If you’ve ever had a dental filling, chances are you’ve got some mercury in your mouth. Those so-called silver fillings are a mixture of liquid elemental mercury and powdered silver, tin, copper, and other trace metals that hardens into a solid material that dentists have considered an excellent solution for cavities for more than a century. But concern has been growing as to the safety of these fillings, with some experts citing dental mercury’s dangers, especially to the kidneys and the nervous system.

If you’ve ever had a dental filling, chances are you’ve got some mercury in your mouth. Those so-called silver fillings are a mixture of liquid elemental mercury and powdered silver, tin, copper, and other trace metals that hardens into a solid material that dentists have considered an excellent solution for cavities for more than a century. But concern has been growing as to the safety of these fillings, with some experts citing dental mercury’s dangers, especially to the kidneys and the nervous system.

On Sunday, Aug. 30, Oakland will see something new. Over 1,000 triathletes in wetsuits will jump into the water from the revitalized Estuary Park and start swimming in the newly clean inner harbor. They’ll mount their bikes and loop downtown Oakland, and then run around Lake Merritt and finish their race in Jack London Square. Expected to rival the Oakland marathon’s energy, the first-ever Oakland triathlon may become one of the West Coast’s largest urban triathlons—showcasing the city and its emerging health-and-fitness culture. And seeded among the competitors will be dozens of athletes sporting the green, yellow, and gray racing kits of the Oakland Triathlon Club: the race’s ambassador club whose rapid growth seeks to give a populist vibe to an often-expensive activity.

Alamedans share their views on the new alliance.

“I want Alameda to become one of America’s top bicycle-friendly cities."

Consumer Watchdog launches a billboard campaign against drug- and alcohol-impaired doctors in Oakland, Kaiser headquarters, with a toll-free telephone line for reporting. So far, no calls.

Pediatrician John Pescetti of Oakland keeps a quote from the Oath of Maimonides on his office wall: “May I never see in the patient anything but a fellow creature in pain.”

Shopping for a bike can make the average Joe feel like he has to be the next elite spandex-clad racer. That’s not the case at Public Bikes.

Is making more “me time” on your list of New Year’s resolutions? Jumpstart a more relaxed and tranquil 2014 with a visit to one of these terrific East Bay spas.

A comprehensive directory of the East Bay's practicing physicians.