The Toxic Effects of the Mercury in Dental Amalgam Fillings on the Environment & Human Health

1 THE TOXIC EFFECTS OF THE MERCURY IN DENTAL AMALGAM FILLINGS ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND HUMAN HEALTH A FACT SHEET PREPARED BY The International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology www.iaomt.org “For medical reasons, amalgam should be eliminated in dental care as soon as possible. As a result, one of our largest sources of mercury in the environment can be eliminated.’’ 1 --Dr. Maths Berlin, the Dental Material Commission of Sweden, 2003 About IAOMT Representing a network of dental, medical, and research professionals with members in North America and affiliated chapters in over fourteen other countries, the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT) has been researching the damage dental mercury inflicts on the environment and humans since the non-profit organization was created in 1984. Brief Overview of Mercury Used in Dentistry Millions of dentists around the world routinely use dental amalgam as a filling material to repair decayed teeth. Often referred to as “silver” fillings, amalgam fillings actually consist of 45-55% metallic mercury. 2 According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), there are currently over