What is mercury alloy?

Mercury alloy is a type of metal alloy that contains mercury as one of its principal components. The most common mercury alloy is Amalgam, which is made by mixing mercury with other metals like silver, tin, and copper.

Amalgam is widely used in the dental industry as a dental filling material because it is strong, durable, and resistant to wear and tear. It can be easily molded to fill cavities and hardens quickly.

However, over time, the use of mercury in amalgam has come under scrutiny due to concerns about the release of mercury vapor during the manufacturing, placement, and removal of amalgam fillings.

There is ongoing research into developing non-mercury containing dental filling materials, but amalgam remains in use in many parts of the world due to its affordability and effectiveness.