What Is Dental Amalgam?
Dental amalgam is the silver-colored material used to fill (restore) teeth that have cavities. Dental amalgam is made of two nearly equal parts: liquid mercury and a powder containing silver, tin, copper, zinc and other metals. Mercury concentration in dental amalgams is generally about 50% by weight, while the silver concentration ranges from 20-35%.
Most people recognize dental amalgams as silver fillings. Dental amalgam is a mixture of mercury, and an alloy of silver, tin and copper. Mercury makes up about 45-50 percent of the compound. Mercury is used to bind the metals together and to provide a strong, hard durable filling. After years of research, mercury has been found to be the only element that will bind these metals together in such a way that can be easily manipulated into a tooth cavity.
Dental amalgam is the most commonly used dental filling material. The dental profession refers to this material as ”Silver” amalgam, ”Silver” fillings, or just ”amalgam” fillings. Dental amalgam is a mixture of mercury and a metal alloy. The normal composition is 45-55% mercury; approximately 30% silver, and other metals such as copper, tin and zinc, dependent upon each manufacturers specific formula. It is obvious from the above composition that his material should rightfully be called ”Mercury” fillings or ”Mercury/Silver” fillings. However, since the beginning of its use as a dental filling material until the present time, some 150 years or more, the use of the word ”mercury” in describing this type of filling has been studiously avoided. Could it be that the ADA and the dental profession did not want the patient to know that approximately 1/2 of the material implanted in their teeth was actually one of the most toxic metals known to man?
Most people recognize dental amalgams as silver fillings. Dental amalgam is a mixture of mercury, silver, tin and copper. Mercury, which makes up about 50 percent of the compound, is necessary to bind the metals together to provide a strong, hard, durable filling. After years of research, mercury continues to be the only element that will bind these metals together in such a way that it can be easily manipulated to fill a cavity. Dentists often prefer dental amalgam because it is easier to work with than other alternatives. Many dentists consider amalgam stronger than the resin-based composite, and therefore use amalgam for back teeth fillings. Many patients prefer dental amalgam for the same reasons, plus its cost-effectiveness and ability to fill cavities quickly. It is estimated that more than 1 billion amalgam fillings are placed annually. What are resin composite fillings? Resin composite fillings are made of ceramic and plastic compounds.
Dental amalgam is a very strong and durable dental filling material. It is an alloy composed of a mixed powder of approximately 46% to 57% silver, tin, copper and, in some cases, smaller amounts of zinc, palladium or indium bound by approximately 43% to 54% of elemental liquid mercury. Dental amalgam fillings are gray or silver in color and are sometimes referred to as silver fillings or mercury fillings. Dental amalgam was invented in France during the early 1800’s. It is the most commonly used material in the restoration of decayed teeth in the world and has enjoyed widespread use in the United States for well over 100 years. Prior to the introduction of composite resin fillings, dental amalgam was the only viable alternative to cast silver and gold as a tooth filling material.
