Amalgam tooth fillings and man's mercury burden

Area of Science:

• Environmental toxicology
• Dental materials science
• Public health

Background:

• Amalgam fillings are a significant source of mercury exposure for the general population, alongside dietary intake.
• Understanding mercury dose from amalgam is crucial for toxicological assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review methods for estimating mercury dose from amalgam fillings.
• To predict mercury tissue, blood, and urine concentrations using a toxicokinetic model.
• To assess the health risks associated with mercury exposure from amalgam fillings.

Main Methods:

• Review of various approaches to estimate mercury dose from amalgam.
• Application of a toxicokinetic model for mercury to predict concentrations.
• Comparison of predicted concentrations with autopsy and in vivo data.
• Assessment of health hazards by comparing mercury intake and body burdens to established limits.

Main Results:

• Estimated mercury doses from amalgam fillings were incorporated into a toxicokinetic model.
• Predicted mercury concentrations in tissues, blood, and urine showed good agreement with observed data.
• Combined mercury intake from diet and amalgam fillings did not exceed the acceptable daily intake.
• Blood and urine mercury levels in individuals with amalgam fillings were substantially below critical values associated with adverse health effects.

Conclusions:

• Mercury release from amalgam fillings can be accurately modeled, predicting tissue and blood concentrations.
• The health risk from mercury exposure via amalgam fillings is low, as intake and body burdens remain below toxicologically relevant levels.