We all love to eat candies, chocolates, and lollies during childhood. But these cherished munchies often end us up with cavities. And not everyone can afford the luxury of having an expensive dental procedure to cover up this mess. Result? Those silver amalgam fillings that you can get without splurging money and undergoing heavy dental work. Well, we surely get our cavities filled with these amalgam fillings and can also eat anything without fear of getting it trapped in your cavities. But little do we know that these fillings can be a serious threat to our health.

That’s why there is a clash going on between proponents and critics of dental amalgam on its safety and usage. Its supporters call it a durable, safe, and easy process for a quick cavity filling. But its opponents declare it unsafe due to the possibility of mercury poisoning and other associated health issues. But what is this amalgam filling which has shoved the dental community in a clash?

What is Dental Amalgam Filling?

Dental amalgam is formed by mixing silver, tin, mercury, and copper. In this mixture, mercury makes up about 50 percent, i.e., almost 1000 mg of it, as it is used to bind all other metals and makes the filling durable and hard. Mercury is the reason that you can easily rely on your filling to take an apple bite without fear of breaking it.

But that 1000 mg of mercury is said to be one million times more in amount than any contaminated seafood. And that is where the issue begins with having a dental amalgam filling. Here are given some reasons why experts at Woodland Hills Dentist are recommending its removal:

Mercury Vapors:

Researchers have found the phenomenon of mercury vaporization in the amalgam fillings. Every time you eat something, mercury vapors are released which, along with the food, enter your body and become a part of the bloodstream. Through blood, it reaches your tissues where it causes oxidation. And this oxidation process causes many diseases as it hampers your body’s ability to detoxify and is also the major cause of aging.

Mercury Poisoning:

Mercury reaches the whole body after becoming part of blood and causes mercury poisoning. Oxidation is not the only issue caused by mercury in your body. Mercury poisoning also causes some other major health problems, including tachycardia (increased heart rate), hypertension (increased blood pressure), hypotonia (muscle weakness), and kidney dysfunction, etc. It also causes many skin problems like shedding and swelling of the skin, rashes as well as skin discoloration. Besides that, research has also found mercury poisoning involved in the brain, mental and mood disorders, like memory lapse, foggy brain, anxiety, depression, tremors, and emotional disruption.

These are the reasons why many people are opting to remove amalgam fillings and replacing it with a more advanced filling option. It might be a bit expensive, but you know that health is the actual wealth!