The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released new safety guidelines on using dental amalgam, a common silver filling. The statement said that a certain high-risk are at risk of potential adverse health effects from exposure to mercury.
Those most in danger of the standard dental procedure are people that are hypersensitive or allergic to mercury. Dental amalgam fillings are a mix of mercury, copper, silver, and tin.
For years, the material was declared safe by the American Dental Association and the FDA. Those belonging to the high-risk group and should avoid mercury-containing fillings include pregnant women, mothers nursing newborns, children below the age of six, people with impaired kidneys, or those with neurological conditions such as Alzheimer's disease. The FDA still declares the material safe for other people.
Dental Amalgam
Dental amalgam is a popular dental filling because it is durable and less expensive than gold, glass, or porcelain fillings. However, mercury vapor can be released over time, depending on the age of existing fillings, as well as dietary and chewing habits. Harmful vapor can also be released while brushing or teeth grinding over the metal filling.
The FDA also does not recommend existing amalgam fillings in good condition to be removed or replaced since it may result in exposure to mercury vapor. However, there is still a lack of clinical evidence for the use of dental amalgam to be banned entirely. Those belonging to the high-risk group are recommended to opt for resin or glass ionomer cement instead of possible.
Moreover, the FDA added reminders that dental fillings depend on other health factors other than the appropriate type of material for restoration. To best avoid dental fillings altogether, people should have regular dental checkups, maintain oral hygiene, and have a balanced diet for healthy teeth.
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Mercury Poisoning
Mercury poisoning can have adverse effects on the digestive, immune, and nervous systems and are typically the result of long-term exposure. Symptoms include mood disorders like anxiety, tremors, memory problems, eye problems, and kidney damage.
Dental amalgam has been banned in some European countries such as Germany, Denmark, and Sweden. French neurologist Bernard Aranda has favored banning mercury amalgams, which remains legal in the country. "Having heavy metals in your mouth is a source of toxic substances, which for some genetically predisposed patients may increase the risk of diseases such as disseminated sclerosis," he explained.
Other common forms of mercury exposure include fish consumption, burning of fossil fuels, and natural sources of the metal in ecosystems. In recent years, natural waters have had increased levels of mercury due to pollution, affecting fish that are sold in markets.
Between 1932 to 1968, large amounts of industrial waste found its way into Japan's Minamata Bay, affecting more than 2,000 people and nearly 1,700 deaths. Mercury poisoning from fish also became known as Minamata disease with symptoms such as speech problems, coma, deafness, and ataxia (drunk-like behavior).
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