What you should know about Dental Mercury Amalgam Fillings.
Dental Amalgam has been used for over 150 years as a cavity-filling material. Many concerns have been raised because of one of its components – mercury. Mercury is a toxic substance, and shouldn’t be anywhere near your body, especially your mouth.
We offer only mercury-free and mercury-safe dentistry to our patients.
Removing mercury and other toxic materials from teeth is a priority at Advanced Dentistry. We do not apply mercury-amalgam (known as “silver fillings”) to patients for any reason. We are a mercury-safe dental office. We choose not to work with mercury material out of caution, and continue to take all precautions to protect and remove the material from our patients when in place.
What is a Dental Amalgam?
Dental amalgam, often referred to as a “silver-filling” because of its appearance, is a mixture of mercury, silver, tin, copper, and zinc all used to fill cavities in your teeth. Fifty-percent of the filling is composed of mercury, a natural substance that is known as one of the most toxic substances on earth. Products containing mercury continue to be pushed off of shelves and redesigned because of the high toxicity. However, mercury continues to be used in dental restorations.
Is Dental Amalgam safe?
These amalgams release small amounts of mercury in the form of vapor, depending on how long they have been in place. When chewing, or consuming warm food and drink, mercury heats up and releases vapors (gas) into the mouth, where it’s absorbed by soft tissue and inhaled by the lungs. While there aren’t any known health risks to the ingestion of small particles from the amalgam, inhaling the vapors could be harmful to some patients.
Should you be concerned?
Women who are pregnant, planning to become pregnant or breastfeeding, children, or people with a known allergy to mercury may be more susceptible to the side effects of mercury from a dental amalgam. If you are an individual who is considered to be high risk and you need a filling, it’s recommended you avoid dental amalgams and explore other options for fillings.
Should my filling be removed?
Dental fillings can all have different effects on natural teeth. If your filling continues to be in good condition, and there is no decay, it’s not recommended that you remove it. Removing an amalgam filling could result in loss of tooth structure and an unhealthy exposure to mercury vapor during the removal. However, if needed, the sooner the removal after the filling, the less chance of health risks and dental problems down the line. If you are concerned about your filling, it’s recommended to talk to your dentist about removal and replacement options.
