Ok, I made that up, but it's close, and it was fun to watch the British Dental Association's bigwig arrogance being steadilly deflated.

Goandentist

Though i tend to agree with Nick about mercury release when removing fillings I am not endorsing the view because there are conflicting reserach reports on the same. Its best to leave fillings as they are even if they are metal fillings and thats my personal opinion. I have never done mercury fillings in my surgeries for as long as i have been in practice and feel metal free fillings are the answer to modern dentistry.

I dont think dentists do cheaper packages for implants as the cost of implants does not come down when we buy in bulk either.

Regards

amarama

If I understans Mercury fillings, when metal is used the cavity must be enlarged more than a coposite to accommadate the metal. Some problems I have heard people have had removing their metal fillings is that get the idea the mercury is bad. So logically you would want it to be removed from your body. So they go and remove all their fillings and become sick. One reason I 've heard is that the composite material used was "incompatable" with there body. Which in turn caused an allergic reaction. Along with the fact that mercury was released during the removal of the fillings.

billlew

I will be arriving in Goa on 10th Dec. My teeth are pretty rotten, about 6 stumps left in top & the rest not worth saving. A couple of stumps in the bottom. Hopefully I'll get up some courage and have them out and dentures fitted. Have you a ballpark figure of how much I'm looking at?
Hope you'll enable me to be able to smile again!
Many thanks

amarama

Hello everyone,
My question is how exactly does a dentist chose what materials to use for fixing cavities? It appears that many dentist either order the lowest priced materials. Or buy something that everyone else uses. Before I go to a dentist I like to find out what materials they are using, if they have been stored properly, what the manufactor recomends for there application, and lastly how old the materials are. I alway insist the dentist follows the protocal of the manufactor.
Is there anything a patient can do to make sure they are receiving good work? From the information I have read, it seems a lot can go wrong, or I'm I being to worrisome with the details? thanks for the info Amarama

island boy

Hi Doctor, i require a 5 tooth bridge. How long will this take and how much should i expect to pay for it. I will be based in Chennai and if you have any colleagues there, then can you point us in the general direction please? Otherwise i will have to get myself out your way.
thanks in advance
i/b

Goandentist

I am going to answer both queries here

1. About dental fillings. Dental practitioners choose filling materials depending on the cavity , its depth/tooth structure etc. Cheaper filling materials are used for temporary restorations but not for permanent. If you have found someone using cheap stuff then dont go to that person. A dentist with a reputation in the market will always use the best in the market.

2. The 5 tooth bridge. I think you can ask Nick-H about his dentist in Chennai as i think he is quite pleased with the work he has had so far. None of my colleagues there, but Nick seems to think he's good , so he must be. Prices are relative in every state so I cant really say what will be the price in Chennai.

Regards

Nick-H

PMs exchanged

alaskabob

I wonder what your views are on the longevity of amalgam vs glass ionomer vs composite fillings? What would you say is their respective life expectancies?
Also, would you ever recommend gold fillings?
Is yours a metal-free practice?
Thanks!

Goandentist

Hi there,

Yes mine is a metal-free practice and I see many of my colleagues moving in that direction.

Let me tell you amalagam is a time tested and proved material for dental restorations. Its excellent and can take masticatory stresses very well. On the down side there is mercury thats mixed to make amalagam and a lot of tooth structure that has not been affected by caries needs to be cut to help retian the filling. This is because amalagam is mechanically retained unlike the newer filling materials that bond to teeth.

Compostite and glass ionomer fillings are the way to go today. Just the affected tooth structure needs to be cut and the material bonds chemically to the tooth. Also clolour matching is possible with composite fillings so it can be used very well for front teeth as you cant see the filling in most cases if the dentist gets the colour matching right.

Hope this helps

Regards