How to know if you have mercury tooth fillings

[Songwriter]

How can you tell? Like most kids growing up in the 50s and 60s... well, today, as well... I ate a lot of junk. Candy, cokes. My teeth are rotten. I have a mouthful of fillings. I've had three teeth break off because the fillings were so large. The center hollow (filled with the filling), surrounded by tooth remnants.

Anyway, wondering... fillings done in the 50s and 60s, dark in color, dark grayish... am I to assume they contain mercury or not? I wonder if there is anything to those who say we should get mercury fillings removed. I think the ADA says no, they are not unsafe. Of course, if any group has an "A" for the first and last initials, I don't automatically trust them.

[pennink]

you rise when it's hot outside and drop when it's cold?

;)
I have mercury fillings. No one here is saying to change them. I don't have many though.

[deirdra]

Your dark gray fillings likely have some mercury in them (mixed in with the silver &/or nickel), but most of the mercury near the surface has probably already leached out. That's why they use dental dams when they grind them out - so you don't swallow them.

I haven't had all of mine ripped out, but after 20-30 years, as they start breaking down or my teeth crack some more, I have been having mine replaced with gold ~one tooth a year (so my health spending account can cover the extra cost).