To anyone who does not know, a dental amalgam is another name for a dental filling. We have all had fillings and until recent years, we haven't given them much thought. Now, however, there are some people that believe our old fillings are not safe.

Dental amalgams have been around for many years, 150 to be exact. Millions and millions of people have had their teeth filled and the materials used were a number of different metals. This included liquid mercury and a powdered combination of tin, silver and copper. The mercury content is about 50%. These fillings are called silver fillings because all of the metals that are used give a silver appearance.

Some of the benefits of the silver filling amalgams are the fact that they are the least expensive to obtain and they are very durable and long lasting. This is good because none of us care to go to the dentist any more than necessary.

The technique for filling a tooth is universal. The dentist first drills the tooth to remove the decay and then shapes the area in the tooth for the filling. The dentist then mixes the powdered combination of silver, tin and copper with the liquid mercury which forms putty. It is then placed into the cavity of the tooth and later becomes hardened.

The potential risks of dental amalgams are slight, but worrisome to some. Some experts believe that the mercury in the fillings can cause potential health problems. Although, this mercury is not the same that you get from fish, which is known for definite health problems, there is still the slight chance of this mercury being unhealthy.

The consensus of opinion now, is not to get the silver fillings changed if they are in good condition with no cracks or damages, or if they are not causing any problems. If they are cracked or damaged, this could cause slight mercury leakage and many experts would advise them to be changed.

Some of the products that replace amalgam fillings are resin composite fillings. These resin fillings match tooth color and therefore are very desirable, because they don't show when you open your mouth. Everything is the same color. Also porcelain is used which is quite expensive.

The American Dental Association (ADA) believes that the current amalgams are safe. The ADA has done studies on the dentists that work with the silver fillings and have found no evidence that there is any mercury damage. Dentists do suggest that in the future, all fillings will be done with the resin or porcelain mainly because of the cosmetic aspects.

Although dental amalgams are the hot topic right now, dentists want everyone to be aware that they believe gum disease and periodontal disease can be more of a health problem. Gum disease can cause heart problems when left untreated and this is much more dangerous than the small amounts of mercury that people may or may not be getting from their fillings.