Fillings, what about mercury?

| Dental fillings, technically called fillings, are used to replace damaged tooth tissue

It is removed and replaced by the obturator material, in order to keep the tooth healthy, respecting its functions and aesthetics. Amalgam fillings (those with the characteristic metallic color) have been used extensively throughout the history of dentistry. They are very resistant fillings, which maintain dental functions very well, but whose metallic hue does not help to preserve dental aesthetics.

Nowadays, however, dental amalgams tend to disuse and in our country they have practically been replaced by composites or composite resins. Science advances and more aesthetic materials emerge to fill and rebuild our teeth.

Can mercury amalgams harm my health?

Amalgams have long raised controversy for having mercury in their alloy, with its consequent social alarm. The General Council of Colleges of Dentists and Stomatologists of Spain and the College of Dentists of Catalonia recall that the European Scientific Committee on Emerging Health Risks, with the endorsement of the European Council of Dentists and the International Dental Federation, has reiterated, among other points, that the dental amalgam has never caused any systemic disease that has been proven throughout the history of continuous scientific research carried out. Only small adverse effects have been observed in the form of allergic reactions to some of the components of the amalgam, which can be easily resolved.

Therefore, it is considered that there is no scientific justification for removing and replacing clinically satisfactory amalgam restorations except in patients allergic to any of its components.

Clarifying concepts

The fact that in some countries it has been banned is solely for environmental reasons (such as the release of mercury vapor in the cremation of corpses), and not because it is harmful to the health of patients.

With certain information, the only thing that is achieved is to confuse society by attributing to a compound (amalgam) the properties of its constituent elements (mercury, silver ...), which are different. Amalgam is a compound with different properties than the element mercury and that should not be confused. Amalgam is not volatile but is a stable compound in relation to all oral food compounds, with the added advantage over some of them (such as acidic drinks), which neither attack nor decompose it.

It must be borne in mind, however, that in the placement and removal of dental amalgam is when it can be more "dangerous" to acquire some amount of mercury, since it is when more mercury vapors are released. But the most exposed personnel is the sanitary. For the patient, however, the harmful effect is negligible thanks to the use of appropriate clinical techniques. The person who must replace an amalgam for whatever reason (deteriorated, leaked ...) should ask their dentist to use the absolute isolation technique, consisting of isolating that particular tooth from the rest of the mouth with a plastic-rubber, with in order to prevent all the removed material from entering the body, and to make use of a good suction system.

THE LAST

The current trend is to use composites as sealing material. These are resin materials, which are presented in different types, hardnesses and resistances, which allows their more personalized use according to the indication in each case. In addition, they offer a great diversity of white color ranges that are close to the natural color of each patient, being able to go unnoticed, with which the final result is assured.

Another advantage of composites is the type of adhesion they have to the tooth. It involves chemical adhesion, with a chemical treatment of the tooth surface and the use of an adhesive agent. On the other hand, with amalgam a cavity must be formed with certain characteristics because it involves mechanical adhesion. Therefore, the use of composites is considered more conservative.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

• Science advances and more aesthetic materials emerge to fill and rebuild our teeth.
• There is no scientific justification for removing and replacing clinically satisfactory amalgam restorations except in patients allergic to any of its components.
• The placement and removal of dental amalgam is the moment when healthcare personnel can acquire some amount of mercury but the patient does not suffer any risk.