Why Is Mercury Still Used In Fillings?

Most dentists are honest, hard-working and dedicated professionals who attempt to do what they feel is best. However, for professionals to determine what is best, they must first have knowledge. If the information given to dentists is incomplete and unbalanced, then their decisions may suffer.

One reason most dentists still use mercury is lack of information. Dentists are not taught much, if anything, about mercury toxicity in dental school. And they don't hear much negative information on mercury amalgam from the pro-amalgam American Dental Association (ADA). The results are that most dentists are professionally uninformed about amalgam.

 
 

A second reason for the continued use of mercury fillings is resistance to change. Amalgams have been used for 160 years and that fact alone is testimony to its "safety", said a colleague of mine.

Dentists have a responsibility to their patients and their profession to disseminate accurate information. The ADA has access to all the information on mercury, yet still chooses to remain pro-amalgam.

Mercury builds up in your body every time it trickles out of a filling, every second, every hour, and every day of your life. You may feel fine for 20 years, then suddenly develop tiny, barely noticeable symptoms. How many people would suspect their dental fillings as the cause for any of their problems, especially if they may not have had a new filling put in for 20 years?
  		 

 
The whole idea behind healthcare is to seek the best possible method of treatment at all times. Change is natural and necessary. What has been done in the past is not always the best for the future. As we progress through life, it is up to each one of us to seek our own understanding of the truth. As a dental consumer, take a stand. Do not allow the continued use of mercury in your teeth. Choose mercury-free dentistry, so that no more mercury can trickle out of your dental fillings into your body.