When you go for dental fillings, you have a wide variety to choose from, ranging from gold fillings to ceramic ones. However, to this date, silver fillings or dental amalgam remains a top choice for patients and dentists. This is because silver amalgam provides numerous benefits, such as durability and cost-effectiveness. Nonetheless, the use of mercury in silver amalgam pulls the reign of silver fillings’ popularity and use.
Amalgam can contain up to 50% of elemental mercury – despite the name “silver.”
Mercury exhibits a unique property, as it is liquid at room temperature. Hence, it acts as a great binder, strongly bonding with other metals in the amalgam. The mercury base adds to the durability of the filling.
Type Of Mercury Used In The Fillings:
Dental amalgams use elemental mercury – the pure type of liquid mercury that hasn’t bounded with any other compound. Moreover, it is quite different from the mercury found in fishes – mercury in fishes occurs as an organic compound bonded with carbon. Nonetheless, both forms of mercury have devastating effects on the nervous and on the kidneys, to state a few.
The primary intake of elemental mercury is through mercury vapors that form by extreme heat or amalgam removal.
This topic has been the center of much ongoing research in America. However, a significant proportion of research didn’t associate mercury found in dental fillings with any ill effects. Therefore, FDA approves the use of silver amalgam. Nonetheless, it doesn’t mean your body is not being exposed to mercury vapors from the fillings. However, the trivial exposure doesn’t pose significant problems to a healthy individual. On the other hand, some might be at a higher risk due to mercury exposure, such as:
- Pregnant Women.
- Women who are planning to conceive.
- Children.
- Individuals with impaired kidney functions and those with neurological ailments.
- Those with an allergy to the silver amalgam.
Should You Get Your Dental Fillings Removed?
Once you learn about mercury’s possible ill effects, you might opt to remove your silver fillings out of panic. However, FDA doesn’t encourage this action as the removal gives rise to an extensive amount of mercury vapors. Therefore, if you don’t have any other problems with your fillings, consider sticking with them.
Conclusion:
Mercury use is a matter of ongoing speculations within the dental community. Yes, silver amalgams indeed use mercury, but the current status of research shows that the usage yields no ill effects whatsoever. Meanwhile, it’s natural for you to be concerned about the use of mercury because nobody wants mercury in their body, especially in their mouth. Hence, as a solution, you can always go for other types of dental fillings. You can choose from these fillings also:
- Ceramic Fillings.
- Composite Resin.
- Gold Fillings.
Each filling has its unique benefits and cost. Nonetheless, these decisions are made best after consulting your dentist. Therefore, you can visit Almond Dental or call us at 612-782-7000 for an appointment.