For those who would like a bit more info, from the Kent Express catalogue, here's a variety of filling materials:
Here's an expensive brand (Kulzer):
Non-Gamma 2 (unpleasant chemical present in old mercury amalgam fillings as far as I can see from the marketing bull#) high copper solid alloy 69%
silver, 24% copper (zinc free it assures me!) This is then mixed with a mercury capsule, and costs about £60 for 400 capsules, and £48 for (400) of
the mercury capsules.
Interestingly, they have one that says "not affected by moisture, ZERO vapour leakage" and the above one that DOESN'T say that...
Something (could be the mercury) seems to be wrapped in lead foil. It seems to be something common, since it mentions it every so often here and
there (as in a 'don't forget your lead foil removal bucket, a requirement by law'). Amalgam bucket is about £20 and says "contains intregal
mercury vapour trap to protect your patients and staff from the risk of vapour poisoning". Cost to remove is included when you buy the bucket
apparently *but only on some*. They have a shelf life of 3 months apparently.
Mercury capsules (on their own in a specially sealed container) have a skull and bones sticker and the one with the 'lil dead fishy on... They also
seem to have a requirement that you've had to have bought at least one mercury contamination and spill kit off them (or with first order of mercury),
which has big warning stickers all over it.
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Here's a general mixture for most METAL fillings these days, I guess if you don't specify (Kent Caps, own brand):
69.3% silver, 0.4% zinc, 10.9% copper, 19.4% tin - this seems to have no mercury in.
Weirdly, it seems the EXPENSIVE brands contain mercury, and the low-cost don't, bizarre. Most seem to contain at least 30% silver, and about the
same copper, then the rest is either mercury or some other metal like tin, with and without zinc (which seems to be an allergen or aggravating agent
in some people, hence the zero selling point in some more expensive brands).
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The paste, light-cure types are made from acrylic or polymer resin, and a binder of either zinc, calcium hydroxide, or 'mixed' ceramic powder which
then is cured into a filling by the UV light they shove in your hole. These are fairly expensive, at least £100 per VERY small amount; 16g of each
in most cases.
Top of the range composite is glass ionomer, which is milled glass, and some type of 'luting cement' that I can't find out what's in it at least
not from the catalogue (which has everything else in it that I've posted in the previous post or this one). These apparently need to be refilled
every 6-12 years depending on brand and wear. Some say 'nano' but my guess would be that's bull# for finely milled. The top of the range stuff
seems to come as a pair of syringes that is ONE mix PER filling, and are roughly about £30 per refil.
NOT ALL contain flouride, they seem to do a mix with and a mix without in most of the ranges so I guess just ask for the without, which seems to be
slightly dearer (probably because the flouride pollutors don't subsidize that brand). Some brands also contain POTTASIUM NITRATE, which I would
imagine is also pretty nasty (appears to be a desensitizer used in root canal work), chlorhexidine or other types of anti-bacterial (some people are
allergic to it and it is apparently quite harmful long-term which is why they don't use it for washing their hands when operating anymore) and or
thymol (think its a naturally occuring bactericide from pines, but I could be wrong).
You'd be amused at the price of brand name items in the catalogue too. A well known brand of Chlorhexidine mouthwash is less than £2 when it costs
at least 6 over the counter at your dentist. I'm one of those people that loves to see how much people mark stuff up by (I'm a business grad,
what'd you expect), so wholesale catalogues are fun in my house.