high-speed drilling is one of the main reasons teeth become sensitive to hot and cold, and can cause the death of teeth. Teeth, sensitive after high-speed drilling, can have pain that lasts from days to months. Sensitive teeth should be watched carefully if symptoms of discomfort increase, the teeth could be dying.
Below is an example of teeth loss due to high-speed drilling.
Low-speed drilling results in less loss of teeth and greater patient comfort after preparing the teeth for a filling, crown, inlay, or bridge. “Low-speed drilling” should be done at 20,000 rpm or less.
Protection is needed while mercury silver amalgams are being replaced. Drilling out mercury silver amalgams creates toxic mercury fumes. Your dentist can use two vacuum systems to remove nearly 100 percent of toxic mercury fumes.
1) One vacuum system, called Clean-Up-Tip is used in the mouth over the tooth being drilled to capture the grindings and fumes.
2) A second vacuum system held at the chin creates airflow over the face pulling any remaining mercury fumes away from the dentist, assistant and patient.
Click on image below to view enlarged picture of an infected tooth from high speed drilling.
Many dentists believe the rubber dam should be placed over any tooth, while removing this metal. Tests have shown mercury fumes from the mercury silver amalgam pass through the rubber dam as well as through the dentist and assistant’s rubber gloves.
“what to take before having mercury silver amalgams removed”.