You know I overheard an interesting conversation from a relative the other day. They are a dentist, and while they no longer place amalgams, they aren't "mercury free" perse in that they specialize in replacing them etc... They told me they went to a dentistry seminar, and one of the speakers mentioned he thought amalgam would be "phased out" in the USA in the next 5 years. The primary reason? Sweden banned Amalgam, and much of the mercury to make amalgam is mined in Europe, which is also entertaining an EU wide ban on mercury export by or around 2010, so the US companies won't be able to import it anymore. Not sure how accurate the statement was, but its interesting nonetheless...