My sister in law keeps telling my wife we need to be seeing a mercury free dentist. She acts like we’re going to get tumors growing in our mouths if we don’t. I can’t imagine they’re using mercury knowing it’s a toxin. Is there really a need for mercury-free?
Dan
Dear Dan,
The only area of dental care where you have to worry about mercury is in your silver fillings. in fact, the main ingredient is mercury. Because it is a known toxin, more and more patients are opting to have the white composite fillings placed. Dentists who will only place composite fillings are known as mercury-free dentists.
Other than that, there’s not much to worry about in that area. Personally, I would say you want to choose your dentist based on your particular desires and needs. If you’re just a bread and butter patient, you’ll just need a dentist who has good reviews and is pleasant to work with.
If you have special considerations, such as a desire to get a smile makeover, you’ll want to make sure they offer cosmetic services and do beautiful work.
If You Have Dental Anxiety
One thing many patients suffer from is a terror of the dental chair. If that happens to be your issue, then you’ll want either a cater to cowards dentist, who you know will be patient and gentle. Or, if your anxiety is severe, you’ll want a sedation dentist who offers oral conscious sedation.
If you choose sedation, make sure you have a dentist who understands the emergency protocol and monitors your vital signs throughout the procedure. While dental sedation is perfectly safe, it’s important you have a dentist who knows what to do if a rare complication pops its ugly head.
This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge Dentist Dr. Steven Collins.