Amalgams are metallic dental fillings consisting of approximately:

• Mercury (50%)

• Silver (22-32%)

• Tin (14%)

• Copper (8%)

Other trace metals, which may include zinc, indium, palladium and/or platinum

Once the most commonly used restorative material in dentistry, its use has declined since the 1980’s with the advent of the tooth-coloured dental restorative materials, such as composite resin and porcelain.

Though dental amalgams are long-lasting and economical as a restorative material, there have been growing concerns over the potential medical and environmental impacts of their uses, due to the mercury content, including possible links to Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, other neurobehavioural changes and autoimmune diseases.

There is very little doubt about the toxicity of mercury to humans and the accumulative damage it can cause to humans and the environment, but whether the mercury in dental amalgams is a significant contributing detrimental factor to general health and well-being remains to be proven conclusively, though some countries, such as Sweden and Norway, have introduced legislation to prohibit the use of amalgam fillings.

Here is one of our examples of replacing residual amalgam safely:

This 60-year-old woman at the time was interested in amalgam replacement and had some replaced elsewhere, but was unsure if the dentist was undertaking the correct precautions and also questioned the quality of the composite resin used to replace the amalgam.

Her last lower right molars had multiple composite resin patch-ups, which collectively appeared worn with loss of contour and form, and a suspicious grey tinge in the tooth structure underneath.