Silver Fillings: A Restoration of a Bygone Era?
Author: Nicholas S. Makrides D.M.D., M.P.H..; Anita Lockhart D.D.S..
Source: Volume 15, Number 06, September/October 2014 , pp.87-88(2)

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Abstract:
For over 150 years, dentists have restored teeth using “silver fillings”, actually a combination of mercury, silver, copper, and tin called amalgam, which is easy to place and ideal for restoring the biting surfaces of posterior teeth. While it is unlikely that amalgam will completely disappear from the menu of restorative materials, fears over amalgam’s potential toxicity mean that phase out of this material is probably inevitable. Substitution materials, however, also have significant limitations.Keywords: dental amalgam; Minamata Convention; encapsulated amalgam
Affiliations:
1: Contributing Editor; 2: Federal Bureau of Prisons.