[withoutwax1111]

To all the dental students on here, I know this probably seems a silly question, but I'm a bit paranoid about the amalgam fillings in my mouth. Every website seems to have a different view on its safety, with some saying the mercury levels released are too low to cause harm, and some saying even low level exposure can cause harm over time and it will also cause teeth to crack. I'm starting to think of getting them replaced with composite, is this a good idea?

[fuzzycloud]

The jury is still out on this one. So far there has been a lot of research, with no conclusive results. In my opinion they are totally fine. Millions of people have had amalgam fillings all of their lives with no ill-effects, so don't be too concerned.

With regards to replacing them with composite, it's entirely up to you! Modern composite is pretty strong, and a well-placed composite filling could last between 5 and 20 years before needing replaced. You will have to pay for it though.

[Sharoon123]

The level of mercury present is too low to cause any harm. As for replacing it, i would not recommend it just for this reason, since there is always a small chance of the new restoration being poorly placed. If nothings wrong don't fix it.
Hope this helps.