The practice of replacing silver fillings with white, tooth-colored material for health reasons has been promoted by “biological” dentists who believe silver fillings are detrimental to your health. You may have heard these referred to as “silver”, “mercury”, or “amalgam.” These three terms are used to refer to the silver material which contains more mercury than silver, along with other metals.

If you’re confused about whether mercury fillings are safe or not, you’re not alone: even the FDA has seemingly changed their opinion. On June 4, 2008, the agency issued this statement on their website:

“Dental amalgams contain mercury, which may have neurotoxic effects on the nervous systems of developing children and fetuses.” And: “When amalgam fillings are placed in teeth or removed from teeth, they release mercury vapor. Mercury vapor is also released during chewing.”

The FDA also agreed to release a new ruling in July 2009, and alert consumers about potential related hazards.

Instead, on July 28, 2009 the FDA issued the following statement, as reported by Reuter’s:

“While elemental mercury has been associated with adverse health effects at high exposures, the levels released by dental amalgam fillings are not high enough to cause harm in patients,’’ the FDA said, citing an agency review of roughly 200 scientific studies.

The American Dental Association stands behind mercury filling safety, stating:

“Dental amalgam has been studied and reviewed extensively, and has established a record of safety and effectiveness.”

For cosmetic reasons 90% of our patients prefer the white, tooth-colored material. If you’re among those of us who grew up when mercury fillings were the only option and you haven’t had these replaced, you can whiten and update your smile by replacing these with this new tooth-colored material.

I don’t see enough hard science confirming claims that mercury fillings are linked to such conditions as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or Alzheimer’s. However, I’ve been using the white, tooth-colored non-metallic filling material since 1987, thereby eliminating the issue for my patients. That said, some people are allergic to this non-metal material.

A “biological dentist” would recommend you remove these fillings for health reasons, believing that the longer you leave these in your mouth, the longer you are exposing yourself to metal toxicity.

I recommend replacing decades-old mercury fillings for two reasons: one is cosmetic and the second is tooth preservation. You see, as a dentist, my primary role is to enable you to chew. Since mercury expands and contracts with temperature changes, over time the teeth underneath can crack, which has been the case with some patients. Sometimes, the tooth can crack so deeply it must be removed and replaced with an implant and crown.

Ok, let’s address some common questions.

1. Are white fillings weaker than amalgams?

Yes, however, if you take the total result—the filling plus the tooth—the composites are stronger

because they bond to the tooth, making the tooth more resistant to fracture.

2. Why don’t all dentists offer white fillings?

Many dentists don’t feel comfortable using white filling material on back teeth—it requires special

training to do so. The experience and training ensures the filling isn’t vulnerable to leakage and

new decay. The material has been around since the 70’s, but it wasn’t until the mid-80’s that technology was developed to bond it to your tooth.