What does amalgam mean? Is that a metal filling, or just silver, or just gold, or what? I'm confused!

By definition, the word "amalgam" is a mixture of mercury with other metals. You can see this word in the dictionary.

Apart from being used as a dental restoration material, it was used by gold miners in the California gold fields over a hundred years ago to separate gold from the black sands. The black sands collected at the bottom of their sluices or pans, and they collected that and saved it after picking out the larger pieces of gold. They couldn't see the remaining microscopic gold particles there (or didn't want to bother pulling the remaining tiny pieces out by hand), so they used mercury to amalgamate with it. The gold and mercury combined together, when the mercury was placed in the black sand (black sand is typically other heavy minerals and metals such as iron in combination with other elements). One way for them to separate it, the early miners used to take this amalgam (now being gold and mercury) and put it inside a potato over a fire. The mercury vapors would burn off slowly, and inside the potato would be left a shiny gold button. Of course, later it was learned that this was an extremely dangerous use of mercury, and is something that none of us should ever do. But at the time, they evidently thought it was safe. This is one of the ways that mercury vapors can enter our bodies and make us extremely sick. Mercury is one of the most dangerous heavy metals next to plutonium for human beings. It should be handled very carefully.

As far as dental amalgams go, I answered that previously for you. I thought that you might enjoy a different explanation of amalgams, so that it can help you understand more about it. Maybe someone else can help you too. A lot of that information is available on the internet, by typing in the appropriate search words.

If you have any more questions about it, please let me know.

This should answer most of your questions http://www.quackwatch.com/cgi-bin/mfs/24/home/sbinfo/public_html/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/mercury.html?4#mfs

I can give you pros and cons quickly too...

Amalgam Pros
1- Proven over 100 years.
2- Proven safe scientificly (sorry Rhody)
3- Last a long time
4- Cheap

Amalgam Cons
1- Not very attractive and can be easily seen on some teeth.

Composite (white fillings) Pros
1- Very esthetic and can look exactly like your real tooth.
2- Safe as far as anyone can tell so far.

Composite Cons.
1- More expensive.
2- Often don't last as long as amalgam
3- Harder to do as a dentist so greater chance of error.
4- May fracture.

Gold Inlays pros
1- Proven for over 100 years
2- Very safe
3- Don't look too bad (but not invisible)
4- Last a long time

Gold Inlays cons
1- EXPENSIVE
2- Multi-step procedure (2 visits to the dentist)

Just another bit of information about amalgams.

I've read that dental amalgams have not been scientifically proven to be safe, contrary to what Dr. Phier has stated above. There are apparently over a hundred scientific studies that show a link between dental amalgams and illness.

I, for one, do not either believe they are safe. I was extremely sick until I had my eight (8) dental amalgams removed about 8 years ago.

For those interested in the subject, I suggest that you do some research. After you have read all the pros and cons about this subject in a few weeks, come back, and let us know what you find.

I encourage all responses, including those with different viewpoints than my own. We could learn a lot about this. Thanks.

For starters, you can visit this site:
http://www.selene.com/healthlink/amalgam.html

One other thing that I recently read, is that American (ADA) dentists cannot return to you one of your dental amalgams that were removed from one of your teeth (if you asked for it), because it's considered toxic waste. Is that true? But for some reason, others who consider this a toxic waste, also consider this poisonous substance, safe in our mouth. So then it's toxic outside of our mouth, but it is safe in our mouth? How can that be explained?

Originally posted by rhody:
One other thing that I recently read, is that American (ADA) dentists cannot return to you one of your dental amalgams that were removed from one of your teeth (if you asked for it), because it's considered toxic waste. Is that true? But for some reason, others who consider this a toxic waste, also consider this poisonous substance, safe in our mouth. So then it's toxic outside of our mouth, but it is safe in our mouth? How can that be explained?


rhody, I don't know where you are getting this stuff or how you are interpreting the information you are reading....

Just how do you expect to get your amalgam filling back??? When a silver filling is removed it is drilled out, this means that the filling will be in itty bitty tiny particals. During the drilling process water is used to cool the drill, so water collects in the persons mouth, therefore suction is used to remove the water, also removing the amalgam particles and tooth particles. As far as the whole tooth being removed from the mouth...wether or not it contains any kind of filling, no we are not suppose to give you your tooth back, it is a biohazard. If you had a mole removed you wouldn't be able to get it back and keep it either. So I guess for the common person, someone without medical knowledge, yes it may be described as a toxic substance, simply because your own tooth being a biologic substance may mean nothing to you. But then again you wipe your own butt. Whereas somebody else would wear gloves to wipe your butt. This too is also a biologic substance AND a toxic substance. Do you think people's body parts and bodily waste should just be floating around to contaminate other people?

BTW the definition of amalgam: A combination of diverse elements; a mixture. See Synonyms at mixture.

There are an amalgam of opinions and studies on silver fillings! But you have to understand the control process on determining these side effects. How do they know that some of these "side effects" wouldn't already exist if the person didn't have the silver fillings? Do you know the genetic traits and when they will appear in people? This cannot be controlled in any kind of study, unless they used cloning and already knew what the health problems of the future would be and when they would occur. Then they could see how mercury in silver fillings would change the person. But these kind of studies aren't going on (that we know of). And finally I'd like to add that the mercury in these silver fillings is released into your body at the greatest amount when the silver filling is removed, through ingestion and mercury vapor. So your unnecessary removal of your silver fillings should have worsened your symptoms after they were removed, and continued until the level of absorbed mercury in your system went back down. But you only say how much you got better. Sounds psychological to me!

Shaelle,

To explain things further for you....

If you had your tooth pulled with a dental amalgam in it, would the American (ADA) dentist be able to allow you to take it home as a souvenir? Yes or no. I was just trying to get some confirmation on this, which I read about recently.

Your definition of an amalgam was only the secondary definition. Why did you not say anything about the primary definition, which mentions mercury? Here's the word in an on-line dictionary so everyone can clearly understand what the word "amalgam" means.
http://www.dictionary.com/cgi-bin/dict.pl?term=amalgam&db=*

Also, I noticed that you repeatedly wrote "silver filling" instead of dental amalgam. Are you not allowed to mention to people that mercury is inside of this dental restoration material? Are you not free to say or write dental amalgam? When I write about this subject, I often try to call it a mercury-silver dental amalgam. The reason being, is approximately 80 percent of the metal composition of this substance is of those two metals. It varies slightly as a lot of us know, depending on the source and type. Also the readers should know that the metal in a typical dental amalgam of the highest concentration is mercury, not silver.

You see, by not mentioning to people that mercury is in there, or stating it as an amalgam, and just calling it a silver filling, it is so confusing. That's what I believe started this discussion. In fact, there was a lawsuit initiated this year, over that very issue. Does anyone know the status of that? I'll have to check into it myself.

Shaelle,

I reread your post, and I see that you stated that the American (ADA) dentist is not supposed to give any tooth back regardless whether or not that it contains a dental amalgam. I appreciate that reply. I'll look and see if I can find the reference material that I was reading. I was just hoping to get a short simple answer.

Also, can we concentrate on discussing this issue with out making personal attacks? You have no idea how I felt or how sick I was before I had my mercury-silver dental amalgams removed. Nor do you know how long it took me to recover, or how I felt afterwards. So, please stick with the topic of amalgams. Thanks.

Here's an article about a researcher who died from mercury poisoning. It was from a deadly form of organic mercury. Some people claim that organic mercury is also formed from our dental amalgams by the bacteria, streptococus mutans (I'm not sure if I got the spelling right).

It's an interesting story, which shows that we really still don't know enough about mercury's affect on the human body. With an open mind, polite discussions, and tolerance of each other's viewpoints, we can all learn more.
http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/Spa/2021/karen.html

Wouldn't it stand to reason that if mercury/amalgam fillings were harmful or that people were getting poisoned, that the billions of fillings that have been done in the last 105 years would show, not only a heck of alot of sick people but also many hundreds of thousands of sick, mercury poisoned dentists?

Research doesn't show that dentists or dental assistants are harmed and they should be, more than anyone due to being exposed to mercury vapor daily for their entire careers.

There is overwhelming evidence that mercury-amalgam fillings are safe. No study has shown any harm from proper use of dental amalgam in patients. No disease or illness has ever been proven to be associated with amalgam use in patients, or from occupational use by dentists.

Carreen,

Thanks for questions and statements. They are good items for discussion.

I have thought of that too. I know how I personally felt before I had my amalgams removed, and how I felt afterwards (after many many years of suffering). So, it had a big impact on me, when I was healed in such a large way. But, I have wondered the same thing. The truth is that they don't know everything about the affects of mercury (which are in dental amalgams), that's why I distributed that last story about the researcher that died handling a very small amount. Scientists are learning more all the time.

Don't millions of people get sick from headaches, arthritic pains, fibromyalgia, and MS etc. every day? Were they caused for some at least in part by dental amalgams? I don't know in all cases, but in some cases there have been links of dental amalgams to these sicknesses. These reports can be found on the internet by putting in the search engines the words "dental amalgams". Worldwide research is continually being done.

Where is the evidence that mercury-silver dental amalgams are safe? I haven't seen it yet. Can anyone be absolutely sure? Is it so safe, that people and associations will accept complete legal responsibility for the sicknesses that dental amalgams might be causing, if researchers at a later date conclusively pronounce that dental amalgams can make people sick?

Also I encourage anyone out there that has linked their illnesses to their dental amalgams to come forward. This is a support website that is to listen to all responses without provocation. We are here to express ourselves freely and to listen to each other's opinions.

So in summary, what is a dental amalgam? For me it is a poison and I'm glad that I don't have them in my mouth anymore. Removing them, was the best thing that I could have done. I wish you all well.

I haven't yet had a chance to read through all of the posts yet, but I did somewhat read through Carreen's response.

I just wanted to add that yes dentist and assistants were getting sick from the amalgam fillings (better rhody?). This was because the amalgam filling material has to be mixed right before placement of the material. This used to be done by hand without gloves I might add. Gloves are fairly new to dentistry...

Now the materials come in a little capsule and the capsule is placed into a machine that mixes or amalgamates the metals. This machine is called an amalgamator. The material is removed from the capsule and put into a metal container and prepared/placed into a little tool used by the dentist to place the material. Then neither the dentist nor the assistant touch the filling amalgam filling material. BUT this is just as true for any filling material....(rhody) Composites do not need to be mixed, just hardened, and they are not touched either. Porcelain is pre-made. By the end of the appointment the amalgam filling is basically hardend, though it still can be changed (in shape) through manipulation, as the reason you may be told not to eat for about an hour.

now to read on

Quote from rhody: "Are you not allowed to mention to people that mercury is inside of this dental restoration material? Are you not free to say or write dental amalgam? When I write about this subject, I often try to call it a mercury-silver dental amalgam. The reason being, is approximately 80 percent of the metal composition of this substance is of those two metals."

To answer this....yes I can tell you that, I don't know of any restrictions against it. I just simply found it easier to type "silver filling" and less confusing to other people. Since I find if you mention amalgam filling to the majority of people, they have no idea what you are talking about. BUT if you say silver, well everyone knows what you are talking about.

AND to answer your question I'd like to state that I live in Arizona. The Arizona state law requires the dentist to state prior to the proceedure exactly what materials are being placed into a persons mouth in regard to restorations. So there no rule that a dentist can't say mercury-silver amalgam, the law clears that up, at least in Arizona.

Yes rhody you are right about the definition but in my line of work, I prefer to use the word amalgam as a pronoun - descriptive term. Simply because there are alot mixtures at work that could be termed an amalgam, though if I were to ask an assistant about which filling material they used I'd ask: Did you use composite or amalgam?

And last I'd like to add that the amalgam-silver fillings are the most well paid by insurance companies. Most people aren't willing to fork out that extra few bucks on their teeth to avoid these silver fillings. Just you ask any dentist...which one he'll profit from the most. It sure the heck won't be that old silver material. So until you get the insurance companies to stop paying so well on those mercury-silver amalgams you can bet those type of fillings are going to be the most widely used.

I was willing to fork out that exta money when I got my first fillings at 17. I clearly said, "I don't want any of that silver stuff in my mouth." At that age I didn't have any knowlege of the contents of the silver fillings, I just didn't want them. My dentist was quite happy to fill my teeth with white fillings....for extra money. The insurance didn't cover them at all. Moral of the story....everybody's got a choice. Composite filling have been around for a very long time. There is no reason that anyone under the age of 30 should have a silver filling in there mouth, if they didn't want it to begin with. But the fact of the matter is that it's cheap and reliable. Parents are still putting these fillings into their 3 year olds teeth.

In the end, if you care for your teeth properly to begin with you can avoid getting any or any more of these mercury-silver amalgam fillings just by proper oral hygiene, and just saying no to having those silver fillings. But again the fact show that most parents are not taking the responsibility to care for their kids teeth and therefore the kids get fillings, all that could have been avoided. And the parents are not willing to fork out the extra money to not get silver filling for either their kids or themselves.

Just a little something for everyone to ponder on.....

Rhody, I'm interested in hearing about your amalgam removal experience. I also have about 8 fillings that I want to have replaced soon so any insights or personal experiences that you could share w/ me could be very helpful. (like what kind of symptoms did you suffer before the removal and what affects did you realize after? And did you have any other dental complications at the same time? Did you use a holistic dentist? etc.)

I've found a few stories on the topic, of people who have reported excellent results from amalgam removal
but I haven't got to talk to anyone that's had it done.

If you want you can post your reply here or e-mail me

abr1833364@aol.com

Mikeb,

I'd be glad to help. This spanned for me more than twenty years, so I'll just mention a few things.

The symptoms that I had before my dental amalgams were removed were similar to people with fibromyalgia, plus I had gum disease and loose teeth. The pain and suffering could be very severe at times. After I had my dental amalgams removed it took years for the symptoms to go away. It appeared to me that the gum disease and loose teeth cleared up the fastest.

I did not have any other complications at the time that I had the mercury-silver dental amalgams removed, but I did notice some symptoms that seemed to get worse temporarily. I told my dentist about my sensitivity to this, so a rubber dam was used. I'd imagine that they took other precautionary steps too. This dentist was excellent. I did not have a holistic dentist, but rather went to a naturopath where he tested me for allergic reactions to different metals, plastics, and cementing agents. It was at that time that I learned about all the different dental restoration materials available. That was about 8 years ago.

If you would like any more information about this subject, please let me know. I could probably write a book on this subject, just based on personal experience. For reasons unknown, mercury-silver dental amalgams do not seem to affect everyone the same way, plus it has been reported that the number of dental amalgams have some significance too in causing others to get sick (or not). There are many factors with this, so the answers are not easy.

I'm always interested in other people's experiences with this. If you have similar symptoms and find that you get better after the dental amalgams removed, please let us know also. Any information can be helpful. Thanks.