What are amalgam fillings?

Dental amalgam has been used as a dental filling for more than 150 years in hundreds of millions of patients around the world. Dental amalgam is a mixture of metals, consisting of liquid mercury and a powdered alloy composed of silver, tin, and copper. 50% of dental amalgam contains elemental mercury.  The chemical properties of elemental mercury allow it to react with and bind together the silver/copper/tin alloy particles to form the amalgam. Dental amalgam fillings are also known as “silver fillings” because of their silver-like appearance.  

If I am concerned about the mercury in dental amalgam, should I have my silver fillings removed? 

The mercury in  silver fillings releases low levels of mercury vapour, which is absorbed into the bloodstream via the lungs to be passed out in the urine. Research shows that even if you have 15 fillings, the vapour you release is too low to cause harm. The American Dental Association supports the use of dental amalgam as a safe, reliable and effective treatment for dental decay.

Allergic reactions to amalgam fillings are extremely rare. Symptoms of amalgam allergy are similar to those experienced in a typical skin allergy and include skin rashes and itching. Once an allergy is confirmed, another restorative material can be used.

If your old silver fillings are defective or show decay, it's important to replace them. Untreated decay may eventually lead to an infection.

Replacing amalgam fillings for cosmetic reasons should only be done after careful consideration with your dentist as removing sound amalgam fillings results in unnecessary loss of healthy tooth structure.