Silver fillings

Dental Amalgam safety

Dental amalgam (silver fillings) (mercury fillings) (alloy fillings) has been used in dentistry for over a hundred years. When I was in dental school (graduated 1983), silver fillings and gold foil were the only acceptable direct filling materials for the back teeth. This was based on the fact that there were no other acceptable alternatives that exhibited adequate strength and longevity.

One component in these fillings, mercury, has presented a concern for many doctors that place the material and patients that receive the fillings. The FDA states that clinical studies have not established a link between amagam and adverse health. Countries such as Germany, Norway, and Sweden have outlawed the use of this material.

In the next Blog, I will discuss the reasons we have not used amalgam since the mid 90’s.