Are Silver (Amalgam) Fillings Safe?

Silver fillings — properly called dental amalgam — have been used for over 150 years. They’re strong, affordable and last for decades. But they contain roughly 50% mercury, and that rightly raises questions.

What the science actually says

The World Health Organization, the FDA, the Indian Dental Association, and the American Dental Association all continue to classify dental amalgam as safe for most patients. The mercury inside a set filling is chemically bound into a stable alloy — it is not the same as liquid mercury. The tiny amount of mercury vapour released during chewing is far below any level shown to cause harm.

There are two exceptions where dentists recommend avoiding amalgam:

• Pregnant or breastfeeding women, as a precaution.
• Children under 6, where newer tooth-coloured materials are preferred.

Patients with a genuine allergy to metal components (very rare) should also opt for composite or ceramic alternatives.

Should you replace existing silver fillings?

Unless a filling is leaking, fractured or decaying underneath, the guidance worldwide is do not replace them just for cosmetic reasons. Drilling out a healthy amalgam filling removes additional tooth structure and briefly releases more mercury vapour than leaving it in place.

Ask your dentist to check each filling at your annual visit. When one finally fails — and they do, after 15-30 years — that’s the right moment to replace it with modern tooth-coloured composite or ceramic.

What we do at Dantam Dental

At our Roorkee clinic we no longer place new amalgam fillings — we use tooth-coloured composite and ceramic inlays as standard. If you have old silver fillings and want them replaced for aesthetic reasons, we’ll discuss the pros and cons honestly rather than pushing you either way. When we do remove amalgam, we use rubber-dam isolation and high-volume suction to capture any debris safely.

Bottom line: your existing silver fillings are almost certainly not harming you. But there’s rarely a reason to place a new one today.