Dental amalgam has been around for decades and was the treatment of choice for teeth that had dental decay. It remains a good material, but today there are other options. When removing dental amalgam due to structural issues or recurrent decay, there are often questions about the mercury and how it is removed safely to minimize exposure to yourself and the environment. There are guidelines in place to help prevent the mercury from being washed down the drain and entering our environment through units in the dental office. As well, from a personal protection standpoint, dental dams, high volume suction, and water irrigation all prevent the ingestion of the components from dental amalgam when it is being removed.

Dr. Ken Hamin
ReflectionsDentalHealth.ca