WHAT IS SILVER AMALGAM?
Silver amalgam, commonly referred to as “silver fillings”, is the material most often used by dentists to fill the cavities caused by tooth decay. The term “amalgam” is a type of metal alloy (mixture) which contains mercury, a poison more toxic than lead or arsenic. Silver amalgam, developed by a British chemist in 1819, was originally made by filing down silver coins and mixing the filings with some mercury to make a paste or pliable mass. Today modern amalgam also contains copper, tin, and zinc. Many of the newer amalgams have fairly high levels of copper, also known to have toxic properties. The problem with calling this dental material silver amalgam is that it does not make obvious the fact that the major component is mercury. This material should really be called “mercury fillings”. In fact, most people, including a great number of physicians, are not aware that all those “silver fillings” in their mouths each contain up to 50 percent mercury. If they did, they may choose not to
Silver amalgam (a.k.a. dental amalgam, or silver filling) is considered a safe, affordable and durable material that has been used to restore the teeth of millions of people around the world, including more than 100 million Americans. It is a specially proportioned mixture of the metals silver, copper, tin, mercury, and sometimes zinc. Small traces of other metals may also be included. The mercury chemically binds (amalgamates) these metals into a hard, stable and safe metal alloy. Dental amalgam has been used for more than 150 years and, during that time, has established an extensively reviewed record of safety and effectiveness. Like all restorative dental materials, it has advantages and disadvantages when used for different clinical dental conditions; so it is not the best material for every cavity – but then, no dental material is. Dentists are trained to select the best material for an individual patient’s care on the basis of patient needs and desires, nature of the cavity, the
