The History of Mercury Amalgam Fillings

In dentistry, mercury amalgam fillings became a gold standard in treating teeth with tooth decay in the mid 1800’s.  During the mid 1900’s research began surfacing regarding the toxicity of metal mercury amalgam fillings.  Research in 1926 by German chemist, Dr. Alfred Stock showed that the silver amalgam fillings were a source of mercury vapor.  Around this same time period mercury amalgam fillings were widely banned from being used throughout Europe.  However, in the United States, the American Dental Association and Federal Drug Administration disregarded the research.

Without controlled research, the Federal Drug Administration in 1976 regarded amalgam fillings as safe due to its long term usage in the dental community.  Meanwhile, various organizations released more and more information in the 1980’s and 1990’s that mercury could be found in the blood and tissues of pregnant mothers, and autopsy studies showed mercury in tissues of the brain and kidney tissue which was directly related to the mercury amalgam in the teeth.

To add to the mercury in dental fillings controversy, in 1990 the television show “60 Minutes” aired a segment called “Poison in Your Mouth.”  This segment created lots of buzz and was only aired one time.  I think that it is interesting to see that the dental community at large has not banned this substance from its array of dental materials.  Click below to watch this controversial segment.

Here at my Inland Empire Biological Cosmetic Dental Office, we do not use mercury in any of our materials.  We only use products that are biocompatible with the human body.  We also remove mercury fillings in a safe manner to protect your health, as well as, our own.  Please contact our office if you are interested in safely removing your mercury fillings (951)686-3666.