Question:
Amalgam is a mixture of mercury and silver, right? Is it 50/50? What if the
dentist doesn't get the mixture correct, say 60% mercury and 40% silver?
Would that then lead to lower pressures required to squeeze mercury from the
amalgam?
Like I said earlier, I tend to side with those who say amalgam is harmless,
but at the same time I find it almost unbelievable that no suffers mercury
poisoning from amalgam fillings. Do modern methods for mixing the mercury
and silver differ from those of 10, 20, 30, etc years ago?
I got to thinking about this after reading and posting about headaches, and
the responses about nighttime teeth clenching. It seems at least plausible
that a poor amalgam mixture, coupled with hours of teeth clenching at night,
might just release some free mercury into the body.
Answer:
Could be. Eating free mercury is not harmful. It is organic mercury
that is harmful!
Yep. Pre-measured capsules versus the older, office dispensed
capsules. Danger to dental personnel, no danger to patients!
Dental Amalgam is 50/50 Silver /Mercury ---BY WEIGHT. There are other
elements mixed in to create the specific properties, but they account for a
small percentage. The material is not 50/50 by volume--only by weight.
Modern dental amalgam is sold pre-measured in sealed capsules. A dental
office would be rather "primitive" if they are still mixing powder (or
tablet) and mercury. With capsules, there is no opportunity for getting the
ratio wrong (assuming the manufacturer has their act together).
Decades ago, dentists would mix elemental mercury and silver powder or
tablets. At one time they even mixed this in a mortar and pestle.
Today even many of our cements are available pre-measured in capsules for
mixing in a machine.
