I know what you are thinking: “Here we go, another anti-mercury tirade by one of those holistic crazies!” Mercury toxicity is a very interesting topic, which I will address in a future article. Today, I will open your eyes to the destructive aspect of dental silver-mercury fillings as well as their other negative properties.
My opinion is shared by one of the world’s leading authorities on dental materials, Dr. Russell Giordano. In his own words: “Amalgam is my least favorite tooth restoration, not because of mercury, but because it does nothing to reinforce the tooth and actually, in my opinion, greatly weakens the tooth. When we use amalgam, we undercut the tooth structure,” which weakens the tooth and allows for both chipping and leakage to occur.
Dental amalgam fillings are composed from about 55 percent mercury, 44 percent silver and 1 percent of trace metals, like zinc, copper and tin. One risk is allergic reactions: A number of people have copper allergies, a component of some amalgam filling brands. Amalgam fillings are not bonded to the tooth. In fact, placing an amalgam filling in a tooth is almost as bad as having an empty hole and a weakened tooth. I said “almost” because it is actually worse: The only technology available in the 1800s to keep amalgam fillings in place were basic wood-working principles. These included a dovetail joint design; the base needed to be wider than the top so the filling would not fall out of the tooth. Since decay creates a bowl-shaped hole, the undercutting of healthy cusps is required to maintain the amalgam filling in the tooth. For replacing huge fillings, cusp holes are drilled and pins are screwed into the tooth; this can lead to microcrack formation, tooth perforation and even nerve trauma. As a result, root canal treatment is needed.
As you can see, amalgam fillings further weaken the tooth by removing additional healthy tooth structure. To make matters worse, silver-mercury fillings expand with time and heat, putting outward, prying pressure on the already compromised tooth. This can have a dire consequence: A catastrophic tooth fracture!
Proponents of amalgam fillings praise the fillings’ longevity. Some can last decades. While this is true, the bigger question is, “At what cost to the tooth?” If that cost is a weakened tooth that cracks, breaks or splits in half and needs root canal treatment or extraction, then perhaps that risk is too great, especially when better alternatives exist today in the 21st century.
Source: Alex Shvartsman, DDS, MAGD. Location: State of the Art Comfort Dentistry, 260 E. Main St., Ste. 109, Smithtown. For more information, call 631-361-3577
