Editor's Note: Mercury is a toxic heavy metal and tons of it are put into the mouths of people every year. Do you think it might have an effect on the health and well-being of people? This is a no-brainer.
Discussion on the topic of dental amalgam (the amalgam in dental fillings) includes debates on whether amalgam should be used, with supporters claiming it is safe, effective, and long-lasting, and critics arguing that it is toxic and unsafe. Some critics further say that if amalgam was used in the past, then it should be removed from the mouth to protect a person's health. Since the 1840s claims have been made that dental amalgam causes mercury poisoning and other toxicity.
Those opposed to amalgam suggest that modern composites are improving in strength. In addition to their claims of possible health and ethical issues, opponents of dental amalgam fillings claim amalgam fillings contribute to water contamination and environmental damage of mercury. The WHO reports that health care facilities, including dental offices, account for as much as 5% of total waste water mercury emissions. They point out that amalgam separators, installed in the waste water lines of many dental offices, dramatically decrease the release of mercury into the public sewer system but that they are not mandatory in some states of the United States. They also point to cremation of dental fillings as an additional source of air pollution, contributing about 1% of total global emissions
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