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I have heard a lot about mercury poisoning from metal fillings. Can this happen?

hello doctor

i really wanted your opinion on metal fillings. I had two in the back of my mouth, which i had done many years ago and now i have been hearing a lot of worrying things about mercury poisoning and metal fillings cracking teeth. is this information true? im really unsure what to do, as i am very scared of that but i also hate and fear dental treatment and it took a lot for me have the metal fillings put in.

Any help you could give would be amazing
thank you doctor pinder

My opinion on metal fillings in your case would be to leave well alone .If the fillings need replacing for any reason then have non – metal fillings done .
I use amalgam very little these days , but occasionally if a tooth has decay near the nerve , under the gum decay or the filling is very large then white fillings can have their downsides . One of those is being lasting a shorter time , another is having problems after the replacement.
I think amalgam will die out with time , as nobody would develop a biological replacement for tooth structure with mercury in it these days .
However there are billions and billions of amalgam fillings in peoples mouths and i dont believe they have done any harm . There are always exceptions to everything .
If you are phobic , then you want to get the best and longest lasting solution .

Answer provided by: Dr Jennifer Pinder Retired
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