Recently I’ve been made aware of the controversy surrounding amalgam fillings, which are made primarily of mercury. I had all my metal fillings removed by my dentist at his suggestion, but not because of mercury risk. They were small, old, and needed to be replaced anyway and my dentist suggested using composite as a replacement. Any considerations of mercury poisoning aside, composite fillings are preferable because metal fillings expand and contract with temperature changes and will eventually crack your teeth and cause you major dental problems down the road.