Within the last twenty years or so, biological dentists, dentists practicing holistic dentistry and people supporting holistic medicine claim that mercury in ordinary fillings can escape, travel to distant organs, and contribute to the development of diseases, including cancer. They claim that replacing metal fillings with synthetic, nontoxic compounds will eliminate toxins from the body and increase resistance to disease. This brought up numerous concerns and numerous studies throughout the dental and medical field.
I could not find a specific website noting these concerns, but I could find that the Centre for Biological Medicine in Canada studies the effects that homotoxins have on the body and mercury fillings in teeth being one of their concerns. The concern may also continue to include psychological effects the silver fillings might have on children.
The NCBI, National Center for Biotechnological Information, states that the dental profession has been criticized on the effects of mercury in amalgam or silver filling and the impact of mercury on the environment and human health as early as 1998 and as late as 2004.
The Council on Scientific Affairs is a committee of the American Medical Association that provides information and recommendations on medical and public health issues. The Council on Scientific Affairs concluded in 1998 that amalgam continues to be a safe and effective restorative material. The Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) states that a nationwide survey by the ADA Health Policy Resources Center showed that in 1999, almost 86 million resin-based composite restorations were placed in the United States, compared with 71 million dental amalgam restorations that same year. In contrast, amalgam restorations numbered 99 million in 1990, compared with only 48 million resin-based composite restorations that year.
The ACS, American Cancer Society stated in 1998, that typical dental fillings contain metals such as mercury, copper, and silver, but there is no solid evidence showing that the presence of these metals in teeth causes disease in other parts of the body. There have also been studies with children and these studies, according to the NCBI, have found no evidence that exposure to mercury from dental amalgams was associated with adverse psychosocial outcomes in children.
JADA, in 1998, the Journal of the American Dental Association, did not support resin or white fillings on stress related teeth, such as posterior teeth.
In 2002, the NCAHF, National Council Against Health Fraud, believes that amalgam fillings are safe, that anti-amalgam activities endanger public welfare, and that so-called "mercury-free dentistry" is substandard practice.
In 2005, the NCBI reports that their findings do not support the hypothesis that exposure to amalgam produces adverse, clinically evident neurological effects.
WebMD, an online tool that provides valuable health information, tools for managing your health, and support to those who seek information supports the issue that there is no harm found in amalgam fillings as late as 2006.
The Mayo Clinic mentions that there is no need to replace metal dental fillings for aesthetic reasons. In fact, replacing metal dental fillings purely for looks should only be done if the dentist feels it wouldn't compromise the long-term health of the tooth. Likewise, there's no need to replace metal dental fillings due to concerns about mercury in the fillings.
Some of this information was studied in 1998 and some a bit later in 2006. This issue has been one of the oldest controversies in medicine and may never be completely solved. The FDA, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, has not been able to completely solve this issue. Remember, the FDA is engaged in a rulemaking that may lead to revised labeling. It is also reviewing evidence about safe use, particularly in sensitive subpopulations.
If you are concerned about the possible health effects of amalgam fillings, you should talk with your qualified health care practitioner. Dental amalgam fillings are very strong and durable, they last longer than most other types of fillings, and they are relatively inexpensive. The FDA does not recommend that you have your amalgam fillings removed.
In 2008, the European Commission Health and Consumer Protection Directorate-General, concludes that there is no scientific evidence for risks of adverse systemic effects exist and the current use of dental amalgam does not pose a risk of systemic disease.
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