Amalgam
What is it?
Amalgam is the most commonly used dental restorative material used for dental fillings. Currently, dental amalgams are composed of mercury, silver, tin, copper and zinc (some amalgams do not contain zinc). Dental amalgam fillings are also known as “silver fillings” because of their silver-like appearance.
How can I avoid it?
Patients who are allergic to the metallic mercury in fillings develop contact stomatitis on the buccal mucosa touching the filling. No instances of systemic toxicity have been proven from the mercury in amalgam fillings.
Avoidance requires reading the product labels, package inserts, Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), and on occasion, direct communication with the manufacturer.
Uses:
- Dental fillings
