Amalgam Safety Debate

Question 1

How much mercury in weight in amalgam?

Answer 1

50%

Question 2

Alleged symptoms of Hg poisoning due to amalgam?

Answer 2

Physiological

• Chronic fatigue
• Anxiety
• Depression

Oral

• Burning sensation
• Metal taste

Other

• Muscle pain
• Headache

Question 3

Known clinical symptoms of Hg poisoning?

Answer 3

Chronic exposure = nervous system symptoms (tremor, speech), gingivitis, blue discolouration of mucosa, renal dysfunction

Acute symptoms

• GI symptoms
• Depression of respiration
• Serious kidney dysfunction
• Pain and death

Question 4

Amalgam disease?

Answer 4

Accumulation of high concentrations of Hg in the body = associated with clinical symptoms
Human exposure of Hg is inevitable

No correlation between known symptoms of diagnosed poisoning and claimed injuries or illness from anti-amalgam lobby

Question 5

What did the adverse reaction reporting project find regarding mercury in amalgam?

Answer 5

Clinician and team has a greater risk of developing an adverse reaction than a patient
Exposure increases the risk associated with any one material
Adverse reactions to biomaterials are generally uncommon and not of a serious nature

Question 6

Trends in the dental materials market?

Answer 6

Amalgam is declining in market
Aesthetic direct restorative materials increasing in use
Caries rate decreasing
Perio increase in significance
Tooth loss will occur later in life
Tx will become more expensive
Poorer populations in the UK will not see the above benefits

Question 7

What did the minamata convention lead to?

Answer 7

Led to global movement to eliminate Hg from all industrial processes including dentistry
Phase down use of amalgam, aiming for elimination by 2030