Are silver dental fillings safe for me?

Silver fillings, also known as amalgam fillings are made from a combination of silver and mercury. These have been used in dentistry for more than 100 years. The amalgam used is composed mainly of silver and mercury, and has smaller quantities of tin, copper, zinc, indium, and palladium. Amalgam fillings are some of the cheapest fillings, and have been used for decades. These are not used as frequently as they used to, but they continue to be durable and long lasting, making them a cost effective option for many patients.

The concerns regarding amalgam fillings relate to the presence of mercury in the filling. Mercury can exist as a liquid, or as a gas when heated. It is present in minute quantities in the environment, drinking water as well as our diet. Through these, mercury can be ingested by the body, and begin to collect in vital body organs. When these accumulation levels are low, no ill effects arise. However, when a person begins to accumulate high levels of mercury in the body, he can experience headaches, tiredness, anxiety and memory loss.

When mercury is combined with an alloy, the result is a pliable and soft compound that is easy to place in the tooth. The mercury in the amalgam filling allows the filling to set, and harden quickly. It also gives the filling the strength to resist the destructive forces that result from biting and chewing.
Concerns about the risks to health from mercury in a amalgam fillings have existed for decades now. There have been in depth studies conducted to determine whether the mercury in a filling can impact a person’s health. However, these have resulted in very little conclusive evidence to prove any health hazards that can result from amalgam fillings.

So, are these fillings are completely safe for you? Earlier, people believed that the mercury from amalgam fillings was not absorbed by the body. However, recent research seems to indicate that mercury from these amalgam fillings can actually be released into the body in the minutest quantities, over a period of time.  While little is known about how much mercury from amalgam fillings is actually released over time, researchers agree that these quantities are likely to be too low to cause you any harm. In fact, the quantity of mercury that you ingest from the food you eat and the air you breathe is likely to be much higher than the mercury released from the amalgam fillings in your teeth.

The biggest risk from mercury in an amalgam filling is through extremely rare allergic reactions to mercury.  Allergic reactions can be dealt with by substituting amalgam fillings with other newer filing materials, like composite resin.  There has also been no conclusive evidence to show that mercury from amalgam dental fillings in pregnant women can be transmitted to the fetus. As a precautionary measure however, pregnant women must avoid getting silver fillings inserted during their pregnancy.