Can mercury from amalgam fillings reach the rest of the body?
Like most bio-materials, dental amalgam is not inert. Amalgam fillings release mercury vapor, especially when teeth are chewed on or brushed. Some of the vapor is exhaled but some reaches the rest of the body through inhalation. Some also dissolves in saliva and is swallowed. The amount of mercury which reaches the rest of the body is very small and its relationship to the number of teeth with amalgam fillings is unclear. Much of the mercury entering the body is excreted but some accumulates in certain organs especially the kidneys but also in the brain, lungs, liver and gastrointestinal tract. However, experts do not believe that the levels of mercury exposure resulting from amalgam fillings are of any general health significance. In 1986 the Department of Health’s Committee on Toxicity reviewed the evidence and concluded: “In our opinion the use of dental amalgam is free from risk of systemic toxicity and only a very few cases of hypersensitivity occur.” Since 1986, more has been lea
