Dental fillings containing mercury are generally safe for most adults and children.

A filling is a common dental procedure used to treat cavities and protect teeth damaged by caries.

Several types of filling materials are currently available for cavity restoration, including tooth-colored composite fillings and silver-colored amalgam fillings that contain liquid (elemental) mercury.

A VERIFY viewer recently asked our team in a text message if the mercury found in dental amalgam fillings is bad for your health.

Are dental fillings containing mercury harmful?

Amalgam dental fillings containing mercury are generally considered safe for most adults and children over 6 years of age.

But some individuals, including those who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, breastfeeding mothers, children under 6 years of age, people with a known allergy to mercury, and people with neurological disorders or kidney dysfunction, should avoid amalgam fillings if possible and appropriate, according to the FDA.

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Amalgam dental fillings containing elemental mercury are generally safe for most people, but the process of placing, removing, or replacing them can result in potential exposure to mercury that may be harmful to certain groups.

Dental amalgam is a mixture of metals consisting of elemental mercury and a powdered alloy composed of silver, tin and copper. According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), approximately 50% of dental amalgam is elemental mercury by weight. Elemental mercury is different from the form of mercury found in fish known as methylmercury.

Dental amalgam is commonly offered as a cheaper alternative to composites. The Cleveland Clinic said in 2020 that millions of amalgam fillings are in use and continue to be placed in dental schools, clinics and hospitals around the world.

When a new dental amalgam filling is placed or an old filling is removed, they can release small amounts of mercury as a vapor (gas), depending on the number and age of the existing fillings, and whether the person has done things such as grinding teeth and chewing gum, according to the FDA. During this time, patients and healthcare workers may experience a temporary increase in mercury vapor exposure.

While there are no known health risks associated with ingesting small particles of dental amalgam, inhaling mercury vapor can be harmful to some patients, according to the FDA. Exposure to high concentrations of mercury vapor, which can occur in some occupational settings, including dental offices, has been associated with adverse effects on the brain and kidneys.

“Elemental mercury can be toxic if inhaled. It has a very, very low vapor pressure, which means it evaporates very easily into air at room temperature. So if you heat some mercury, for example to put in a filling or remove a filling, you are actually causing more of it to evaporate. And because it’s toxic by inhalation, if you inhale these fumes, it can be dangerous,” Kelly Johnson-Arbor, MD, co-medical director of the National Capital Poison Center, told VERIFY.

But the FDA and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) say mercury in dental amalgam fillings is generally considered safe for most adults and children over 6 years of age. “safe, durable and affordable material in restorative dentistry” for over 150 years.

The FDA recommends that some high-risk individuals, such as pregnant or planning pregnancy, breastfeeding mothers, children under 6 years of age, people with a known allergy to mercury, and people with neurological impairment or kidney dysfunction should avoid amalgam fillings “if possible and appropriate.”

“Little information is known about the potential health effects of mercury vapor from dental amalgam for these groups of people,” the FDA’s website says. “Some people may be more susceptible to the effects of exposure to mercury from dental amalgam and may be at greater risk of adverse health effects.”

But if you have dental amalgam fillings and are concerned about the amount of mercury found in them, Michael Kostrov, MD, a general dentist at Washington, DC, Johnson Arbor Comprehensive Dental Care, and the FDA do not recommend removing fillings. or replaced.

“Removing intact amalgam fillings results in unnecessary loss of healthy tooth structure and exposes you to the mercury vapor released during the removal process,” the FDA said in a statement. “Intact amalgam fillings in any individual, including sensitive groups such as pregnant/nursing mothers and children, should not be removed for the purpose of preventing any disease or health condition, unless deemed medically necessary by a healthcare professional. “.