For many, going to the dentist is not an exciting event. Who really wants someone to suck up their saliva while drilling, picking, and filling their teeth?! A trip to the dentist can not only be painful, but you can also end up having health problems if you’re there for fillings.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), amalgam fillings have been used for more than 150 years in hundreds of millions of patients. With such common use, it’s surprising that these dental fillings are composed of 50 percent mercury. Mercury carries potential risks that are harmful: It is poisonous to the nervous system, which can cause tremors, headaches, neuromuscular changes, emotional instability, memory loss and insomnia.
Dental amalgams release low levels of mercury in vapor form, which can be inhaled and absorbed by the lungs. This process causes the mercury to move easily from the bloodstream into the brain when eating, brushing your teeth, or drinking.
For over 30 years, the FDA abstained from issuing any public warning about dental amalgam’s neurotoxic risks. Interestingly enough, in 2009, they declared it safe under Class 2 for adults and children over the age of 6 who are not allergic to mercury.
The FDA was very aware of the fact that mercury is highly toxic. Yet, they still decided to make such an absurd declaration.
In 2011, the World Health Organization (WHO) initiated canceling the use of dental amalgam in their detailed article: “Future Use of Materials for Dental Restoration.” In the same year, Europe also announced that they wanted to ban mercury fillings.
When these proclamations came to the surface, many expected the FDA to make an announcement on the matter. The FDA did come forward, but not in a way that many wanted them to. They stayed firm on their stance, stating that they may never ban the use of mercury in dental fillings.
Considering that mercury vapors are passed easily from the bloodstream into the brain, children and fetuses are more at risk because their brains are still developing. This, however, doesn’t change the fact that anyone who has fillings is susceptible to the health risks caused by the dental amalgams.
Mercury fillings may never leave the dental market. But that doesn’t mean that these types of fillings are your only option. Before getting a cavity filled, it would be wise to do research because you do have various choices.