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Restorations
Dental Implants | Crowns & Bridges | Silver Fillings
Composite Fillings | Inlays & Onlays
Silver Fillings
What’s the problem with mercury silver fillings (amalgam)?
 Mercury fillings, euphemistically called “silver” or “amalgam” fillings, have been used in dentistry since the Civil War era. They are an amalgam of 50% mercury, mixed with silver, copper, tin and other metals. Mercury fillings were invented as a cheap alternative to gold. Because they are easy to place and inexpensive, mercury fillings have been widely used for 150 years. So, what’s the controversy?
By volume, amalgam fillings contain over 50% mercury, one of the most toxic substances on earth.
Mercury amalgam technology is ancient by modern medical standards. Mercury amalgam was standardized for manufacture in 1895 and dentists have been using it to fill teeth for at least 160 years.
Mercury silver fillings do not bond (stick) to the tooth structure. This requires the dentist to wedge the filling into the tooth to keep it from falling out. However, creating this wedge effect requires the removal of excessive amounts of healthy tooth structure, weakening the tooth and predisposing it to cracks and fracture.
The lack of bond between the filling and the tooth permits bacteria to leak underneath the filling. This creates decay that is often not detected until the tooth has been further damaged.
Just like in a thermometer, the mercury part of the filling expands and contracts. These expansion and contraction cycles wedge the tooth apart. Eventually the tooth will fatigue, crack and split. Repairing a cracked tooth usually requires either a root canal and/or a crown.
In contrast, modern tooth-colored restorations are adhesive, highly cosmetic and mercury-free. These esthetic restorations are strongly bonded to the tooth using a state-of-the-art technique that intimately binds the material to the surrounding tooth structure. Using these advanced materials and techniques we can restore the original strength and beauty of the tooth.
Should I have my mercury fillings replaced?
Our recommendations is that you never allow another amalgam filling to be placed in your mouth – of course that would never happen in our office. The decision to replace amalgam fillings that are already in your mouth needs to be carefully considered. There are many reasons to consider the replacement of your existing amalgam fillings:
Many of our patients come to us because their physician feels that they may have some health problems where mercury exposure or accumulation may be part of the problem. As an adjunct to their medical treatment, the physician recommends having their amalgam fillings carefully replaced with a more biocompatible material.
Some people come to us because they have read and learned enough about mercury issues that they have decided they don’t want this material in their mouths anymore and request that we replace it.
Still others understand that mercury silver fillings are an obsolete material. They have learned that these fillings will eventually damage the underlying tooth structure and have elected to replace them with modern materials before irreversible damage has occurred.
In our opinion, any of these is a wise and valid reason for replacing the old mercury amalgam. We won’t take the position that everyone in our office should replace all his or her previous amalgam fillings. We do, however, feel a responsibility to educate everyone on the issues surrounding mercury fillings and to let them know that a mercury-free mouth is always available in our office. It’s always your choice; however, we think it’s a pretty good choice for most people.
Please notice, I am not saying that if you replace your amalgam fillings you will experience any specific health benefit. However, many of our patients report they have experienced significant, positive health changes when they have followed closely the amalgam replacement protocols. But that experience is by no means universal, and we want to be clear that we are making no specific health claims for replacing amalgam fillings. At the very least, you’ll be reducing your body burden of a known toxic material, updating your old fillings with modern materials and preventing the eventual tooth related damage caused by amalgam silver fillings.
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