Mercury Free Replacement Fillings

In previous decades, dental fillings were comprised of amalgam. Amalgam is a dental filling material, composed of mercury, silver and other metals, used to fill teeth. Mercury fillings are a 150 -year-old technology and the fact is mercury is a toxic substance. It can be more toxic to humans than arsenic, cadmium or lead.

Some scientific researchers claim that each time you bite down on mercury-based fillings, you may be releasing a small amount of mercury vapor into your mouth, and thus into your system. This "mercury mist" builds up, little by little, over the years, until your body could have a toxic reaction.

While the American Dental Association still approves the use of mercury-based silver fillings, or amalgam, some studies suggest that the mercury from these fillings can be found throughout the body. Several studies indicate that nursing mothers with silver fillings pass noticeable levels of mercury to their new-born children through their natural breast milk.

Please note these theories and studies are ongoing, and a final decision on the safety of mercury in dentistry--and its effects on humans—has yet to be made.

At Dr. Monson’s, we try not to take any unnecessary chances with the health of patients. Progress in dental materials has led to the development of many mercury-free alternatives to silver amalgam. Until the argument over mercury is settled, we will use materials known to be safe.

We now know that silver fillings expand and crack teeth over time. Replacing silver fillings with crowns or bonded composite fillings may avoid such cracking which may put the tooth at risk.