That was the title of the ITV Tonight programme I have just watched. This was about the "poison" that is dental amalgam (the stuff used for filling teeth) and is a story that crops up every few years. Like previous programmes (I think Panorama did one a few years ago) it is trying to shock and sensationalise, quoting a woman who had all her amalgam fillings replaced and is now miraculously cured of all her health problems.
I was disappointed by the representatives of the dental profession. Peter Ward from the BDA looked a total fool in response to not unreasonable questions. Chief Dental Officer Barry Crockroft seemed woefully underprepared. Surely someone could have found him some decent studies to support the argument for dental amalgam?
OK, how about some of the things that I know about dental amalgam...
1 Mercury is poisonous but in fillings is mixed with other metals. Most mercury is released during placement and removal of fillings, but it is unlikely that the amounts are harmful.
2 Dentists do have to follow regulations regarding the disposal of amalgam to safeguard the environment (otherwise mercury would build up and get into the food-chain, potentially much more damaging).
3 Scandinavian countries have banned amalgam, but in an attempt to reduce the amount in the environment and not due to direct impact on the health of individuals.
4 It is still the best filling material in terms of cost and longevity, although dental material science is advancing all the time and will eventually catch up.
5 There has been advice for a few years to limit placement of amalgam in pregnant women, but no advice on whether pregnant dentists should avoid using it!
Please don't panic about this and immediately rush off to your dentist to get your fillings taken out. By all means, discuss the options with your dentist. In fact, many patients are choosing alternatives to amalgam, but generally for aesthetic reasons. It is also worth looking carefully at the costs involved as the cheaper white filling materials tend not to perform as well as amalgam. Gold or porcelain inlays are an excellent alternative but are more costly, so many patients tend to choose them as old fillings wear out and need replacing anyway.
As for me, I will not be rushing to get my amalgam fillings replaced and would not hesitate to have another if my dentist recommended it.
Oh, and I might consider writing to the presenter of the programme to see if he would like some orthodontics to close the gaps in his teeth...!
