Maybe. Amalgam (also known as silver fillings or mercury fillings) has been the main restorative filling material in dentistry for many, many years. Should you have an amalgam filling replaced if it is coming apart or the tooth around it is cracked? Yes. Should you have an amalgam filling replaced if you don’t like the dark metal showing when you smile or talk? Yes. Should you have an amalgam filling replaced because it is toxic to your mouth and body? No. From time to time someone stirs up a lot of fear about the mercury in amalgam fillings, making claims that they are the cause of dozens of illnesses. Do amalgam fillings have mercury in them? Yes. Is mercury toxic? You bet it is. And so are hundreds of other elements and chemicals that you encounter in the environment on a daily basis. But what counts is level of exposure, and whatever miniscule amount of mercury given off by these fillings is far, far below the threshold of any toxic effects. I don’t use amalgam in my office but it is because there are better materials available today (in terms of strength and cosmetics), not for health reasons.
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