Journal of Dental Medicine

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE AR-SA Mercury has been used in amalgam restorations for more than a century though it is poisonous and mercury vapor can endanger the health of patients and dental office staff. Therefore, they should be aware of its hazards and observe guidelines to prevent injury to nervous system, heart, kidneys, alimentary and respiratory systems. The source of mercury poisoning in dental offices can be of stored mercury, evaporation while mixing, inserting, condensing, carving, burnishing or polishing the amalgam , amalgam residuals, poisoning while replacing old amalgam restorations or while steriling the instruments. In any case, we can state that although the amount of mercury released from amalgam compared to the mercury in the environment is negligible but the dental staff who work with mercury should observe the safety guidelines.