FULL CERAMIC TOOTH RESTORATIONS IN GPA DENTAL CLINICS, AMIDST INCREASING DEBATE OVER DENTAL AMALGAMS
07 Jan 2008

Getting a perfect natural-looking smile should be quick and painless. It should also be safe and durable.

Ceramic is the latest and most effective material used in dentistry today. This material is preferred over amalgam (metal) fillings for various reasons. The most immediate benefit of ceramic is its aesthetic properties and is the most common material used in dental makeovers for veneers and crowns.

With technology, veneers and crowns can now be done in one trip to the dentist. With computerized dentistry (CAD/CAM technology) and in-house laboratory production capabilities, Team GPA is able to complete crowns and fillings in two hours and 11 veneers in a single visit.

“We only bring in technology that can benefit our patients directly in terms of relieving discomfort or shortening treatment time. Before adopting any new technology, we always ask what good it will do for our patients,” says Dr. Wilson Goh, managing director of Team GPA.

The traditional method of tooth restoration is the use of amalgam (metal) fillings that are aesthetically unpleasant. With age and receding gum-lines, patients with amalgam fillings slowly reveal a “metal mouth”.

The use and safety of amalgam fillings have also been debated since coming into use over 150 years ago. Dental amalgam is a mixture of metal alloys of which approximately 50% is mercury. Prolonged exposure to amalgam fillings in patients’ mouths may result in mercury leaking into the body’s system.

There is increasing evidence to show that exposure to mercury in the body will result in neurodegenerative disorders, diseases and birth defects. Countries like Germany and Sweden have restricted the use of dental amalgams, while others have advised against its use for pregnant women and children.

Dr. Goh adds, “We are fully aware of this issue with amalgam fillings. It was a difficult task for Dentistry to find an appropriate material which could be equal, if not superior, to amalgam. Composite materials were aesthetically superior but lacked the longevity of amalgam.

“When GPA adopted the CAD/CAM technology and refined our technique on it, we knew we had found the replacement for amalgam. The finished product of ceramic is not only more natural-looking; it performs well in terms of longevity and contains none of the substances that could pose a health issue.”



Contact:
Eva Fernandez
Executive Manager
GPA Dental Group (Singapore) Pte Ltd.
Tel: 6732 1020
Email: eva@gpadental.com