S.M.A.R.T. Protocol
We want to help you feel whole again by replacing your mercury amalgam fillings with biocompatible ceramic and composite restorations.
At Blodgett Dental Care, your safety drives everything we do, especially when removing mercury amalgam fillings. We follow the IAOMT’s SMART (Safe Mercury Amalgam Removal Technique) and the IABDM’s PROTECT protocols. These protocols are comprehensive and science-informed, designed to minimize mercury exposure for patients, clinicians, and team members. The SMART protocol uses measures such as isolation, copious water and high-volume evacuation, external air/filtration, and protective barriers to reduce aerosolized mercury and particulate during removal.
Why are we this careful? Elemental mercury makes up roughly 50% of dental amalgam, and multiple studies show that amalgams contribute measurably to mercury in the body. Prospective and population studies demonstrate higher urinary mercury in individuals with amalgam restorations, confirming amalgam as a meaningful exposure source. In addition, research has associated low-level mercury vapor exposure with subtle neurobehavioral changes, underscoring the value of exposure reduction when restorations are replaced.
Regulators also acknowledge heightened susceptibility for certain groups. In September 2020, the U.S. FDA advised that people who may be at greater risk (including pregnant individuals, children, and those with certain pre-existing conditions) should avoid new amalgam placement when possible, further supporting a cautious, protective approach when treatment is needed.
After safe removal, we restore teeth with biocompatible materials selected to harmonize with your biology and smile. We favor metal-free ceramics and modern, BPA-free composite systems that provide strength, aesthetics, and excellent bonding while avoiding mercury. Our bonding process uses advanced air abrasion technology along with ozone treatment to desensitize and decontaminate all tooth surfaces prior to sealing the tooth. Our restorative planning prioritizes minimally invasive design, longevity, predictability, and whole-body wellness.
If you’re considering replacing amalgam fillings, choose a team trained in the SMART protocol that considers your safety as non-negotiable. We also recommend choosing a practice that restores your teeth with materials that are uniquely compatible with your body and aligned to your health goals. We would be honored to help you feel whole again by replacing your mercury amalgam fillings with biocompatible ceramic and composite restorations.
Advanced Technologies
3D Cone-Beam CT X-rays
For more than a century, dentists have relied on dental X-rays which present information in only two dimensions. Unless you are fully trained on how to read an X-ray they are nearly impossible to understand. They are also difficult, even for trained individuals, because there are significant challenges to interpreting 3D data on a 2D image. Thankfully, for more than 15 years, a dental imaging system called “3D Cone-Beam Computed Tomography” (3D CBCT) has been available.
Blodgett Dental Care was one of the first dental practices in the Pacific Northwest to invest in 3D CBCT technology. 3D radiology is more efficient and effective than 2D radiology. Patients find it much easier to understand their own health issues because they can see their anatomical issues in three dimensions. Additionally, our 3D CBCT system fully integrates with our other digital technologies. This allows us to digitally plan implant placements, surgical guide systems, implant-supported restorations, and more. This is another example of how Blodgett Dental Care uses advanced technology to achieve the highest standard of patient care.
Dental Lasers
Lasers have become an integral part of our lives. What you may not know is that lasers have played a role in dentistry for over 30 years! Blodgett Dental Care has invested in five different wavelengths of lasers which help us to accomplish numerous health-promoting tasks from photo-biomodulation (a.k.a. biostimulation and low-level laser therapy) to specific bacteria removal. These lasers also create an opportunity for “shot-free” dentistry! Using pulsed light, the tooth or gums being treated do not feel the same kind of stimulation that is caused by a drill or a tooth scraper. This results in incredibly comfortable care that often requires no anesthesia.
Step into the future of dentistry today at Blodgett Dental Care!
CEREC
Nobody wants to wait for their teeth to be fixed! For the majority of the 20th century, if you needed a crown, veneers or bridges, you would be waiting for 2-4 weeks for the lab to get your teeth done. When they arrived, they never looked like real teeth. Thanks to the incredible advantages of CAD/CAM technology, we are able to make almost all of your dental restorations in a single visit! Find out just how easy and fast it can be to replace your failing crowns without black margins and toxic mercury fillings with life-like ceramic restorations using the CEREC system. Efficiency and health is a great combination.
Ozone
At Blodgett Dental Care, we believe in using the least toxic and most effective substances to help ensure the greatest health for our patients. For these reasons, we choose to use ozone in our practice. Ozone is a super-charged set of 3 oxygen atoms which is created in a gas form. It is used by hundreds of municipalities for sterilizing their water supplies. Similarly, we add it to the distilled water in our dental chairs so no chemicals are used in the cleaning process. We also use ozone gas over every tooth we restore to ensure there are no live bacteria being bonded underneath any restorations. Ozone has many other amazing applications in dentistry and we look forward to helping you enjoy its benefits.
Surgically Clean Air
You may not think about it too often, but the potential for poor air quality in a dental practice is very high. Think of the aerosols from ultrasonic cleaning tools, the splatter from drills and vapors coming off mercury fillings. Not to mention breath, coughs and sneezes coming from people’s mouths. To ensure an environment of optimal air quality, Blodgett Dental Care has invested in multiple “Surgically Clean Air” units: one in the reception area, one mid-office and one back by the doctor-treatment rooms where the heaviest of aerosols are created.
Additionally, every dental treatment room in our office uses an “IQAir” unit which helps draw air and vapor away from the patient’s face and through a multiple-level filtration system. The universal precautions used by all dental practices are helpful at reducing some exposure, but using hospital-grade air purification ensures the healthiest environment for everybody! This thoughtful approach to our dental environment is just one more example of why Blodgett Dental Care is so different from the traditional and conventional dental practice.
