-Aguste Taveau of Paris, France, developed what was probably the first dental amalgam--in 1816. He used filings from silver coins mixed with mercury.

The first dental silver amalgam was introduced by Bell of England in 1819 and later used by Taveau in Paris in 1826. Dr. D.M.Cattell stated that the first dental amalgam introduced into the United States was by the two Crawcour brothers under the name of "Royal Mineral Succedaneum", the last word meaning a substitute or replacer, in 1833.

Through advertisements these two Frenchmen induced a large number of prosperous people to submit to their operations with this material and incensed many of the better dentists. This was the beginning of the amalgam wars, waged on at least two bases: first, the material was introduced by two Frenchmen who were little better than charlatans; second, the use of amalgam was opposed by some physicians as it was a source of mercury poisoning. .... Dr. Chapin A. Harris in his opening address to the first class of the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, founded in 1839 as the first dental college, said about amalgam that it is one of the most abomidable articles for filling teeth that could be employed. Many cases were reported of systemic effects and even death resulting from the presence of mercury in amalgam. Patients were sent to dentists by physicians with instructions to remove all amalgam fillings and the Onondaga Medical Society of New York adopted resolutions to the effect that amalgam produced depression, nervousness, indigestion, ptyalism, paralysis, and death.
http://www.talkinternational.com/TTCHPTR1.htm  

Back in 1840, dentists formed the American Society of Dental Surgeons. Their members were required to sign pledges that they would NOT use mercury in the fillings they placed. There were even cases in New York in 1848 where dentists were fined for malpractice for using mercury in their filling material. Mercury was referred to as "quicksilver" in North American and in Europe was called "quacksalver" Therefore a "quack" was someone who pretends to cure disease and "salve" was an application for wounds. The term "QUACK" was first applied to anyone using mercury to cure skin diseases, e.g. the skin lesions associated with tertiary syphilis. The skin rash would disappear, but the disease went deeper into the organs and the nervous system and the person died a very painful death. The term was then used against dentists using mercury for the same reason, - using a poisonous substance to "cure" or fix decay. Because of the internal feuds, a new dental organization was formed in 1859, the American Dental Association (ADA). This body did NOT condemn the use of mercury...[and the same mercury fillings are still being used today.] http://www.zhealthinfo.com/dental.htm