Questions about dental amalgams

Link to image: http://img465.imageshack.us/img465/2610/a200246fo.jpg

One of my bottom right fillings cracked on me this week. If I remember my dentist correctly, she said
it's an old silver amalgam filling.
There’s a sharp edge near my tongue that’s really bothering me, and I was wondering if it’s possible to just smooth out that jagged
part and leave the filling alone? It doesn't actually cause me any pain (I don't have
headaches or any other issues that people claim mercury can trigger) ... (assuming there's even
any mercury left in that mixture to begin with). I'm 21, and this filling was put in about
8 to 12 years ago.

Looking at the photo, can you tell if the nerve is still alive or if it's dead? Basically, I want to know if I'll need to
get the whole thing replaced, or if it's feasible to just file down the rough spot.

Thanks in advance for the help!

dakky21 said:...and the filling was put in about
8-12 years ago.

...I mean, why on earth would you hold onto a cracked amalgam filling that's been sitting there for 8 to 12 years? 👎
Are you actually emotionally attached to a piece of dental metal? My advice is just to get it replaced and move on...

That amalgam filling is that "silver" one, and yeah, it’s got mercury in it.
I honestly have no clue how your filling even cracked. Are you talking about the whole thing? It looks like the tooth is worn down right to the nerve, and from what I can tell, it looks like you’ve had a root canal done... if that’s the case, the nerve is dead. But hey, I'm no expert, so don't take my word for it. 🙂 Just go see a dentist—who knows, maybe they'll actually know what's up? Some random people on an internet forum definitely won't!