http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=52499
Bone Drugs and bone necrosis (decay) in jaw
Rare instances of jaw decay are being linked to medicines used to prevent bone loss.
Oral bisposphonates such as Fosamax, Actonel, and Boniva to prevent bone thinning have been implicated in some instances with bone necrosis of the jaw. Please discuss this issue with your M.D. if you are planning on having tooth extractions or major surgery of the face and you have either been taking or have been advised to take one of the above medications.
Amalgam Fillings and their Safety - American Dental Association position: (please see the office policy below)
Over the years there has been some concern as to the safety of amalgam (silver) fillings. An amalgam is a blend of copper, silver, tin and zinc, bound by elemental mercury. Dentists have used this blended metal to fill teeth for more than 100 years. The controversy is due to claims that the exposure to the vapor and minute particles from the mercury can cause a variety of health problems.
According to the American Dental Association (ADA), up to 76% of dentists use silver containing mercury to fill teeth. The ADA also states that silver fillings are safe and that studies have failed to find any link between silver containing mercury and any medical disorder.
The general consensus is that amalgam (silver) fillings are safe. Along with the ADA’s position, the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the World Health Organization, the FDA, and others support the use of silver fillings as safe, durable, and cost effective. The U.S. Public Health Service says that the only reason not to use silver fillings is when a patient has an allergy to any component of this type of filling. The ADA has had fewer than 100 reported incidents of an allergy to components of silver fillings, and this is out of countless millions of silver fillings over the decades.
Although studies indicate that there are no measurable health risks to patients who have silver fillings, we do know that mercury is a toxic material when we are exposed at high, unsafe levels. For instance, we have been warned to limit the consumption of certain types of fish that carry high levels of mercury in them. However, with respect to amalgam fillings, the ADA maintains that when the mercury combines with the other components of the filling, it becomes an inactive substance that is safe.
There are numerous options to silver fillings, including composite (tooth-colored), porcelain, and gold fillings. We encourage you to discuss these options with your dentist so you can determine which is the best option for you.
If you have any questions about a medical condition you currently have and how your dental health may be a factor, please bring it to our attention. Also, please let us know if you are taking any new medications , or have had any medical treatment since the last time we have seen you.
This office has not used amalgam as a filling material for the last ten years. We only use plastic porcelain fillings, or lab made porcelain inlays, onlays, and crowns. Our crowns are made with porcelain fused to gold or all porcelain zirconia crowns, but we can make any type of porcelain crown by request. If you have any concerns, please feel free to discuss your questions prior to treatment.