Objectives: Amounts of total mercury and organic mercury in the tissues of rats were investigated as to their relationship to amalgam fillings. Methods: Sixty rats were given 1, 2 or 4 maxillary molar amalgam fillings and bred for a full three months or six months. Another 20 rats which received no fillings were used as controls. Total mercury was measured by reducing vaporization-gold amalgamation atomic absorption spectroscopy, while methylmercury was measured by ECD-gas chromatography. Results: Amounts of total mercury in major organs and blood samples were found to be higher in all rats receiving fillings than in the controls while the amounts of methylmercury were almost the same as in the controls. Conclusions: These results appear to indicate that biotransformation of inorganic mercury into organic mercury did not occur in the body of the rats.

Back to the Scientific Program Program
Back to the Joint Meeting of the Continental European, Israeli, and Scandinavian (NOF) Divisions of the IADR (August 25 -- 28, 2004)

Top Level Search