ArticleEnvironmental health : a global access science source2014
Longitudinal analysis of the association between removal of dental amalgam, urine mercury and 14 self-reported health symptoms.
Article in Environmental health : a global access science source, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed, 22 citations in OpenAlex.
- A Five-Year Follow-Up Study on the Removal of Dental Amalgam Restorations (Bergen Amalgam Trial): Examining Potential Confounding Factors and Effect Modification.Journal of oral rehabilitation · 2025Article
- Health complaints before and at one and five years after removal of dental amalgam restorations - data from a prospective cohort study in Norway.Acta odontologica Scandinavica · 2024Article
- Article
- Integrative Medicine Approach To Peripheral Neuropathy-Avoiding Pitfalls Of Ineffective Current Standards In Assessing Chronic Low-Grade Mercury Toxicity And Functional Musculoskeletal Lesions.Integrative medicine (Encinitas, Calif.) · 2019Article
- Environmental impacts caused by cemeteries and crematoria, new funeral technologies, and preferences of the Northeastern and Southern Brazilian population as for the funeral process.Environmental science and pollution research international · 2017Article
- The extent of mercury (Hg) exposure among Saudi mothers and their respective infants.Environmental monitoring and assessment · 2015Article
- AnJournal of conservative dentistry : JCDArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMercury vapor poses a known health risk with no clearly established safe level of exposure. Consequently there is debate over whether the level of prolonged exposure to mercury vapor from dental amalgam fillings, combining approximately 50% mercury with other metals, is sufficiently high to represent a risk to health. The objective of our study is to determine if mercury exposure from amalgam fillings is associated with risk of adverse health effects.
methodsIn a large longitudinal non-blind sample of participants from a preventative health program in Calgary, Canada we compared number of amalgam fillings, urine mercury measures and changes in 14 self-reported health symptoms, proposed to be mercury dependent sub-clinical measures of mental and physical health. The likelihood of change over one year in a sample of persons who had their fillings removed was compared to a sample of persons who had not had their fillings removed. We use non-parametric statistical tests to determine if differences in urine mercury were statistically significant between sample groups. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the likelihood of observing symptom improvement or worsening in the sample groups.
resultsAt baseline, individuals with dental amalgam fillings have double the measured urine mercury compared to a control group of persons who have never had amalgam fillings. Removal of amalgam fillings decreases measured urine mercury to levels in persons without amalgam fillings. Although urine mercury levels in our sample are considered by Health Canada to be too low to pose health risks, removal of amalgam fillings reduced the likelihood of self-reported symptom deterioration and increased the likelihood of symptom improvement in comparison to people who retained their amalgam fillings.
conclusionsOur findings suggest that mercury exposure from amalgam fillings adversely impact health and therefore are a health risk. The use of safer alternative materials for dental fillings should be encouraged to avoid the increased risk of health deterioration associated with unnecessary exposure to mercury.
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Registered trials
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