1. I'd like to have tooth colored fillings. I know they are more expensive than amalgam silver, but does the better quality warrant their cost over silver?

A: Silver had been the standard filling of choice in America for about 115 years. The Chinese were the first people to use silver filings about 3000 years ago. "Amalgam" as we refer to silver, has advantages as a dental restoration.

Its ease of use, durability and low cost made it a good choice for filling cavities. However, modern technology has brought materials into the dental industry that eliminates many of the problems with silver fillings.

Dental X-ray Examinations

You may be concerned when your dentist tells you that an X-ray exam is needed. You may wonder whether it is really necessary, how you can benefit from it and whether or not there will be any risk to your health. The following provides brief, direct answers to these and other questions frequently asked about dental X-ray exams.

What are X-rays?

X-rays are a form of radiation that can penetrate many materials, including human bone and soft tissue. Since X-rays can also expose photographic films, they have become very important in both dentistry and medicine. People often use the word "X- ray" to mean the pictures made with X-rays. The proper term for an X-ray film, or "picture," is a radiograph.

Better All the Way Around!

A new method of taking dental X-rays has arrived and we're taking full advantage of it! Digital radiography has evolved to the point where they are now superior to the old way of conventional X-ray film. Technological breakthroughs have resulted in digital images that can be viewed chairside on a computer screen. The dentist and patient can now see on a large monitor clear images that were once confined to small, hard films that required a view box and sometimes a magnifying lens. Due to enlarged image size and enhancement tools, digital images often allow for superior diagnoses to be made.