Social Injustices Associated with Amalgam

The use of mercury amalgam has led to many social injustices, including....

No Information

The term “silver fillings” has misled many dental consumers into believing that amalgam is just silver when it is really mostly mercury. Only 11% of Americans are told by their dentists that amalgam fillings are 50% mercury – and Americans making under $50,000/year, racial minorities, and women are even less likely to get enough information about what’s in their dental fillings. Consumers for Dental Choice is leading the charge to expose the “silver fillings” deception. Learn more here.

No Choice

Amalgam is routinely used in people who are given no choice – especially low-income families, soldiers, veterans, American Indians, and others subject to government dental programs through Medicaid/Medicare, the Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Indian Health Service. Consumers for Dental Choice is challenging government programs that deny people the choice of mercury-free fillings. Learn more here.

No Coverage

Many dental insurance companies will not fully pay for mercury-free dental fillings. Instead, they give preference to mercury amalgam fillings, which they fully pay for. Consumers for Dental Choice is leading the campaign to reform insurance coverage to include mercury-free fillings. Learn more here. 

Mercury-Free Fillings

Mercury-free filling options Mercury-free dental fillings have been developed and studied for over fifty years. As a result, a wide variety of alternatives to mercury amalgam fillings are available today. The most popular mercury-free fillings include:

• Composite
• Glass Ionomer
• Compomer

Advantages of Mercury-free Fillings

Mercury-free dental fillings offer many advantages:

• Environment-friendly: Composites and glass ionomers are mercury-free, and there is no evidence of environmental toxicity.


• Preserve teeth: The placement of mercury-free fillings allows for less tooth destruction, which preserves more natural tooth structure. Composites fillings can also strengthen and enhance biomechanical properties of the restored tooth. As a result, the tooth itself can survive longer.


• Easier to Repair: Composite fillings are easier to repair than composites – which can save you both tooth structure and money. 


• Durable: Recent studies show that properly placed composite fillings can last just as long as– or even longer than – amalgam fillings.


• Prevent caries: Glass ionomers, used in atraumatic restorative treatment (ART), have proven valuable in certain clinical situations where they can be more accessible and less expensive than amalgam (for example, in communities without electricity).


• User-friendly:  All properly trained dentists can place mercury-free fillings in any tooth requiring a filling. If a dentist tells you he or she has to use amalgam because it is too hard to use a mercury-free filling in your tooth, find a more competent dentist!

Increasing Use of Mercury-free Fillings

​Because mercury-free dental restorations are increasingly effective, available, and affordable, a growing number of countries have already made significant progress in phasing down – and even phasing out – amalgam use. The chart below shows the percentage of total fillings that are amalgam versus how many are mercury-free in several countries.

Workplace Hazards Associated with Amalgam

Dental professionals face the hazards of amalgam’s mercury everyday in their workplace, most of them with no protection against mercury exposure....


Workplace Mercury Exposure

Dental professionals – including dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants, and dental office staff – can be exposed to mercury in their workplace, both directly and indirectly: 

• Direct exposure: Dental professionals can come into direct contact with amalgam’s mercury during the preparation, placement, and removal of amalgam fillings. Accidental mercury spills can also lead to direct exposure.


• Indirect mercury exposure:  Dental professionals can also encounter mercury indirectly in their work environment. Researchers have found high levels of mercury in the air of dental offices that use amalgam. This mercury can also contaminate carpeting and pipes.

Workplace Health Problems

This exposure to mercury in the workplace would explain.... 

• Higher mercury levels in dental professionals: Dental workers have higher levels of mercury in their bodies than the general population.


• More health problems for dental professionals: Dentists report or seek treatment for more health problems – including neurological, neuropsychological, respiratory, cardiac, and kidney disorders – than the general population.


• Reproductive problems for female dental professionals: : Female dental professionals of child-bearing age who are exposed to amalgam in the workplace experience more reproductive problems than unexposed women.

Tooth Damage Associated with Amalgam
​On top of the risks of mercury exposure, amalgam is not even good for teeth.

Oral Health Damage
Amalgam can harm your oral health by....

• Damaging tooth structure during placement: Placing amalgam requires the removal of a significant amount of healthy tooth matter.This removal weakens overall tooth structure, which increases the need for future dental work – and the costs coming out of your pocket.
• Cracking teeth after placement: After placement, amalgam fillings expand and contract over time. As a result, these teeth can crack – leading to still more dental work.

Environmental Problems Associated with Amalgam

Mercury amalgam dental fillings have an impact far beyond your mouth – they are one of the most significant sources of mercury pollution today.

Superior modern alternatives to amalgam preserve healthy tooth structure and actually strengthen teeth, leading to better oral health and less extensive dental work over the long-term. 

Quantity of Dental Mercury

Between 270 and 341 tonnes of mercury are consumed globally for use in amalgam each year. Accounting for at least 10% of global mercury consumption, amalgam is among the largest consumer uses of mercury in the world.
Pathways to the environmentDental mercury enters the environment via many different pathways. For example, dental mercury pollutes:

• Air via human cremation, sewage sludge and waste incineration, and dental clinic emissions


• Water via human waste disposal and dental clinic releases


• Land via landfills, human burials, and fertilizers

Environmental Health Risks

After amalgam enters the environment, certain microorganisms can change its elemental mercury into methylmercury, a highly toxic form of mercury that builds up in fish, shellfish, and people that eat fish. Methylmercury can damage children’s developing brains and nervous systems even before they are born

Environmental Costs

After environmental costs are taken into account, amalgam is significantly more expensive than the mercury-free fillings. According to the 2012 report The Real Cost of Dental Mercury, an amalgam filling can cost up to $87 (USD) more than an equivalent mercury-free composite filling, once the full lifecycle costs of each filling is taken into account.

Minamata Convention

The Minamata Convention on Mercury is a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury. The Convention requires each party to “phase down the use of dental amalgam.” It also addresses amalgam in Annex A, where it can be amended later to set a phase-out date for this toxic mercury product. The United States government has signed this Convention, but so far taken no step to effectively phase down amalgam use.

What is Dental Amalgam?
Dental amalgam is a tooth filling material that is approximately 50% mercury. It is sometimes misleadingly called a “silver filling”, even though it contains far more mercury than silver. Mercury, a heavy metal, is known to be poisonous to the human nervous system.  

There are still dentists out there who use this toxic mercury product, so make sure to say “No amalgam!” before you ever sit in that dental chair. Ask for mercury-free fillings instead!

Health Risks Associated with Amalgam
When it comes to your health, amalgam can do far more harm than good....

​Mercury Exposure

Dental amalgam is approximately 50% mercury, a known neurotoxin and reproductive toxin. Amalgam releases mercury vapors throughout its lifecycle, especially when 

• the dentist places the amalgam in your tooth 
• you chew food or gum 
• you brush your teeth 
• you grind your teeth 

As a result, people with amalgam fillings have higher levels of mercury in their bodies than people without amalgam fillings. 

Vulnerable Populations

​Mercury exposure from dental amalgam is not safe for anyone. But it is particularly risky for....

• Children: Children’s developing brains and neurological systems are particularly susceptible to the neurotoxic effects of amalgam’s mercury vapor. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) admits that there is no evidence that amalgam is safe for children: “Very limited to no clinical information is available regarding long-term health outcomes in pregnant women and their developing fetuses, and children under the age of six, including infants who are breastfed.” Many countries – including the entire European Union – are banning amalgam use in children.


• Women of childbearing age: Mercury from a mother’s amalgams can cross the placenta and accumulate in her unborn child. As mentioned above, the FDA admits that there is no evidence that amalgam is safe for developing fetuses. Many countries – including the entire European Union, Canada, Australia, and Mauritius – are banning or recommending against amalgam use in pregnant women. 


• Breastfeeding infants: Mercury from a mother’s amalgams can be passed to her infant through breast milk. The European Union is banning amalgam use in breastfeeding mothers.


• People with kidney impairments: Mercury can be harmful to your kidneys, especially if you already have a kidney disorder. Decreased kidney function (decreased renal clesarance) is likely to decrease the body’s ability to eliminate mercury via urine. Canada warns against the use of amalgam in people with kidney impairments.


• Genetically-susceptible individuals: Recent studies found that some individuals are more genetically prone to suffer the neurotoxic effects of mercury from amalgam. For example, Woods et. al. (2012) found “significant adverse effects on neurobehavioral functions associated with chronic Hg [mercury] exposure [from amalgam] and the CPOX4 genetic variant among children, with effects manifested predominantly among boys.”


• People with pre-existing neurological problems: Mercury is known as a potent poison of the brain and nervous system. If you already have a neurological problem, it would be risky to add neurotoxic mercury from amalgam on top of it.


• People already exposed to other mercury sources: Mercury from amalgam and other sources (like some fish) is bioaccumulative, meaning that it builds up in increasing concentrations in the body. If you are already exposed to mercury in your workplace or diet, the additional mercury from amalgam is likely to be more than your body can handle.


• People with allergies or hypersensitivities: The FDA warns against use of amalgam in people with allergies or hypersensitivities to mercury. As FDA’s rule explains, “FDA concludes that existing data indicate that certain individuals with a pre-existing hypersensitivity or allergy to mercury may be at risk for adverse health effects from mercury vapor released from dental amalgam.... FDA concluded that various dermatological conditions or lesions of the skin, mouth, and tongue were attributed to direct or indirect contact with dental amalgam, and may have been related to a pre-existing hypersensitivity or allergy to mercury and/or other metals.”


• People with other metals in their mouth: The FDA warns against use of amalgam when it would come into direct contact with other metals in the mouth, such as stainless steel, titanium, base metal alloys, and noble metal alloys. As FDA’s rule explains, “Dental amalgam devices may corrode under certain conditions, including when they are placed in direct contact with other metals. If a dental amalgam device corrodes, it will lose its strength and will need to be replaced. Corrosion also increases the amount of mercury vapor a dental amalgam device releases.” So if you’ve got braces, beware!


• Dental professionals: In addition to their direct contact with mercury, dental professionals who work in offices that use amalgam also face high levels of mercury in the air they breathe. As a result, dental professionals – including dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants, and office staff – are at particular risk. Studies have shown that they have elevated systemic mercury levels. Since many dental professionals are women of child-bearing age, they are especially susceptible to the reproductive hazards associated with mercury exposure.

Dr. Don Jones, of Social Circle Dental, is dedicated to practicing healthy, conservative dentistry. If you have a weak, damaged, or painful tooth, he will recommend the most conservative option available. In many cases, all you'll need is a simple repair such as a filling to restore the health and beauty of your tooth. However, when the tooth is badly decayed, broken, or otherwise seriously damaged, you might expect to lose it. With dental crowns, many of those compromised teeth can be saved!

Dental crowns can be made of many materials, but at Social Circle Dental, we use high-strength porcelain. It is more durable than composite, healthier than many metals, and more beautiful than any other solution. Porcelain closely mimics the reflectivity and opalescence of natural tooth enamel, with a greater level of stain resistance. 

For your convenience, our office is equipped with state of the art CEREC CAD/CAM technology allowing us to design and fabricate your new crown, right here during your appointment. The restorations are planned using sophisticated software, and the data is sent to the milling machine digitally. In a matter of minutes, the restoration is sculpted with precision accuracy from a block of dental porcelain. It is colored to match your existing teeth, for a lovely result. 

Dr. Jones strives to provide every patient with personalized, healthy dentistry with a beautiful result. People travel from Loganville, Monroe, and communities across Georgia to enjoy world-class care from a widely respected biologic dentist. Call Social Circle Dental at (770) 464-1900 and schedule your appointment today.

Dental crown treatment has been a common procedure for over a century. In some situations, this may be the most efficient option for restoring a nice, healthy appearance and full function. Dr. Don Jones has been providing excellent biological dental care to patients from Social Circle and surrounding areas for many years. Before recommending dental crown treatment, a thorough consultation and examination are performed, and alternative treatments are considered. The priority in our office is to restore the greatest degree of oral health in the most conservative way.

Metal-free crowns are ideal in most situations. For front teeth, especially, all-ceramic crowns will produce the most natural appearance. Metal-free crowns are not only for teeth visible in the smile. Your dentist may suggest a healthy, metal-free crown for the repair of a molar, as well. All-ceramic crowns, such as those made with CEREC technology, are proven safe, efficient, and extremely long lasting.

If your smile is in need of repair, we can help. Contact Social Circle Dental to schedule your visit with Dr. Jones.

Joining a distinguished group of colleagues at the University of Illinois School of Public Health, we announced the new Chicago Declaration to End Dental Industry Mercury Use – a statement by 50 organizations calling for action on amalgam.
The signers are among the leading national environment, public health, and children’s rights groups in America: Sierra Club, Greenpeace, Health Care Without Harm, Clean Water Action, Learning Disabilities Association of America, International Indian Treaty Council, Organic Consumers Association, Environmental Working Group, Regeneration International, Mercury Policy Project, Organic and Natural Health Association, Los Jardines Institute, and Ecology Center.  
Signers of the Chicago Declaration also include important state-based nonprofit groups from half the states, such as Physicians for Social Responsibility-Chicago, Texas Campaign for the Environment, Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice, Clean and Healthy New York, the California-based Coalition for Clean Air, Pennsylvania Council of Churches, and the Ohio Environmental Council.
The Chicago Declaration calls for…. 

• matching the European Union by ending amalgam use in children, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers in 2018, based on the precautionary principle  

• phasing out new amalgam placement by the end of 2020 with time-limited specified exceptions 

• action by FDA to bring its policies in line with the Minamata Convention on Mercury and to publicly advise a phase down of the use of amalgam with the goal of phasing out entirely 

While FDA action is urged, we shall not wait for FDA to act! As explained by Beth McGaw, President, Learning Disabilities Association of America, “Today, every parent in America needs to insist their dentists only use mercury-free dental fillings for their child.”  And why not?  To quote Jessica Saepoff, DDS, former Commissioner of the Washington State Dental Quality Assurance Commission, “Mercury-free dentistry is practical, it is a superior technology and it is tooth-friendly – minimally invasive – while amalgam is not.”
After all, as Consumers for Dental Choice executive director Charlie Brown told the news conference announcing the Chicago Declaration on Monday, “Twenty-first century dentistry is mercury-free dentistry.” 

Courtesy, Charlie Brown - www.toxicteeth.org

Dental fillings and dental crowns are restorations that can transform a smile. Patients in Monroe, GA, will ask, "Is there a dentist near me who provides restorative dental care?" The team at Social Circle Dental will reply with a resounding, "Yes." Residents in Monroe do not have to travel far for the excellent care Dr. Jones and our team provide.


Dental Fillings

One of the most common health conditions in the world is cavities. Dr. Jones believes in patient education so tooth decay can be prevented. Therefore, it is critical to brush at least twice a day, floss before bedtime, and maintain dental check-ups at least biannually. Signs of tooth decay include toothaches, tooth sensitivity, visible pits or holes in the teeth, tooth discoloration, pain when biting and mild to sharp pain when eating or drinking hot or cold foods or beverages. If you notice any of these signs, it is important to seek treatment. Left untreated, tooth decay can lead to gum disease as well as other health issues. 

Dental Crowns

When a tooth is severely damaged from decay, a dental crown may be recommended. A dental crown can be used to strengthen and protect a tooth after the decay has been removed. We provide treatment that meets unique patient needs. If the tooth shows when smiling, we may recommend a same-day crown to restore health, function, and beauty to the smile in a single appointment. We utilize CEREC (Chairside Economical Restorations of Esthetic Ceramic) to provide a same-day porcelain crown. 


At Social Circle Dental, we provide the most conservative treatment to restore your smile. Have you experienced symptoms of tooth decay? If you have, we recommend scheduling an appointment with Dr. Jones today. Call 770-464-1900.

Social Circle Dental is committed to providing treatments that fit the budgets and lifestyles of patients in Social Circle, GA and beyond. We proudly serve patients who seek our holistic and biological approach to dental care. Our highly sought after dentist, Dr. Jones, has more than 42 years of experience transforming smiles. We know that decisions regarding smiles are important. Therefore, we do all we can to help patients understand their insurance coverage and provide estimates of what may be covered. When asked if dental insurance covers dental crowns, we respond, “It depends.” Individual needs will determine the cost as well as coverage of treatments such as crowns.

Since needs vary, we offer two methods of crown treatment. For the teeth that show when smiling, where aesthetics is a concern, Dr. Jones may recommend crowns fabricated at a high quality laboratory. After impressions are made, they are used to customize the crowns. Creating the ideal crowns involves artistic and technical skills and expertise. Dr. Jones and a crown ceramist make an excellent team in creating crowns that will blend naturally with smiles.

​Regardless of the method of crown treatment, patients can embrace long-lasting results. With excellent oral hygiene habits including brushing, flossing, and dental check-ups, crowns can last up to a decade or more. 

Rest assured your smile is in good hands at Social Circle Dental. Our caring staff will work with you to receive the dental care you need within your budget. Our highly respected dentist will tailor a treatment plan to meet your needs. To learn more about crown treatment, schedule an appointment by calling 770-464-1900.

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Regardless of age, your smile is always a large part of you, one of the first things that people will notice about you. An important feature, the smile shows others your personality, and is what first impressions are based on. When teeth are missing, the natural inclination to show your smile may be halted, subsequently hiding your personality and possibly making you seem unfriendly. Under such circumstances, it is common for a person to lose confidence and experience diminished personal interactions. It is important to feel good about the appearance of your teeth so that you can smile freely. One of the ways this can be done is with partial dentures, designed in our Social Circle practice.

There are great consequences to living with missing teeth, even just one. This altered structure tends to result in the shifting of other teeth, and can lead to deterioration of bone structure. The more teeth that are missing, the greater the likelihood that facial contours will be impacted, as the teeth are an integral part of facial structure, supporting lips and cheeks and keeping them from sinking inward. Working with Dr. Jones, both beauty and functionality can be restored with a well-designed partial denture appliance.