Patients and dental students showed higher urine mercury after early contact with amalgam fillings—why careful handling and safer removal matter.
The mean blood concentration of mercury was 6.3 μg/l (SD=1.31 range 4.15–8.93). BML was positively associated with age, years in practice, working hours per day, number of amalgam restorations per day, number of amalgam removal per week, sea food consumption, working years in present office, using amalgam powder, using diamond bur for amalgam removal, dry sterilization of amalgam contaminated instruments, and deficient air ventilation.
