Probably everyone's favourite topic! However, I would be most grateful if anyone here could recommend a really good Dental Surgeon, who has an equally good understanding of nervous patients. A very dear friend of mine needs to find one who also gives SEDATION for treatment. (My own does not). She could travel within a reasonable radius of Guildford, Woking, Esher, Bisley etc... (or thereabouts).

She does have Denplan Insurance. As she is quite 'phobic' about this, I really would like to try and help her find someone really good. Therefore, I am hoping folk on here will come up trumps!

Thanks in anticipation,
Denise.

Hi Denise. I'm not sure whether my dentist gives sedation or not, but in my 52 years I have never had such a gentle, painfree dentist, and I've had some REALLY major work done! He's in Bicester, about an hour from you I would think. I travel there because he is the nearest "mercury free" dentist to me, and although private, is cheaper than my local NHS one, which has never made any sense to me. His name is Tom Pomeroy
www.nomercury.co.uk

Val what's the advantage of a mercury free dentist ? I've never heard of it before. Wonder if mine is or isn't mercury free ??!!??

Ta. :-)

Is Mercury free meaning he wont play any Queen tapes in the surgery :) Sorry

oooh hope so Mattie if so can I join :)

Oh yes he does Mattie, if that's what you want

Have a look at the page Claire, or put mercury into a search engine. It's one of the most toxic substances known to man. Although the British Dental Assn says that it's OK, the Swedes banned amalgam fillings in 1997 and the Austrians in 2000.
When I had an amalgam filling removed and asked to take it home, I was told that although it had just been removed from within 2 inches of my brain, by law it could only given to me submerged in chemical "to make it safe"!
Each to their own. We all have choices. :D

Hi. I always ask for the "white" fillings if I have to have one and I hope they are mercury free cos that is what I mean??? Perhaps I better check next time. I am blaming my bad memory on my old fillings Gina

I've just read it Val and I don't think my dentist will be a mercury free one. Are fillings still silver then if they don't contain mercury ? I'm due to go for a small filling in a few weeks and was thinking of asking for a white one as you would be able to see it even though my dentist has told me once before they don't last as long as the silver ones.

BTW how annoying me needing a filling, I clean my teeth always twice a day and sometimes three times and it doesn't appear to do me any good :-(

Hi Claire. Silver fillings contain mercury. They're called amalgam because they are an amalgamation of various metals. Many people have been happy with them for years. White fillings often contain metal too - for strength, many dentists say - but these days things have progressed and it's not necessary.
Dentists are a bit like doctors and vets. Once they have qualified they don't have to keep up with the latest techniques and many keep doing what they've always done.
I've done much research over the years but don't feel that this is necessarily the place to get on my soap box! If you'd like to e-mail me directly, feel free.
Oooh I can remember my pre-Mr Pomeroy dentist days well. Good luck!

Hi Val. I'm requiring a filling too, and I was told by my dentist that according to UK law fillings over a certain size have to be amalgam unless you're a private patient. Have you heard of this ludicrous law?

Dentists will only do white fillings on the NHS if they are on the fronmt side of the tooth, within the enamal... i had to have all my mercury fillings removed as they were leaking mercury into my mouth! In london they have the cheek to cxharge you £65 for a white filling, on top of the appointment, but where my parents live they only charge £20!!!

MAkes a massivew difference to me as i have a mouth full of the buggers!!

'Dentists will only do white fillings on the NHS if they are on the fronmt side of the tooth'

Do you know why this is the case?

'In london they have the cheek to cxharge you £65 for a white filling'

Well in Edinburgh its £70!

How did you become aware that your old fillings were leaking mercury into your mouth?

i was tested as i was becoming extremely tired for no reason and it was found that i had a very mild mild form of mercury poisoning - hence it had to be the teeth - my mouth was full of amalgam at this point though!

Yikes!

I heard though that having them drilled out can be much worse than leaving them in...

Did this cure your lethargy?

Can you just go to your doctor and ask for a blood test or something?

My dentist tested me for leaks on my first visit. Removal is no problem Quiller. I had my eyes and nose protected, a rubber dam put in my mouth and an air extractor within inches, so that neither I nor the Dentist or Nurse inhaled any of the vapour. The specialist drill used removes the lot in truly a couple of seconds! Quite unbelievable.
Also, with the white fillings, because they are inserted cold (as opposed to amalgams), there is no air between the tooth and the new filling for bacteria to grow, and therefore no more decay develops. Whether you think that mercury is a concern or not, I believe that the acrylic fillings should be used to save further decay. I had many amalgams redone in the past because I had decay underneath!!

Hmm, the tooth I'm getting fixed partly crumbled because it was decaying beneath an old amalgam filling. Bugger!

And this drill removed the amalgam in a couple of seconds...? Weird.

Was it outrageously expensive to have done? Are there special clinics/dentists for such work?

I may get myself an xray and see what's going on elsewhere and consider getting those nasty little buggers out - especially if it just takes a couple of seconds work.

Well fancy that!! Awful isn't it and the majority of dentists still use the d***ed stuff! The way it was explained to me was that amalgam is used hot. As metal cools, it shrinks, leaving a space underneath for bacteria to multiply, so as soon as he had our amalgam fillings, we were immediately decaying again! With the acrylic fillings, they are used cold and therefore bond completely with the newly drilled and clean surface and no air that the bacteria need to develop.
I expected a "mercury free dentist" to be a red carpet Harley Street type with charges to match. My man is just the normal High Street dentist in Bicester (the local people just don't know how lucky they are!) with a passion for doing the best he can for his patients. At the first consultation he tested for leaks and suggested that we replaced 2 amalgam fillings that were leaking. (I had fillings in almost every tooth in my head, having been to the dentist every 6 months into my middle years!) He then suggested that we just renewed the others as and when they needed replacing, so it wasn't anymore than a normal visit to a NHS dentist.

I had one white filling done by my old dentists, which the x-ray showed decay underneath. When the new man removed it (because it should decay under white fillings) the old dentist hadn't removed all the old amalgam filling, so the decay still continued!
If you'd like to email me privately, feel free. valerie.setchell@btinternet.com

Val,

I have a dentist I am ready to shoot. He pi---es about with my teeth and never seems to do anything.

I broke a tooth and he temporarily filled it and then started to paly with a crown he wanted to replace and make it a better colour ( it is at the back).

I will say no more but he is getted sorted this year..I tell you LOL

Glad you have found a saint.

I a positive he looks out the wondow to see what you are driving to see how much he can charge.

BFN

Pam

No Quiller, haven't heard about that, but I haven't been to a NHS dentist for 4 years as my private man in Bicester is cheaper (and mercury free!) than the NHS one, who I'd been with for 15 years! His white fillings are cheaper than the NHS amalgam ones, and if he can do it, and make a good living, then why can't the rest?
You could look and see if you have a treasure like mine near you??!! ;)
http://www.talkinternational.com/mfdsindex4.htm

Well, mine wants to charge me £70 privately for the white filling (as opposed to just £30 or so for a NHS amalgam one), which seems a bit much - and no, I don't live in London and he doesn't work on Harley Street.

Its given me something to chew on, at least.

Thanks for the link anyway. :)

There's one in Ediburgh I see, so I might have a chat with them tomorrow.

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Snorri
Twilight Zone Orthodox Coward