I agree, vapor is the most dangerous. But it's not really avoidable. It's absorbed in all places, skin, nose, mouth, the lot. And apparently can pass through just about anything. One can only use so much protection, but the stuff seems to get in and past anything.

About the swallowing of mercury? I swallowed mercury during my last removal, yet I had all the mercury protectioin. Rubber dam, oxygen, eyes, nose, the lot. How is it that from simply swallowing the removed grains of amalgam, that I was sicker than I had ever been on any previous removal? The dentist told me that it was no big deal, it would just pass out of my system. She was wrong. I was so sick, that the effects were almost immediate. In fact, I had tremors all the way home in the car. My face and mouth. So I believe it is extremely bad and certainly I was far far worse after it than I had been before with any other amalgam removal (even the ones that I did not have proper protection for).

A lady swallowed her own filling and died. This should indicate how dangerous it can be. I do not believe it is pretty harmless at all.