 | | | | Related Healthscout Videos | |
|
(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Old fashioned silver fillings probably don't do children any harm, conclude researchers from the United States and Europe who compared health outcomes for kids who received silver fillings with those who received the newer composite resin fillings.
The safety of silver fillings, also known as amalgam, has been called into question because they contain mercury, a substance that can produce ill effects in the human body. Studies have suggested the mercury in silver fillings might adversely affect the brain and kidneys in adults.
Text Continues Below
These studies revealed no evidence linking silver fillings to poorer IQ scores, memory, coordination, concentration, or nerve or kidney functioning. Children who received the silver fillings did have higher levels of mercury in their urine, but the levels remained low throughout the five to seven years of the studies and did not impact any of the other outcomes.
The authors note all of the children in the two studies were in dire need of dental care, with those in the silver filling groups receiving an average of about 19 fillings over the course of the studies.
None of the children had silver fillings prior to enrolling in the research projects. Both studies included more than 500 kids.
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
SOURCE: SOURCE: Presented at the 84th International Association for Dental Research Meeting, Australia, June 28, 2006
|
.gif)
