The American Dental Association (ADA) has reaffirmed its position that dental amalgam is a safe and effective cavity-filling material, in written testimony to a two-day joint panel meeting of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

According to the testimony, the ADA does not advocate for the use of one dental material over another, however it champions the principle that patients and their dentists should have access to the full range of safe and effective options for treating dental decay.

The purpose of the FDA meeting was to gather facts and opinions in this periodic review of the dental filling material, and the FDA has combined the expertise of the Dental Products Panel of the Medical Device Advisory Committee with the neurology expertise of the Peripheral and Central Nervous System Drugs Advisory Committee to consider the peer-reviewed scientific studies on dental amalgam and any potential neurotoxic effects.

Dental amalgam contains elemental mercury combined with other metals such as silver, copper, tin and zinc to form a safe, stable alloy. Because amalgam contains elemental mercury, some groups have raised concerns about its potential health effects and questioned its continued use in dentistry. Dental amalgam has been used for generations to fill decayed teeth that might otherwise have been lost to decay.

While other dental fillings materials are also available, dental amalgam remains a valued option because of its strength, durability, affordability and the fact that it can be used below the gum line, which is difficult to keep dry. The ADA states that the overwhelming weight of scientific evidence, including the recent clinical trial results, supports the safety and efficacy of dental amalgam and it should continue to be made available to dentists and their patients.