Are amalgam fillings harmful? Do they need to be replaced? Although included in the so-called silver seals, mercury is considered a toxic substance, the answer to this question is ambiguous. The dentists themselves have conflicting views on this matter. Check whether the mercury seals are actually harmful and whether they should be removed.

Amalgam seals, oramalgamdental (otherwise known as mercury), are formed when a silver alloy is mixed with mercury. The alloy also includes tin and copper. Dentists use the so-calledsilver fillingssince the 19th century, but in the second half of the 20th century it was reported that the mercury contained in them was harmful to the body. In Japan, the ban on the use of mercury seals was introduced in the 1970s, in Sweden - in 1991. In European Union countries it is no longer recommended to use amalgams. In Poland, they are used only in public he alth clinics. Already in 2006, the Ministry of He alth declared that it was making efforts to prevent Poles from having amalgam fillings in their teeth in 4-5 years. However, so faramalgam fillingsamalgamare used to fill the cavities of the posterior teeth. About 20 percent of all amalgam fillings in the European Union are used in Poland.

Amalgam (silver) and composite (white) seals

Amalgam seals, thanks to mercury content, are characterized by greater hardness and resistance to compression than composite fillings (light-cured, white). A well-placed amalgam filling can last up to 30 years, and composites - about 10 years. For this reason, they are used as a filling material for cavities in deciduous and permanent posterior teeth.

Mercury in amalgam fillings makes them very durable. For this reason, it has been used in their production for years.

Amalgam seals do have some disadvantages, however. They do not adhere to the enamel and dentin, therefore gaps may form between the filling and the tooth tissues, into which bacteria causing caries can penetrate. There are reports that after placing an amalgam filling, tooth tissues and even the gums may become discolored. Cracking of the thin walls of the tooth occurs due to the increase in the volume of amalgam underneathinfluenced by temperature changes. In addition, mercury fillings are unsightly. This effect is absent in light-cured restorations. However, amalgam fillings have been criticized the most for their toxic mercury content.

Worth knowing

Not all amalgam fillings release mercury

There are two types of amalgam fillings. The first are old-generation amalgams. In medical terminology they are called gamma 2 amalgams. The second is modern, gamma 2 free. Amalgam seals without gamma-2 phase, which are encapsulated - unlike old generation fillings - do not release mercury. Therefore, they do not have a negative effect on he alth. In Poland, the old generation amalgam seals are no longer used. According to the Ordinance of the Minister of He alth of November 6, 2013 on guaranteed benefits in the field of dental treatment, the dental material used in the National He alth Fund is, inter alia, non gamma 2 capsule amalgam.

Are amalgam fillings harmful?

Are amalgam fillings harmful? This question cannot be answered unequivocally. Reports on the harmfulness of old-generation amalgam fillings are contradictory, which is related to the lack of effective and reliable methods of assessing chronic exposure to mercury from amalgams.

On the one hand, there are studies that show that amalgam can be harmful to the body. The toxic effects of amalgam seals were confirmed in 2008 by the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The mercury they contain can cause autoimmune diseases (when the body is attacked by the immune system) and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's or Alzheimer's disease. It is especially dangerous for the pregnant woman and the fetus. Mercury is believed to be released into the mouth from amalgam fillings and is a continuous process (1-2 μg / day). Many authors have provided scientific evidence that chewing gum increases the release of mercury vapor from amalgam fillings .³ The amount of mercury released increases significantly with increasing temperature, so people with amalgam fillings should avoid eating hot food and drinking hot liquids .³ Also when putting on or removing old mercury fillings in the amalgam filling, the concentration of mercury vapor in the exhaled air increases.

The Ministry of He alth still allows and recommends the use of mercury in dentistry, with the simultaneous recommendation not to use such fillings in children and pregnant women. Amalgam cannot be used in patients allergic to mercury.

On the other handthere is a group of specialists who argue that mercury amalgam fillings are safe for the body. According to the ADA (American Dental Association), dental amalgam fillings do not cause any harmful effects, and hypersensitivity to mercury can occur in about 1% of people. American researchers, comparing two groups of people with and without amalgam fillings, concluded that amalgam fillings do not have any negative effect on the immune system.² There is currently no compelling evidence of a link between amalgam fillings and systemic diseases.² To date it has not been proven that mercury passes from the filling in amounts that could poison the organism. The average mercury absorption in patients with amalgam fillings, which is 1-2 µg per day, is only 10 percent. mercury that enters the body from food, air and water every day. Removal of amalgam fillings is also not dangerous if the treatment is carried out in the right conditions and the doctor prevents the spread of mercury.

Worth knowing

Silver seals and Wi-Fi

One recent study showed that the poisonous element can be released under the influence of waves emitted by Wi-Fi, which is practically everywhere. Scientists from Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in Iran used 20 teeth with amalgam fillings in their study. They were all placed in artificial saliva, but only 50 percent. subjected to the action of electromagnetic waves. It turned out that the concentration of mercury in the saliva containing the teeth exposed to radio waves was twice as high as the level observed in the second group.

Wi-Fi may therefore have a negative impact on amalgam fillings, and thus - contribute to the occurrence of diseases caused by the release of toxic mercury.

However, so far it is the only study of this type, therefore it does not allow to conclusively state whether mercury from the silver seal can be released under the influence of waves emitted by Wi-Fi.

Amalgam seals - to remove or not?

If the filling is in good condition - there are no signs of leakage and decay - it's better not to remove it, experts from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) argue.4Removal amalgam fillings causes an unnecessary disturbance of the he althy structure of the tooth and exposes it to contact with mercury, which is released during drilling. However, if the seal needs to be removed, you should choose an office that has the appropriate conditions for this. Certain procedures must be followed when removing amalgam fillings. The patient should havefounded, among others a cofferdam, which isolates the selected tooth and prevents amalgam from getting into the oral cavity. An oxygen mask is also important to avoid inhaling mercury vapor.

Amalgam is to start disappearing from offices as early as 2022

Starting from July 1, 2022, amalgam fillings will not be allowed in children up to 16 years of age, as well as pregnant and breastfeeding women. This is the result of the preliminary findings of the European Union. Later, further restrictions will be introduced to completely eliminate amalgam from dentistry. These findings also show that the use of amalgam fillings is to be discontinued by 2030.

drug. stom. Damian Nasulicz - are amalgam fillings harmful?

Source: newsrm.tv

Bibliography:

1. Leśniewska E., Szynkowska I., Paryjczak T., Main sources of mercury in the organisms of people not professionally exposed, Central Pomeranian Scientific Society for Environmental Protection

2. Jańczuk Z .: Conservative dentistry. Clinical outline. A textbook for students of dentistry. PZWL Medical Publishing, Warsaw 2007

3. Research on the transfer of mercury from dental amalgams to artificial saliva solution, Yearbook Environmental Protection 2010

4. About Dental Amalgam Fillings, www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/ProductsandMedicalProcedures/DentalProducts/DentalAmalgam/ucm171094.htm3

Category:

Dentistry and Orthodontics