Finding A BIOLOGICAL DENTIST and Safely Replacing Your Mercury Fillings

Growing up, many people, including myself received mercury fillings. I remember asking my parents why we had them + at the time, they weren’t aware of the potential risks associated with mercury.

A few years ago, I decided to have two of my four mercury fillings replaced. Some biological dentists accept certain insurance plans, or you can explore options like CareCredit.

When I lived in Florida, I had the privilege of working with Dr. Castellini at Medplex Dental, Holistic Dentistry. He is incredibly knowledgeable + careful, ensuring the safe removal of my mercury fillings. I can’t recommend him highly enough, whether you live nearby or plan a trip, he’s worth seeing! Once I feel fully comfortable post-Covid, I plan to have the remaining fillings replaced.

For anyone considering this, it’s important to educate yourself about the process. Start by finding a biological “mercury-safe” dentist, which is different from simply a “mercury-free” dentist. A chelation program is also recommended. Women who are pregnant or planning to breastfeed should avoid having mercury fillings removed, as mercury can leach into breast milk or affect a developing fetus.

Mercury is a highly sensitive topic because it moves through the body + can damage anything it comes into contact with. To locate a biological dentist in your area, check out the International Academy of Oral Medicine + Toxicology (IAOMT) website here

The DANGERS of Mercury Fillings

Did you know all silver fillings (also called amalgam fillings) contain about 50% mercury? Did you also know mercury is a highly toxic element? In fact, there is no known safe level of mercury exposure.

Here in the United States, silver fillings are incredibly commonplace + have been used to restore the teeth of more than 100 million Americans. Yet time + time again, research shows that silver dental fillings expose you to the harmful effects of mercury.

What is Mercury? Mercury is a naturally-occurring chemical element that exists in two main forms: methylmercury + elemental mercury.

Methylmercury is mercury combined with carbon. Though this toxic form of mercury is invisible to the naked eye, it’s commonly found throughout the environment. For example, it’s in water, soil, plants + animals, particularly fish. It’s also common in many household items such as fluorescent lights, batteries + latex paint.

Elemental mercury is when it has not yet reacted with another substance. Elemental mercury looks like a silvery metal liquid material. This form of mercury will evaporate into a toxic vapor when heated. Elemental mercury is common throughout our lives in items such as thermometers + barometers + also in, you guessed it, silver fillings.

What Are SILVER FILLINGS?

Although the name implies that the filling is made out of silver, in reality it only has about 32% of this material. Like I mentioned at the beginning of this post, the majority of a silver filling (50%) is actually mercury. Your filling also has trace amounts of tin, copper + zinc.

When mixed together, these components create a hard + durable material called amalgam. This dental amalgam is filled into decaying teeth (often those with cavities) to help strengthen them + prevent their removal.

Why is MERCURY Used in Fillings?

Mercury has been used in fillings since the 19th century, but has faced controversy since the beginning. Shortly after the invention of amalgam, numerous harmful effects were widely reported. Mercury poisoning became a top concern + many dentists vowed to stop using the material. However, the majority of dentists throughout the US continued to use amalgam fillings because they were much cheaper, faster + easier to place than traditional gold materials.

Flash forward to today + amalgam fillings have been placed in the mouths of over 100 million Americans. Meanwhile, countries like Sweden, Norway + Denmark have banned or restricted the use of amalgam fillings due to its proven toxic + poisonous effects.

Despite numerous studies + evidence, the American Dental Association continues to highlight dental amalgam as a safe, affordable + durable material. Even so, this viewpoint has not gone without criticism from other organizations, including the International Academy of Oral Medicine + Toxicology (IAOMT).

In one report, the organization stated: “The International Academy of Oral Medicine + Toxicology vehemently disputes recent allegations made by the American Dental Association (ADA) that there is no scientific evidence validating the harmful health effects of dental mercury fillings. The ADA continues to support its self-serving view by denying that mercury fillings are dangerous. Clearly, public health is not an ADA priority.”

How Mercury Fillings POISON Your Body?

If you have a silver filling, every time you chew a small amount of mercury from your filling (about 2-20 micrograms a day) is released into your body. Chewing gum is especially problematic as it releases an even greater amount of mercury into your system. An increase in temperature in your mouth, for instance when you drink hot coffee or tea, will also encourages the release of mercury vapors in your mouth.

The effects of mercury-laden fillings are scary. These fillings are one of the top contributing causes to mercury poisoning. This can cause a wide range of problems, including tremors, insomnia, headaches, nerve damage, kidney problems + respiratory failure. In one recent study by the University of Washington, researchers found that the low-level release of mercury toxins into the body from a dental tooth filling can lead to long-term brain damage.

It’s important to note that pregnant women + those who plan to get pregnant are especially at risk. This is due to mercury exposure being proven to have a devastating impact on the health of unborn fetuses + children.

WHAT TO DO If You Have a Silver Filling

Mercury is poisonous to your body + it definitely should not be in your mouth. The longer you have silver fillings in your mouth, the more mercury you likely have in your body + the more it will affect your health. Although it will be difficult to remove the mercury already in your system, you can prevent it from continuing to build.

Your best option is to remove your amalgam fillings as soon as you can.

Removing silver fillings + replacing them with a safe, non-toxic material is a common dental procedure. Always make sure you have this painless procedure completed by an experienced holistic dentist who understands how to safely + effectively remove amalgam

fillings.