Dental Amalgam Fillings Are Being Phased Out for a Reason

Those silver dental fillings? They're about 50% mercury. And the global push to phase them out is backed by real human biomonitoring data.

Mercury From Your Mouth

A 2026 study in Environ Health used human biomonitoring to support the Minamata Convention's push to phase out dental amalgam. The study measured mercury levels in people with amalgam fillings and found measurable exposure. The more fillings you have, the more mercury is in your body.

Dental amalgam has been used for over 150 years. It's durable and cheap. But it continuously releases mercury vapor that you inhale and absorb. Chewing, grinding, and drinking hot beverages increase the release. The mercury accumulates in your organs over time.

The Minamata Convention

The Minamata Convention is a global treaty to reduce mercury pollution and human exposure. Dental amalgam is one of its targets. Many countries are already phasing it out. The study provides the biomonitoring evidence to support that decision.

What You Can Do

When you need new fillings, choose composite (tooth-colored) fillings instead of amalgam. If you have existing amalgam fillings, talk to a dentist about whether replacement makes sense (removal itself can cause temporary mercury exposure if not done properly). Browse non-toxic home essentials for other mercury-free swaps in your home.

Also see non-toxic kitchen essentials for safer alternatives.

Source: Usenik et al. (2026). Environ Health.