What’s In Your Mouth? (Part 1)
Silver fillings—millions of people have them. Besides the obvious fact that they are ugly, what exactly are they?
Silver fillings are otherwise known as mercury amalgam fillings. As a matter of fact, approximately 50% of the mercury amalgam filling is actually mercury, the shiny silver liquid metal that used to be in glass thermometers. (You remember, the thermometers that our mothers held under our tongues when we were kids.) These glass mercury thermometers are no longer being used, especially in a medical setting. As of January 2017, the EPA noted that 13 states have actually banned the manufacture, sale, or distribution of mercury thermometers. Why? Because mercury thermometers break. So what’s the big deal? That ball of shiny silver was fun to play with in chemistry lab. Well, now when that ball of shiny silver is exposed, the room and maybe even the entire building has to be evacuated. The local health department has to be contacted for proper disposal. And it is in the mouths of millions of people.
Mercury is a metal that is known to be a neurotoxin. High levels of mercury can permanently damage the brain and kidneys. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services states that effects of mercury on brain function may result in tremors, changes in vision or hearing, memory problems, and irritability. The EPA has determined that mercury is a possible human carcinogen. And it is in the mouths of millions of people.