I still have mercury amalgams in my fillings and am considering on having them taken out. I just wanted to know if the quality of mercury is higher than normal, like the mercury put in thermometers.

uh from wut i know they use silver now or porcelin or some other type of non mercury filling!!!!

An amalgam (silver) filling is about 50% mercury. The rest is made of copper, tin, zinc and a spalsh of silver. Don't worry about the quality, worry that it is mercury.

With today's modern materials fillings can be done without having to involve heavy metals such as mercury. In my opinion they are safer and patients like the esthetic results much better.

Listen to Dr. Dave! I agree with him.

Dr. Dave must not have had a course in Dental Materials. The Mercury used in Amalgam fillings is triple distilled, about as pure as can be. That is not the point, after all of these years, there is still not a filling material that is equal to Amalgam in strength and as near as the same in expansion and contraction as the natural tooth when exposed to heat and cold. The amalgam is near 50% mercury as Dr. Dave said; but the other 50% is approx 40% silver, 2% zinc, rest is tin, nickel and copper. Free Mercury is not a metal to play with and as lead should be handled with caution by the Dentist and his Assistants. As it is called Amalgam, that means the Silver alloy combines with the Mercurey forming a crystinline putty like substance that if condensed properly will harden and leaving no free Mercury and is the best, by far, filling material available. Amalgam is not etheticly pleasing as other materials; therefore seldom used where can be seen.

Take a look at this:
By 1845, as a reflection of these concerns, the American Society of Dental Surgeons and several affiliated regional dental societies adopted a resolution that its members sign a pledge not to use amalgam. (Mercury fillings)

Consequently, during the next decade some members of the society were suspended for the malpractice of using amalgam.

But the advocates of amalgam eventually prevailed and membership in the American Society of Dental Surgeons declined, forcing it to disband in 1856.

In its place arose the American Dental Association, founded in 1859, based on the advocacy of amalgam as a safe and desirable tooth filling material.

As you can see this is a very contraversal subject..