Safer Alternative to Amalgam

Millions of people owe their beautiful smiles to dental amalgam. It has been used by dentists all over the world to prevent tooth decay from spreading. However, amalgam’s reputation is changing due to issues about its safety as a dental filling because it consists of mercury.

Mercury is considered a neurotoxin, and is associated with various cases of Alzheimer’s Disease and Auto Immune Diseases. The mercury in amalgam also has the potential to disrupt the body’s metabolic processes due to its toxicity when combined with sulfur, which is present in all proteins in the body.

The Risk Involved in Amalgam Fillings

Amalgam is a material that has been widely used as tooth fillings for over a century without much doubt on its safety. Around three years ago, however, scientific findings caused the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reclassify amalgams from a no-risk Class I medical device to Class II (more risk). The reason for this is that the mercury content in amalgam, although minimal, is expected to gradually be released as the filling is exposed to different substances and constant vibrations in the mouth.