Dental amalgam. The state of the art and science

When you balance the benefits and liabilities of a modern dental amalgam, it is one of the materials that comes closet to being an ideal restorative. Its numerous clinical advantages have, in the past, made it a standard in dental care. The profession's and public's awareness of the issues surrounding the mercury content, coupled with the biased reporting of the controversy by less than responsible journalists, have served to impung the material. The dental profession has used the material successfully in its present form for almost 100 years. There are still valid questions about the material that require further scientific investigation. Investigators continue to make improvements in the alloy's strength and handling properties while limiting the mercury-release potential of the material. As we move into the twenty-first century, we are again told we will soon have a suitable replacement for dental amalgam. That is an often repeated promise for this multifunctional product. Time and sound research into the longevity and liabilities of all restorative materials as applied in the office of the general practitioner will tell us if amalgam is or is not going to disappear from the dental armamentarium in the near future.