amalgam filling
Mercury-based dental repair
An amalgam filling is a dental restoration made from a mixture of mercury and metal alloys—typically silver, tin, and copper.
These silver-colored fillings have been used for over 150 years to repair cavities in teeth: The dentist replaced my old amalgam filling with a tooth-colored composite.
Though durable and inexpensive, concerns about mercury content have led many patients to choose alternatives.
- mercuryLiquid metallic element
- mercury poisoningHarmful metallic element accumulation
- silverLustrous white precious metal
- dentalRelating to teeth
- cavityEmpty space within
dental work · tooth · tooth decay · drill · drill bit · dentist · open wide · root canal · metal · alloy · decay · molar · restoration · shiny · cold · bite · chewing · mouth
amalgam, filling, amalgams, amalgamate, amalgamated, amalgamation, amalgamating, fill, fills