CHAMPIONSGATE, Fla., Nov. 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT) brings attention to an important new study, titled “Dental Amalgams and Blood Mercury Concentrations in American Adults.” The study provides convincing evidence that mercury amalgam dental fillings are elevating blood mercury levels to dangerous thresholds, and that blood is a key pathway for mercury distribution in the body.

Dental amalgam, a relic of a bygone era, has been used for over 150 years in U.S. dentistry to repair decayed teeth and contains 50% toxic elemental mercury, which is converted to inorganic mercury once inside the body. Data from the CDC’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) indicates that roughly 104 million Americans have mercury amalgam dental fillings.

The study analyzed data from the CDC’s 2015–2016 NHANES survey, using blood mercury measurements from U.S. adults aged 18–70 to estimate exposures across 180 million Americans.

The study revealed that adults with amalgam fillings have significantly higher blood inorganic mercury levels than those without. The number of amalgam surfaces strongly correlates with increased mercury levels in blood, with an estimated 16 million adults exposed to daily mercury vapor doses exceeding the U.S. EPA’s safety limit.

The research also highlights blood as a key pathway for mercury vapor from dental fillings to accumulate in tissues and cells throughout the body, underscoring serious health risks, especially for vulnerable groups. Recent studies have linked amalgam mercury exposure to increased risks of asthma, arthritis, hearing loss, neurological disorders, and perinatal death.

In 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning that mercury vapor from dental amalgam fillings may pose risks for high-risk groups, including pregnant women and their fetuses, nursing mothers, children under six, individuals with mercury allergies, and those with neurological or kidney impairments, recommending these populations avoid amalgam fillings.

“The evidence is irrefutable—mercury amalgam fillings are a public health crisis, poisoning millions of Americans with unsafe levels of mercury,” said Dr. Douglas Green, President of the IAOMT. “We urgently call on the FDA to ban these harmful fillings in order to safeguard public health.”

Additionally, the study urges individuals with amalgams seeking to reduce blood mercury levels to consult with a healthcare practitioner trained and certified in a safe amalgam removal protocol. Removal of dental amalgam generates unsafe levels of mercury. In order to reduce mercury exposures, the IAOMT trains and certifies dentists in the Safe Mercury Amalgam Removal Technique (SMART).

Patients and dental professionals can access resources about biological dentistry as well as a directory of IAOMT biological dentists who are SMART certified at IAOMT.org.

About IAOMT:

The International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT) is a global non-profit dedicated to promoting safe and biocompatible dental practices. Composed of dentists, scientists, and allied professionals, IAOMT provides evidence-based education, research, and advocacy to improve the oral health and overall well-being of patients worldwide.

A video accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f4073533-f924-477a-a87d-0f4a6e1063eb. 

For media inquiries, please contact:
Kym Smith
IAOMT Executive Director
kym.smith@iaomt.org