Amalgam: The Debate Continues.......

It won't be long before amalgam is finally banned as a restorative material.

WASHINGTON -- Federal health officials are again examining what's known -- and what's still to be learned -- about the safety of a mercury mixture that's stirred controversy since dentists began using it to fill cavities in the 1800s.

A joint panel of outside experts voted Thursday to reject a draft report that concluded that dental fillings used by millions of people are safe. Yet the panel did not go so far as to declare the mercury-laden amalgam a danger, only that more study is needed because of the risk it poses to some groups.  Link

Consumer groups and some dentists say that mercury, a known neurotoxin, has no business sitting inside a person’s mouth. Not only can vapors leach out of the filling, but if amalgams were dropped in a river, they would be considered hazardous waste. But dental experts say that when it’s bound to other metals, it doesn’t pose a risk.  Link

I'm actually suprised this hasn't happened sooner.  Bottom line - Is Amalgam your first, second, or third choice for your own next restoration?  Didn't think so.  I still remember a video in dental school where the instructor mixed amalgam in her hands (no gloves).  We don't do that anymore do we?  Why do we keep fighting it?  Raise the white flag and let's get on to the next issue. 

Comments

[cosmetic dentist huntington park]

Thanks for sharing, Dental amalgam is not harm as long as the process was right.

-heather-