In vitro mercury release from silver amalgam fillings was analyzed by ICP (Inductively-coupled-plasma-atomic-emission-spectroscopy). Within 14 days 63.2 micrograms Hg and 41.5 micrograms Hg respectively, were released from unfinished and finished amalgam fillings (n = 5). The amounts of mercury found in this study were several times higher compared with the results from other in vitro-studies.