3. Are there any health risks associated with amalgam fillings?

Scientific evidence does not link any health risks to the use of dental amalgam (and all its components) for the general population, apart from the rare incidences of an allergic reaction.

Indeed, local adverse effects in the oral cavity are occasionally seen with dental materials in general, including allergic reactions and an association with clinical features characteristic of lichen planus. If a patient shows an allergic reaction, it is generally evident at the point of contact in the mouth. These reactions occur at an incidence below 0.3% and are usually readily managed by removing the adjacent filling material.

Regarding systemic effects, the presence of dental amalgam has been suggested to be associated with a variety of systemic adverse effects, particularly developmental neurotoxicity as well as neurological and psychological or psychiatric diseases. However, the evidence for such effects being due to dental amalgam is weak.

Recent studies suggest that genetic polymorphisms concerning mercury kinetics may influence the degree of individual susceptibility with regard to mercury internal exposure and consequently toxicity. This may raise some concern for possible effects on the brain of mercury originating from dental amalgam. However, so far such effects have not been documented in humans, although some evidence on alteration of mercury dynamics have been reported.