There is considerable controversy as to whether dental amalgams may cause systemic health effects in humans because they liberate elemental mercury. Most such amalgams contain as much as 50% metallic mercury. To determine the influence of dental amalgams on the mercury body burden of humans, we have given volunteers, with and without amalgams in their mouth, the sodium salt of 2,3-dimercaptopro...

BACKGROUND Dental practices use disinfectants or line cleaners to flush dental unit wastewater lines to minimize odor generation, remove solid waste particles and remove biofilms in dental unit water lines (DUWLs). METHODS The authors evaluated 47 disinfectants or line cleaners for their potential to release mercury from amalgam waste. They prepared each product concentration according to the...

OBJECTIVES Mercury combined with other metals to form solid amalgams has long been used in reconstructive dentistry but its use has been controversial since at least the middle of the 19th century. The exposure and body burden of mercury reviews have consistently stated that there is a deficiency of adequate epidemiological studies addressing this issue. Fish and dental amalgam are two major so...

INTRODUCTION The purpose of this clinical study was to compare the blood mercury levels before and after endodontic surgery using amalgam as a root-end filling material. MATERIALS AND METHODS Fourteen patients requiring periradicular surgery participated in this prospective clinical study. A zinc-free amalgam was employed as root-end filling material. Blood samples were collected at three int...

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, th...

Seven multiple sclerosis subjects had their silver dental fillings (amalgams) removed which contained approximately 50% mercury. A visual evoked response (VER) test was performed before amalgam removal. Approximately six months after amalgam removal a second VER test was performed on all subjects, and the latencies of the VER decreased significantly. The mean latency of P1 for the right and lef...

BACKGROUND Many attempts have been performed and continued for improvement of dental amalgam properties during last decades. The aim of present research was fabrication and characterization of amalgam/titania nano composite and evaluation of its corrosion behavior. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this experimental research, nano particles of titania were added to initial amalgam alloy powder and the...

OBJECTIVES It is important to characterize the surface of dental amalgam in order to understand the process of mercury release from amalgam restorations in the oral cavity. The mercury evaporation occurs not only from the newly made restoration but also from the set material. METHODS The surfaces of four different types of amalgams, which had been well set, were analyzed with X-ray photoelect...

OBJECTIVES To assess the knowledge and observance of proper mercury hygiene and amalgam waste management (AWM) among Jordanian general dental practitioners (GDPs). SUBJECTS AND METHODS Interviews were conducted with randomly selected 250 Jordanian GDPs, using a specially designed questionnaire. Out of the total of 250 GDPs, 228 (91.2%) agreed to participate. The questionnaire covered aspects ...

There has long been an undercurrent within the dental profession of anti-amalgam sentiment, a "mercury-free" movement. To assess whether anything is or is not scientifically wrong with amalgam, one must look to the vast literature on exposure, toxicology, and risk assessment of mercury. The subject of risk assessment goes straight to the heart of the debate over whether a malgam is safe, or not...