dental amalgam

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), dental amalgam is the primary source of exposure, emitting mercury 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Key words: Dental amalgam, primary teeth, restorations

The other side supports the use of mercury amalgams, claiming that the "benefits of restoring teeth with dental amalgam outweigh significantly the documented risks." (100)

Mr Birch, who explained that the mercury was contained in dental amalgam used in teeth fillings, said a bid was being made for funding to install equipment during the 2009-10 financial year at the latest.

Mercury emissions from burned dental amalgam fillings are said to cause harmful effects on the environment, potentially putting at risk the human brain, kidneys and nervous system.

While the debate over the safety of dental amalgam in general continues, people with a genetic risk for autoimmune disease could be more sensitive to it, Pollard says.

Since the late 1980s, many state health departments have listed waste and scrap dental amalgam as a hazardous material and regulated its disposal.

We had toxic carpets a few years ago; we've had dental amalgam toxicity which hangs on; then we've had silicone breast implants.

"(31) Consumers may be deceived by the use of the term `silver' to describe a dental amalgam, which contains substantially more mercury than silver."

Because it is mercury based, dental amalgam has been linked in the past to autism and many other diseases, but those links have all been disproved.

She and her husband, Tim, are setting up a UK branch of the American organisation Dental Amalgam Mercury Syndrome (DAMS), which has already championed the issue in the US with some success.

DAMS stands for Dental Amalgam Mercury Syndrome, or Defense Against Mystery Syndromes, or even Defense Against Multiple Sclerosis.

SDPI recently launched a study detailing the hazards of using mercury in dental fillings and demanded a ban or restriction on the use of mercury dental amalgam particularly for children.

Studies conducted by SDPI at 75 private clinics in which more than 90 dentists were interviewed have maintained the fact that, out of all, 43% clinics are still using mercury dental amalgams while 70% dentists did not prefer mercury fillings for children below 12 years of age, pregnant and nursing mothers and 67% support the ban on mercury dental amalgam use.