Yes. About 4. THe whole mercury thing is a sensetive subject with me. I'm a dentist. For years I have been monitoring the whole mercury controversy, and I have yet to see any real scientific evidence that amalgam fillings are as dangerous as people say they are. Additionally, the alternative restorations are not as reliable as good old fashioned amalgams. They leak, stain and need to be replaced more frequently due to recurrant decay.

If my patients say they rather have resin composites, of course I'll do it. But removing amalgam fillings releases a significantly more mercury vapor than leaving them in place, which is then inhaled and absorbed by the tissues of not only the patient, but me and my staff.

In my professional opinion, large areas of decay do better with amalgam fillings than composites.