Journal of Lifestyle Medicine

The Difference between Mercury Free and Mercury Safe Dentistry Millions of people have at least one silver or dark amalgam filling in their mouth. Half of this filling is made of mercury, a highly toxic metal that releases harmful vapor, especially when heated. Consuming hot or acidic food and drink, tooth brushing, and teeth grinding all increase the amount of mercury vaporization and exposure. Drilling out a mercury filling without proper care creates by far the most heat and releases the greatest concentrations of mercury vapor, resulting in the highest exposure to this toxin during the removal procedure. The released mercury then is absorbed through the lungs where it enters the bloodstream and can cross the blood-brain barrier or into a placenta. Because mercury chemically bonds with everything, it is not easy to eliminate. Mercury, if retained in the body, can wreak havoc on cells and have adverse effects on the enzymatic process. There are no recognized biological benefits to mercury. Health-c