The fact goes without denial that mercury fillings have a history which roots deep down to 160 years. Mercury fillings or more famously known as the amalgam fillings are the oldest of all fillings. Mercury or the amalgam fillings are basically mercury in mixture with two other elements which are usually silver, copper and tin. Majority of it is mercury which is usually 40-50 percent and the rest is the other elements. It is also called is silver filling because of the colour it offers you not because the silver is the element which is used in excess for the mercury fillings. It has been the most researched and tested filling in the dentistry.
Mercury filling is a kind of direct restoration dental filling which has been used the long and has been opposed the most. The elemental form of mercury is disputed to be lethal for health. Some dentists claim that the form of mercury used in the filling is far less toxic than the organic mercury and the potential risks which arise through it are submissive. But there has been strong evidence after heavy research and testing that the mercury filling could be very detrimental in nature.
It has been observed that they release mercury vapor into the body constantly throughout the day. Although this observation has not been supported by the U.S Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organization’s reports, they were unable to find any evidence to support this observation and acknowledge it. It is debated that the amount of mercury vapor that you emit depends on the number of fillings that are present in your teeth. Because there is certain amount of mercury vapor that is being released but it is minimal in nature. So if the number of cavities is more in teeth already and all of them are mercury filling in nature, it could be very lethal.
Few other factors on which the mercury filling and its affect on your health depends are the amount of hours you spend chewing or drinking or doing teeth related activities in a day because if some amount of this mercury is inhaled and goes into your bloodstream all throughout the day then the effect is more pronounced. If the amounts observed are in safe limits which have been set by federal government then it is all good. If it exceeds the limited then you have to face the consequences.
Other cons of the mercury filling would be the amalgam scrap which is left over after the cavity is done. The scrap is not environment friendly and requires a lot of protection. The mercury also is corrosive in nature and harms the tooth by replacing some healthy elements of the tooth while the cavity filling.
There have been several cases of amalgam allergy in the forms of rashes or inflammation been noticed. If such cases are reported then it is better to use the substitute options like the tooth colored resins or the porcelain or the glass powder or the gold fillings.
Meanwhile, there have been several other mercury less dental filling methods that are being practiced. Change is inevitable. Even though mercury filling has a history which has a strong foundation, the side effects seem to be overweighing the advantages and it is definitely wise to go for a mercury free dental filling.
