Traditional dental fillings are made with amalgam, a mixture of mercury, silver, tin, copper, and zinc. While they have been used to restore teeth for more than a century, mercury represents about half of their overall weight. A study in 2016 found that people with more than eight amalgam fillings are at risk for higher mercury levels in their blood. Amalgam fillings usually need replacement after about fifteen years, so here are a few reasons you should consider having your amalgam restorations replaced with tooth-colored fillings.
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