For decades, the material of choice for dental fillings was an amalgam containing mercury. Concerns about mercury vapor escaping these fillings have led to more people asking about amalgam removal, but it is worth understanding both sides before deciding it is right for you.
If you had fillings as a child, there is a chance your dentist used an amalgam material containing mercury to fill cavities in your teeth. If so, you may have read that mercury fillings could be bad for your health and want them removed. At Bayside Dental Arts, Andrey Ilyabayev, DDS, and our team provide safe mercury removal and can replace amalgam fillings with porcelain or ceramic fillings that match your tooth color.
Mercury Amalgam Fillings
Dental amalgam is made of roughly equal parts of a powder containing silver, tin, copper, zinc, and other metals, combined with liquid mercury. It is strong and long-lasting, and it was the standard filling material for many years.
Mercury can escape the amalgam slowly over time, usually as a vapor. The Food and Drug Administration has recognized concerns about mercury exposure. While most people are not adversely affected by having a few mercury fillings, multiple fillings can cause excess mercury to show up in blood or urine, which could pose a greater risk for people in certain categories, including:
- Women planning to become pregnant, pregnant women, and developing fetuses
- Nursing women and breastfed newborns and infants
- Children younger than six
- People with a preexisting neurological disease
- People with impaired kidney function
- People with an allergy to any ingredient in the amalgam
While the number of fillings containing mercury has dropped precipitously over the past several years, plummeting 73 percent between 2017 and 2022 alone, many people who still have mercury fillings from their youth are concerned about the risks.
Is Removal Always the Right Move?
It is worth knowing that the FDA does not recommend removing amalgam fillings that are intact and not damaged, purely out of concern about mercury exposure. Removing an amalgam filling releases a temporary burst of mercury vapor, and for most healthy adults without symptoms, that brief exposure during removal may not offer a clear health benefit over simply leaving a sound filling in place.
Where removal tends to make more sense is when a filling is already cracked, worn, or failing and needs to be replaced anyway, when you fall into one of the higher-risk categories above, or when you have a diagnosed mercury sensitivity. Dr. Ilyabayev can help you weigh your specific situation rather than assuming removal is automatically the right call for everyone. Organizations that advocate for mercury-free dentistry, such as the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology, point to symptoms including cardiovascular problems, cognitive issues, headaches, insomnia, and tremors as associated with excessive mercury exposure, though this view is more precautionary than the FDA’s own position that typical amalgam fillings are safe for most people.
Mercury Amalgam Removal
Getting mercury fillings replaced is not as simple as visiting any dentist to have the filling taken out and a new one installed. Removing amalgam fillings releases mercury vapor, so disposing of amalgam through traditional waste disposal also poses an environmental hazard.
At Bayside Dental Arts, we have invested in equipment and training to remove mercury amalgam safely, following the Safe Mercury Amalgam Removal Technique (SMART) protocol. A specialized ventilation system pulls vapor up and away from you and the dental team and traps it before it can spread. We then dispose of the amalgam safely using hazardous material containers rather than standard waste disposal.
The entire process to remove mercury fillings typically takes 60 to 90 minutes. We then place new fillings made of a neutral material, such as porcelain or ceramic, matched to your current tooth color.
Andrey Ilyabayev, DDS, and our team have helped patients throughout Bayside, Queens, and the surrounding area weigh their options around mercury fillings for years, without pushing removal on patients who do not need it. Do you want to talk through whether removing your mercury amalgam fillings makes sense for you? Schedule a consultation by calling us at Bayside Dental Arts, or book an appointment online. Our New York office is located in Bayside, Queens.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mercury Filling Removal
Should I Have My Amalgam Fillings Removed Even if They Are Not Causing Problems?
Not necessarily. The FDA does not recommend removing intact, undamaged amalgam fillings solely due to mercury concerns, since the removal process itself briefly releases mercury vapor. It may make more sense if the filling is already failing or you fall into a higher-risk category.
What Is the SMART Protocol?
The Safe Mercury Amalgam Removal Technique is a protocol designed to limit mercury vapor exposure during removal, using specialized ventilation and filtration equipment along with protective measures for the patient and dental team.
How Long Does Mercury Filling Removal Take?
The process typically takes 60 to 90 minutes per visit, depending on how many fillings are being replaced.
What Will My Fillings Be Replaced With?
Amalgam fillings are typically replaced with tooth-colored fillings made of porcelain or ceramic, matched to blend in with your natural teeth.
Is It Safe to Dispose of Old Amalgam Fillings at Home?
No. Amalgam waste needs to be disposed of through hazardous material containers rather than regular trash, since it poses an environmental hazard if it enters standard waste streams.
About the Author
Dr. Ilyabayev provides general, cosmetic, and implant dentistry at Bayside Dental Arts in Bayside, Queens, including SMART-protocol mercury amalgam removal for patients who need or want it.