Why Worry? 

    The safety of amalgam fillings has become a controversial topic in dentistry.  Regardless of which position seems most reasonable to you, there are some facts.

• All silver fillings are 48-54% mercury, depending on brand.    
• Mercury is the most neuro-toxic non-radioactive element on the planet.  

       June 4, 2008, the FDA posted the following landmark reversal on its website: "Dental amalgams contain mercury, which may have neurotoxic effects on the nervous systems of developing children and fetuses."
    Many dental researchers now concede that mercury vapor is released from unstimulated amalgam fillings 24 hours a day.  They do not agree on what this condition means for your health.  The debate centers on (1) how much mercury vapor is released and (2) how toxic is that amount.  
     Chewing, brushing, temperature increases (hot liquids or foods in the mouth), professional tooth polishing if your hygienist does not avoid your amalgams, and clenching/grinding have been shown to increase the release of inorganic mercury vapor as well as mercury particulates.  There is substantiated scientific evidence that 80-100% of the mercury vapor that is inhaled into the lungs enters the blood stream.  From the blood stream the mercury is distributed throughout the body.  The body stores mercury in organs and glands, rendering detection difficult through traditional hair, blood, or urine analysis.  The difficulty in detecting mercury in the body through traditional methods has allowed earlier researchers to conclude that amalgam fillings were safe.  
    Many mercury toxicologists conclude that no amount of human exposure to mercury vapor has been found to be harmless.  Mercury is more neurotoxic than both arsenic and lead.  For some people, signs and symptoms of mercury poisoning can begin almost immediately upon exposure to mercury.  Other individuals experience an insidious onset of symptoms months or years later, and it is impossible to relate symptoms conclusively to fillings.  Still others are genetically predisposed to eliminate neurotoxins with considerable efficiency and seem to function well with amalgam fillings for a lifetime.  
    So.  
    DOES the amount of inorganic mercury released into your body affect your health?  
    STUDIES SUPPORT BOTH SIDES OF THE CONTROVERSY.      
    Do the research.  DRAW YOUR OWN CONCLUSIONS.