The following excerpt is from the article “Dental Amalgam Mercury Fillings and Danger to Human Health” posted by International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT). For a full article and all scientific references please visit IAOMT website.

“All silver-colored fillings are dental amalgam fillings and each of these fillings is approximately 50% mercury. Although a number of other countries have banned or limited their use, dental mercury amalgams are still being used in many regions of the world, including in the USA. Mercury is continuously emitted from dental amalgam fillings, and it is absorbed and retained in the body, particularly in the brain, kidney, liver, lung, and gastrointestinal tract. The output of mercury can be intensified by the number of fillings and other activities, such as chewing, teeth-grinding, and the consumption of hot liquids. Mercury is also known to be released during the placement, replacement, and removal of dental mercury amalgam fillings.

Dental mercury and its vapor have been scientifically linked to a number of health risks which demonstrate the danger of dental amalgam mercury fillings. Individual response to mercury varies, and some of the factors known to potentially impact those exposed to mercury include their allergies, diet, gender, genetic predisposition to adverse reactions from mercury, the number of amalgam fillings in the mouth, and concurrent or previous exposures to other toxic chemicals such as lead. Scientific studies have identified dental mercury as a potentially causational or exacerbating factor in the conditions included this list: