ASSESSMENT OF MERCURY RELEASE FROM DENTAL AMALGAM: AN IN VITRO STUDY

Abstract

Exposure to mercury from dental amalgam restoration, with possible negative health effects, has generally been considered to occur via either erosion or evaporation directly from the surface of fillings, followed by ingestion. This study aims to assess the mercury release from dental amalgam and provide a basis for comparison between mercury release in oral cavities with single and multiple amalgam restorations at different time intervals. This study was conducted in

A.B. Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences, Mangalore, Karnataka, and included three groups I , II and III containing one, four and eight teeth respectively. The level of mercury vapors released from dental amalgam restorations was calculated from artificial saliva and measured using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The obtained results concluded that the continuous release of Hg vapor from dental amalgam tooth restorations decreases as the restoration ages, after 30 days there was no significant difference between the amount of mercury released from multiple and single tooth restorations.