A good site for truth on the amalgam issue.

[trotsky]

This is written by a very knowledgable dentist. Anti-amalgamists should note that he even states he doesn't use amalgam anymore - it's his opinion that today's composites are a superior material (primarily for cosmetic reasons). But he didn't reject amalgam for any of the reasons anti-amalgamists do, and he put together a special page to specifically address the misinformation on this issue.

http://www.doctorspiller.com/mercury.htm

How to read a web page published by anti-amalgamists

If you do a Google search for "dental amalgam mercury" you will be presented with literally thousands of results, almost all of them pointing to pages warning of the toxicity of dental amalgam. The people who write them are mostly good, honest folks. They are simply misguided in their beliefs concerning the dangers of dental amalgam. Most believe that anyone who does not hold their beliefs is involved in a huge conspiracy to poison people for financial gain. Since there is SO MUCH misinformation concerning this subject, I provide some common sense guidelines to help you, the reader, to evaluate their claims...

Here's something I've been wondering about during these discussions - how does the mercury level in someone with amalgams compare to someone without, and what's the effect on mercury level from amalgams vs. that of consuming even a small amount of fish?

In spite of attempts to demonstrate a direct relationship between the presence of dental amalgams and elevated blood levels of mercury, none has been found. The average mercury level in the blood of subjects with amalgams was 0.7 ng/ mL (coefficient of variation = 78%), whereas the level in subjects without amalgams was 0.3 ng/mL (coefficient of variation = 77%). In comparison, other investigators reported that ingestion of one saltwater seafood meal per week raised the average blood mercury level from 2.3 to 5.1 ng/mL. Thus, one saltwater seafood meal per week can be expected to contribute seven times more mercury to blood levels than the presence of multiple dental amalgam restorations. The lowest level of total blood mercury at which the earliest nonspecific symptoms occur is 35 ng/mL (after long-term exposures). Thus, the widespread removal of amalgams is unwarranted.

He also raises the important distinction between types of mercury - elemental mercury (the type that is in dental amalgam, and which is extremely poorly absorbed by the body) versus mercury salts or mercury compounds, like methyl mercury (the type that's in seafood, and which is readily absorbed). So what about the mercury vapor from amalgams that gets inhaled?

There is no evidence that the extremely small amounts of mercury that may be released into the mouth from dental fillings presents any danger of mercury poisoning. The mercury that is ingested and inhaled is easily excreted from the body through the kidneys. Studies show that the average daily intake of mercury from ordinary food and water is between 4 and 15 times the amount that is ingested due to the presence of a mouthful of dental amalgam restorations.

So, if you're really looking for the facts and not distortions, I suggest you take a look at this page. You'll learn about the history of amalgam opposition (which is enlightening - and totally opposite of the movement today) as well as explanations about the roles of the EPA and FDA. And on the rest of his pages, he has a LOT of really cool and interesting information about teeth and dentistry in general.