Dental amalgam and multiple sclerosis: a case-control study in Montreal, Canada

Background The aetiology of multiple sclerosis (MS) remains poorly understood. Dental amalgams containing mercury have recently been suggested as a possible risk factor for MS. Methods In a case-control study conducted between 1991 and 1994, we interviewed a total of 143 MS patients and 128 controls, to obtain information on socio-demographic characteristics and the number of dental amalgams and the time since installation based on dentists' records. Results Neither the number nor the duration of exposure to amalgams supported an increased risk of MS. After adjustment for age, sex, smoking, and education those who had more than 15 fillings had an odds ratio (OR) of 2.57 (95% CI:0.78-8.54) compared to those who had none; for individuals whose first amalgam was inserted more than 15 years prior to the study, we found an OR of 1.34 (95% CI:0.38-4.72). Conclusions Although a suggestive elevated risk was found for those individuals with a large number of dental amalgams, and for a long period of time, the difference between cases and controls was not statistically significant.