Are Dental Amalgam Fillings Safe?
see photo [With updated comments November 10, 2004] The potential health problems caused by mercury released from dental amalgam fillings have caused controversy in the popular media. The concern is to what extent the released mercury may cause health problems. The truth is that amalgam restorations remain safe and effective. There is no evidence that dental amalgams causes serious health problems. Many people who claim to have an amalgam illness actually suffer from psychological problems. The long-term strategy for reducing our exposure to mercury is to lower the concentration of mercury in the fish we consume. WHAT IS MERCURY? • Mercury is a heavy metal which exists in a liquid state and evaporates at room temperature. • Toxicity from mercury may occur from exposure to organic, inorganic, and elemental forms of mercury. • The classification of mercury, according to decreasing toxicity is: organomercury (methyl and ethyl mercury), mercury vapor, and inorganic mercury. • Dental amalga
