Dental amalgam contains elemental mercury combined with other metals such as silver, copper, tin and zinc to form a safe, stable alloy. For generations, it has been used to fill decayed teeth that might otherwise have been lost.
In the seven-year long study, the researchers studied 507 children aged 8 through 12 years who received either amalgam or resin-based composite fillings.
The research team conducted routine clinical neurological examinations to assess two types of neurological signs: hard (indicating damage to specific neural structures) and soft (subtle signs of central nervous system dysfunction that likely point to immature sensory-motor skills rather than to any structural damage in the brain).
