Since 1990, when “60 Minutes” ran a story on the alleged risks of dental amalgam (Silver-Mercury fillings), there has been a tremendous amount of media coverage. Reports were made claiming that there have been miraculous “cures” for a variety of medical conditions after these types of restorations are removed, and that dental amalgam is a potential source of mercury toxicity. Mercury constitutes approximately 50% of dental amalgams, and trace amounts of mercury vapor escape in the process of chewing. However, research conducted by the ADA (American Dental Society) and the scientific community has concluded that there are no serious health risks associated with silver fillings, and that its removal has not been shown to have any beneficial effects on a patient’s specific medical condition. Most dentists utilize mostly the composite resin fillings not because of health concerns with Amalgam, but rather because they are much more esthetically pleasing.

Tags: amalgam, composite, dental, dental problems, filling

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 10th, 2012 at 6:56 pm by Dr. Marc Lazare.
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