Dental amalgam, a restorative material that contains a mixture of mercury, silver, copper and tin, has been controversial throughout the years questioning its safety. The main concern is the level of mercury and its potential toxicity (Osbourne). By eliminating it from this office and becoming “amalgam-free”, may not be the best decision for our patients. Amalgam has many advantages over other restorative materials and should remain an option for patients when having restorative work done.
Amalgam has many benefits such as its durability, long lasting, and is cost effective (ADA). One disadvantage to amalgam restorations is that they are not natural looking like composites. Composites may seem like a great option because they are tooth-colored, but they have a shorter life span as an amalgam and are generally more expensive. Composite material does not expand and contract like tooth structure, it often contracts causing micro leakage and eventually, recurrent decay. Amalgams, however, tend to expand while in the mouth, sealing the edges and helping prevent recurrent decay from happening (Stewart).
Keeping amalgam in the office can help the business in many positive ways. Restorations will be done quicker, which can allow for more patients. In this case, the patient and the office both benefit. Another example of how keeping amalgams can help is by satisfying the patient with a long lasting restoration, along with it being at a reasonable price. The office may not benefit from the patient paying less, but the patient gets more “bang for their buck”, which keeps them coming back to the practice.
Many people do still question if amalgam is safe to use or not. According to the ADA, “The American Dental Association, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U. S. Food and Drug Administration and World Health Organization all agree that based on extensive scientific evidence, dental amalgam is a safe and effective cavity-filling material.” Many people think of the mercury in fish and how eating too much can be toxic however, according to the Mayo Clinic, it is not the same mercury that is used for amalgam fillings (ADA).
In conclusion, amalgams overall are still a great choice for restorations. Regardless of their controversial history, I believe that they are beneficial to the practice and I am against them being totally removed.

Work Cited
ADA Council on Scientific Affairs. Dental Amalgam: Update on Safety Concerns. J Am Dent Assoc. 1998;129:494-503. Accessed October 9, 2013.
Osborne, John W. "Safety of Dental Amalgam." Journal of Esthetic & Restorative Dentistry 16.6 (2014): 377-84.
Stewart, Marcia, and Michael D. Bagby. Clinical Aspects of Dental Materials: Theory, Practice, and Cases. 4th ed. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Health, 2012.