Unpolished amalgam filling. How often is this done?.?

DDS recently gave me an amalgam filling, but didn't polish. I only found out after going home. It was done on a posterior tooth.





How often does this happen? was it a gross oversight of the dds? are there any cons to having unpolished amalgam filling?

Unpolished amalgam filling. How often is this done?.?
Polishing is done at the following appointment because the filling takes at least an hour to set. It does NOT create a problem with mercury exposure! The mercury is bound as an inorganic intermetallic compound, and is not absorbed by your body.


An unpolished amalgam can leave you with a metallic taste as the outer surface reacts with saliva and other fillings in the mouth as it builds up a corrosion layer. This is not harmful.


Also, sometimes the unpolished amalgam will create a galvanic reaction with polished amalgams or other metals e.g. aluminium foil, with the saliva acting as an electrolyte to give you a zap!


If you don't have a following appointment and want it polished, then call the receptionist and I'm sure she'll arrange a quick polish.
Reply:Amalgam fillings are rarely polished these days as the act of polishing will release some mercury vapours and we don't want that. Amalgam takes a while to set after being placed unlike the white composite material that is more often used today, and I believe the polishing of amalgam fillings used to be done at a second appointment or at a hygiene appointment. White fillings, however, are polished at the time they are placed after being light cured.