Dental Fillings – An Old Filling Creates A Big Dilema

Photo Credit: Appelogen.be

I went to the dentist last week and even though I had an A+ on my brushing and flossing, I did get a piece of bad news.  I had an old filling (likely from when I was a girl in the 70’s) that had fallen out at some point in the last six months.  Now, it’s not a large filling, but a filling none-the-less that now needs to be replaced.  And my dentist has offered me a choice – replace it with what was there before, which is called amalgam, or switch to composite.  Both materials have pros and cons, but mostly cons.  So I am in a big dilemma and I need to make a decision before the week is up.

Before I go on, please know that I am not a scientist and I don’t presume to solve the great dental filling debate here.  Rather, I would just like to share my thought process as I prepare to have my own filling repaired.

Amalgam fillings, the silver ones that most of us have in our molars, have been the subject of great debate for many years.  They have been used since the 1800’s, and I think they are in just about everybody’s mouths at this point.  But many know that amalgam contains mercury, and mercury is a neurotoxin and pollutes the environment.

Then there is composite, a tooth colored plastic that they heat and bond to your tooth.  This is thought to be a safer alternative but it is plastic and it contains Bisphenol A or better known as BPA, which is an endocrine disruptor that we should all try to avoid as well.  Plus, many who know me know that I have an intense dislike for plastics, from production to use.

So what am I supposed to do?  Poison my nervous system or my hormones?  Well, I am not an alarmist and so I don’t think that either choice is going to be too detrimental.  I already have both materials in my mouth and I think I am okay . . . right?  But as a person who guides most decisions on the green-ness of the options, I feel a little lost about what to do.

Both mercury and BPA have bioaccumulative properties, which means they don’t really dissipate over time, they just build up in your system.  Sounds bad.  Both pollute the environment.  Also bad.  But I keep thinking that while either choice may have negative effects for me and the environment, the plastic is the lesser of the two evils.  Plastic may contain chemicals that causes harm to me and I may have issues with the overall resource consumption and pollution behind plastic production, but my little filling is less than a drop in the bucket in comparison to the amount of plastic out there.  The amalgam filling though, it will need to go to the hazardous materials site when it falls out again.  My logic tells me that the mercury is more harmful to the environment and others (besides just myself) than the plastic. 

So, composite it is for this particular filling.  Please keep in mind on your next dental restoration that each person is different and so is each filling.  Your dentist will have advice for your particular needs that should help you to make an informed decision so please discuss the pros and cons with him or her.

But what’s even better, brush and floss your teeth twice a day so that you decrease your chances of needing a new filling!

Eco Home Consultations provides green living consultation services in the Seattle area, focusing on practical ways to integrate green living into your household.  Learn more at www.ecohomeconsults.com or email questions about this blog or other green living issues to Melissa@ecohomeconsults.com.