Science shows amalgam to be safe, effective

Anyone worried about possible health risks from mercury fillings can breathe a sigh of relief, as respected members of the scientific and health community weigh in on the side of amalgam safety. The American Dental Association quotes scientists in supporting continued use of the material, saying that mercury fillings only rarely cause problems - and then only in people with mercury allergies.

"To reach a level of mercury exposure that might cause the slightest subclinical effect in the most sensitive individual, that person’s mouth would need to have 450 to 530 amalgam surfaces," the ADA News quotes Rod Mackert, DMD, PhD, of Medical College of Georgia as saying. "Subclinical effects" are not detectable by the usual clinical tests. Furthermore, he says, "allergy to mercury or other metals in amalgam is extremely rare and is evidenced by local side effects, such as would be typical of other allergic reactions."

Robert Baratz, MD, DDS, PhD and president of the National Council Against Health Fraud, supported this view in Time magazine. The mercury in amalgam is mixed with silver, tin and copper, metals to which it bonds chemically to form a safe alloy. According to Dr. Baratz, an obvious analogy can be made with water, a chemical combination of hydrogen, a gas that can explode, and oxygen, which supports combustion. "Saying that amalgam will poison you," the article quotes Dr. Baratz as saying, "is like saying that drinking water will make you explode and burst into flames."

More support recently came from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which reported that "there is scant evidence that the health of a vast majority of people with amalgam is compromised."