Concern About Mercury in Teeth Fillings

QUESTION: I have been reading some disturbing information about teeth
fillings that may be poisonous, and would like your opinion. If mercury can
be poison to the body and is used to fill teeth, doesn't that mean you could
be poisoned and should have all those fillings removed?
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ANSWER: A great deal of time and effort has be spent to examine just this
question, whether or not mercury as used in fillings (called a dental amalgam)
should be a concern for patients, and, more specifically, if such fillings
should be replaced by other materials such as silver. I, too, have read
articles which discussed this situation, and apparently, so have the members
of the dental profession, as well as other interested groups. Using the
research that is now available, The American Dental Association, The National
Institute of Dental Research, the Public Health Service and Consumers' Union
found that "except in individuals sensitive to mercury, there is no reason why
a patient should seek to have amalgam restorations removed." As if this was
not clear enough, the House of Delegates of the American Dental Association
in 1986 also stated "Advocating the removal of clinically serviceable dental
amalgam restorations solely to substitute a material that does not contain
mercury is unwarranted." That would seem to translate to "If it isn't broken
don't fix it," even if it contains mercury. So according to those who should
know what they are talking about, it would seem that having a few fillings in
your teeth that contain mercury poses no special risks for the patient. For
the future, new methods of filling teeth and new formulas for amalgams
probably have completely eliminated the possibilities of problems.