Dr. Matarazzo

We all know how that story ends: someone always gets burned. In this case, it’s the recipient of an amalgam filling. Packing a tooth with amalgam is like replacing a hip joint with anything other than titanium. I can imagine the pre-op conversation at the local Quincy hospital right now:

“Doc, how long will this new hip last?” “Well, that depends.” “Oh. On what?” “On the temperature around your hip, for starters. If it changes rapidly from hot to cold and back again over a period of time, there’s a strong chance it could become infected. Then there’s the issue of toxicity.” “Toxicity?!” “Yes. There’s a chance that the material we plan to put inside you could be poisonous. Oh, and if you get this procedure, it’s a sure bet you’ll have to do it again and we’ll need to be more invasive next time around.” “What???” “Yes, so that’s about it. What do you think? Are you ready to go?”

With those potential complications, who in their right mind would undergo that surgery? Likewise, why would any Quincy dentist replace a cavity with an amalgam filling when ceramics are more durable, much less prone to bacteria and aesthetically superior in every way.

Hmmmm … tough call, isn’t it?

Most of our patients don’t imagine me walking around our Quincy dental office with a pager strapped to my belt, ready at the drop of a hat to jump in and provide emergency care to a patient being rolled in on a stretcher.

While this Quincy dentist admittedly doesn’t wear a pager (and I don’t see any patients on stretchers), our office does offer 24-hour support for those who need it. Why? When was the last time you had a really bad toothache? In that moment, your top priority was pain relief. A close second was a permanent resolution of the problem. At our Boston dental practice, we provide both, fast.

So rest easy, knowing that if you start to feel that throbbing, pulsing ache inside your mouth, you can pick up the phone and get the situation resolved as quickly as possible.