Used by dentists for more than a century, dental amalgam is the most thoroughly researched and tested restorative material. It is durable, easy to use, highly resistant to wear and relatively inexpensive in comparison to other materials. For these reasons, it remains a valued treatment option for dentists and their patients.
Dental amalgam is a stable alloy composed of elemental mercury, silver, tin, copper and other metallic elements. Though questions have arisen about the safety of dental amalgam due to its mercury content, studies and researches have shown dental amalgam to be a safe, reliable and effective restorative material. It continues to be endorsed by the National Institute of Health (NIH), U.S. Public Health Service, Center of Disease Control (CDC), Federal Drug Administration (FDA) and World Health Organization (WHO).
Amalgam fillings are less expensive than composite resin fillings, reduce the chances of recurrent caries (cavities that form under a previously existing filling), and are easier and faster to place in your child’s tooth. Because amalgam fillings can withstand very high chewing loads, they are particularly useful for restoring molars in the back of the mouth, where chewing load is greatest. They are also useful in areas where a cavity preparation is difficult to keep dry during the filling replacement, such as in deep fillings below the gum line.
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