HC Deb 01 March 2000 vol 345 cc317-8W
Mr. Llwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the toxic elements included in mercury-based amalgams in dentistry. [110484]

Mr. Hutton

[holding answer 21 February 2000]: The principal elements used in dental amalgam are mercury, silver, copper and tin. All of these can be toxic at high doses but, apart from a few cases of hypersensitivity, there is no evidence of risk of systemic toxicity at the levels released from dental amalgam.