Salivary mercury levels in healthy donors with and without amalgam fillings

Dental amalgam (AMG) is the most diffused dental filling material. Since it is constituted for at least 40-45% of Hg, many questions have raised about its safe use. Hg particles from dental amalgam dissolve in saliva and, being ingested, they reach the blood stream through the intestinal mucosa. It has been demonstrated that amalgam fillings continuously release Hg vapour and that there is detectable Hg in expired and inspired air of amalgam owners. It is not yet fully accepted that AMG fillings represent the principal source of Hg for man and the aim of this study was to evaluate if the mercury level in saliva: 1) was higher within people bearing dental amalgam restorations than in people with no restorations; 2) was different between males or females; 3) increased in relation to the surface of amalgam restorations. The results showed a correlation between number of fillings and salivary Hg, between amalgam surface and salivary Hg. The Authors could finally assert that AMG fillings represented the principal source of salivary Hg in the subjects studied.