The Toxic Effect of Mercury in Dental Fillings on Human Health
Millions of dentists around the world routinely use dental amalgam as a filling material in decayed teeth. Often referred to as “silver fillings,” all dental amalgams actually consist of 45-55% metallic mercury.
Mercury is a neurotoxin that can cause harm to humans, especially children, pregnant women, and fetuses. Furthermore, the use of dental amalgam results in substantial quantities of toxic mercury released annually into the environment. Once in the environment, mercury pollution damages animals, plants, and the entire ecosystem, while creating “hotspots that last for centuries.”
Controversy has surrounded the use of mercury in dentistry since the 1800’s, when the hazardous material was first widely introduced as a filling component. The American Society of Dental Surgeons, the predecessor to the American Dental Association (ADA), made its members pledge not to use mercury because of its known toxicity, and in more recent years, government officials, scientists, dentists, consumers, and many others have raised serious concerns about the threats dental mercury poses to humans and to the environment at large.
Details in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s public statements about dental amalgam on its website have changed over the years. However, finally, in September 2020, the FDA advised that the following groups avoid getting dental amalgam whenever possible and appropriate:
pregnant women and their developing fetuses
women who are planning to become pregnant
nursing women and their newborns and infants
children, especially those younger than six years of age
people with pre-existing neurological disease such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease
people with impaired kidney function; and people with known heightened sensitivity (allergy) to mercury or other components of dental amalgam.
Meanwhile, scientific studies continue to demonstrate that the mercury used in dentistry poses serious risks to all populations and to the environment.
Mercury particulate can be discharged from dental amalgam fillings, and mercury vapor is continuously emitted from dental mercury amalgam fillings, which means that people are directly exposed to mercury as a result of their dental mercury amalgam fillings. The output of mercury is intensified by the number of amalgam fillings in the mouth and/or the number of amalgam surfaces in the mouth, the type of the amalgam filling, and other factors such as chewing, teeth-grinding, brushing, dental treatments and procedures, and the consumption of hot liquids. Mercury is also known to be released during the placement, replacement, and removal of dental mercury amalgam fillings.
Although individual response varies, research has documented the reduction of other health issues after the removal of amalgam fillings. However, it is important to note that removal of any dental material requires a number of precautions. This is because an unsafe removal process can cause serious injury to the patient, including the possibility of increased metal exposure. For example, if dental amalgam fillings are removed unsafely, patients can be exposed to increased levels of mercury.
To assist in mitigating the potential negative outcomes of mercury exposure to dental professionals, students, staff members, patients, and others, the IAOMT has developed safety recommendations for removal of existing dental mercury amalgam fillings.
