Natalia
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 Posted: 04/21/06 - 02:00 Post subject: Silver fillings carry no risk to children |
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According to the new research, silver filling pose no risk to children from mercury poisoning which can lead to memory loss and kidney failure.
Such fillings or amalgam have been used for 150 years, but in recent years fears have been raised about mercury vapor being absorbed into the body. Silver fillings are made from silver, copper, zinc and other metals held together like glue by mercury.
Originally, it was thought that a person's exposure to mercury was brief, lasting only when the filling was put in. But in the 1980s scientists showed that amalgam continuously released vapor in the mouth, which is inhaled and absorbed by the body.
Nine years ago it was found the use of dental amalgam was free from the risk of toxicity and, as a result, it is still used by NHS dentists, although white fillings are sometimes used for front teeth.
The researchers from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, who conducted two studies in Portugal and the US, took a group of children with tooth decay but no existing fillings and gave them either silver fillings or white composite resin fillings. After several years they were tested for changes to memory, co-ordination and nerve conduction. No deterioration was measured, although researchers did find those with sliver fillings had slightly higher levels of mercury in their urine.
Institute director Dr Lawrence Tabak said the levels of mercury were so low they were not causing a problem.
But he said: "It was clear that we needed to determine whether the potential risks of dental amalgam in any way outweigh its benefits and we needed to make the determination first in children, who may be more sensitive to any adverse effects of mercury.” |
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