Dental amalgam. Designs for research in human populations.

Questions have been raised about the safety of dental amalgam. The main point of contention is whether the mercury contained in dental restorations is released in sufficient quantities to pose a public health hazard. Most scientists agree that current evidence is not sufficient to show that amalgam restorations pose a general health threat. But researchers on both sides of this debate agree that much remains to be learned about any potential toxicity of dental amalgam--an issue serious enough to merit additional research.