Amalgam Filling Removal? How to do it right!

I wrote about my experience with braces and ended the article with a brief mentioning of the types of materials that are used in dentistry both past and present. I thought it might be good to expand on these a bit.

So, a dental filling is the most common type of tooth restoration. This is where the dentist fills the cavity in a tooth that has become too large for the tooth to repair on its own. If the material used was/is a mixture of mercury, copper, tin, silver and zinc, we call it an amalgam. If a person has already gone through the process of having their amalgams removed, they know that it is an expensive and time-consuming process. If a person has not done this yet, please talk to your dentist. (Below, I list a few questions that you might want to ask before you start or continue this process.) Another material used is gold. This is usually a mixture also – containing not only gold but copper, palladium and platinum. The choice of most “holistic” or “biological” dentists is the white plastic composite. Composites are made from plastic resin, milled quartz or glass and a coupling agent. These materials are easily shaped into the desired shape and then they harden. The success and safety of the composite filling depends on the skill and technique of the dentist placing it, since there are hundreds of composite materials to choose from.

Here are some questions to ask one’s dentist before doing amalgam removal:

1. Are you a holistic dentist and are you entirely amalgam free?

2. Do you replace amalgams for health reasons?

Obviously, the answer to these questions should be “yes”.

3. What precautions are used to protect the patient during amalgam removal?

Look for the following:

The patient is advised to take a couple of teaspoons of activated charcoal dissolved in water just before their dental visit, (this helps bind up any amalgam particles that might be accidently swallowed)
A special drill bit that slices or shatters the old amalgam rather than grinding it away.
A high volume evacuation system next to the patient’s teeth to remove the mercury vapor and amalgam particles. (I have seen an extracted tooth with a 50-year old amalgam still giving off mercury vapor, so don’t think that this is unnecessary because you’ve had your fillings for a long time).
A mechanical barrier to protect the patient from swallowing amalgam particles – a clean-up suction tip that fits around the tooth being worked on or a dam draped over the patient’s face.
A method to clean the mercury vapor out of the air, some kind of vacuum system that the patient will hold under their chin, and lastly
Goggles for the eyes and something to cover the patient’s clothing.

There is a whole list of symptoms of chronic mercury toxicity associated with dental amalgams. Here are just a few: bleeding gums, Bell’s Palsy, ringing in the ears, dizziness, leaky gut, Crohn’s disease, inability to concentrate, migraines and other headaches, ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, all kinds of auto-immune diseases…just to name a few.

Mercury also depletes vitamin C, selenium, glutathione, many B vitamins, magnesium and other important minerals.

Just a brief history:

In 1830, Amalgam fillings were first used in the US. Numerous harmful effects were widely reported, and in 1840, the American Society of Dental Surgeons denounced the use of amalgams due to concerns about mercury poisoning…but many dentists continued to use amalgams since they were cheaper, faster and easier to place than gold materials.

So, in 1859, the pro-amalgam faction formed its own dental society. At first it was called the National Dental Association and later became the American Dental Association. Many dentists have found that mercury poisoning has been a source of their own health issues. Much has been documented against amalgams throughout the years.

On December 16, 1990, The CBS television show 60 Minutes exposed the hazards of mercury amalgams. The program exposed the biased attacks by the state dental licensing boards on mercury free holistic dentists. The ADA spokesman squirmed under cross examination by the host. This sort of dental amalgam expose was never repeated again on any TV network.

Thankfully it is now commonplace for dentists to recommend removal of all amalgams. It’s a good thing to do, just make sure that the proper precautions are taken.

I can test a person for mercury toxicity and help one take the proper steps to detoxify one’s body. Again, it is important that this is not done any which way, but be monitored appropriately, making sure that the mercury or other toxic metals are leaving the body in an acceptable pace.

For more information, please call 321-482-0345 and make an appointment to get tested.