Last year, I had several visits to the dentist, who convinced me that she had to replace all my "silver" fillings becasue they weren't healthy. These fillings are technically referred to as amalgam which contains mercury. Since I knew that mercury is a highly toxic substance, I went along.

This week, however, scientists report the results of their study which evaluated the safety of amalgam fillings in the teeth of children.

Both studies-one conducted in Europe, the other in the United States-independently reached the conclusion: Children whose cavities were filled with dental amalgam had no adverse health effects. The findings included no detectable loss of intelligence, memory, coordination, concentration, nerve conduction, or kidney function during the 5-7 years the children were followed. The researchers looked for measurable signs of damage to the brain and kidneys because previous studies with adults indicated these organs might be especially sensitive to mercury.

One year too late. This study could have save me a lot of time, money and pain.

About the author: Ruth Schaffer is a Microbiologist by training and currently authors the Allergy and Biotechnology weblogs for Creative Weblogging. She is a mother to a bi-racial, bilingual, precocious 3-yr old.