July 2nd, 2009
Amalgams are silver fillings. They are very infrequently used today. In fact, I haven’t placed a silver filling in 22 years. There may be a few old timers who are still using these. Amalgams start out a 50/50 ratio of silver to mercury. The bond between the silver and mercury is very strong; hence that is why they lasted so long in the mouth – even under an acidic environment. The silver in the amalgam actually corroded and sealed the amalgam into the tooth, preventing bacteria from entering the tooth cavity.
Even with a half a dozen fillings in your mouth, your daily dose of mercury is 1 microgram of mercury. Your body absorbs about 6 micrograms a day from the food, water and air you are exposed to. Science daily reports that “A person would need between 265 and 310 amalgam fillings before even slight symptoms of mercury toxicity could be felt.” http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090402143746.htm
If you are part of the population that has old amalgam fillings and are worried about the mercury, that’s not the reason to replace them. However, if they are old and leaking (your dentist can detect this), then you need to replace them.
