Mercury Dental Fillings

The use of mercury in dental fillings is a type of "killing us softly." Most of us know people who have had so-called "silver amalgams" and many appear healthy. Because people have fillings and because these people do not have clearcut signs of serious adverse health affects as a direct result of such fillings, people assume they are totally safe. Wrong. The American Dental Association, after all, makes it claim that fillings are safe because they have been placed in the mouths of so many people for so many years. They even threaten dentists who suggest removal of mercury fillings for health reasons as unethical and at risk of having their license revoked. Too many dentists, in turn, are proponents of mercury fillings because they are cheap and durable, which ultimately adds to their business. I brought the concern of mercury toxicity up with one hygienist who remarked, if these fillings are toxic, then I will be the first to have them removed. Of course, I highly doubt she was tested for heavy metal toxicity, so how would she otherwise know if she was toxic from heavy metals? In any case, I did what I believed was correct for my health. I had a dentist remove a toxic substance and replaced it with a less toxic substance. That's all.

Mercury, which comprises 50% of the metal fillings, is highly toxic. It is my opinion that the mercury in fillings should not be placed in our mouths. Period. There are better alternatives, such as resin composites and porcelain. I am willing to pay extra for these products because I care about my health. In fact, I just had all 7 fillings replaced with resin composites in the past 2 months, while also following a heavy metal detoxification protocol to decrease the toxic load of the mercury in my body caused by these fillings, which have been in my teeth for the past 20 years. I use "HMD," which stands for heavy metal detox. It is a bit expensive, but worth it in my opinion. (HMD has been tested through a 3-year double blind study to reduce the load of toxic metals. Of course, the dentists and medical professionals like to suggest that any 'natural' product that has not undergone rigorous testing can be considered quackery, while medicine put on the shelves often have side effects, needing the drugs to be recalled years later for serious adverse side affects. Don't get me wrong, companies of supplements often push their products out of greed, just like Big Pharma. But just because a product has not been shown to be highly effective in highly controlled, double-blind research studies is not a reason to dismiss it....if only the medical authorities were educated on nutrition, they would be in such a better position to help patients with chronic health ailments!)....Okay, I am going on a tangent here and HMD has been proven to be effective....

Mercury in amalgam fillings results in the release of 17 micrograms per day per filling. That's quite a bit if the average person has 8 fillings. Having just 4 fillings leads to a higher level of mercury in our bodies per day than is recommended as a safe and acceptable level by the World Health Organization. There are significant neurological problems associated with mercury, and it is highly absorbable into the bloodstream and all body tissues. In response to such concerns, Germany, Austria, Sweden and Norway have banned and/or significantly curtailed the use of mercury dental amalgams. Good for them. California has issued statements suggesting possibile toxicity from mercury to pregnant women and Canada, from what I recall, recommends no more than 4 mercury fillings for adults.

Bottom line: Go to an environmental or biological dentist who practices mercury-free dentistry. If you have such fillings, get them removed in a safe manner following a careful protocol. I personally used activated charcoal before and after the restorations, as well as a vitamin C flush, after they were done, in accordance with the recommendations of one dentist. I cannot state that the removal of such fillings have had a profound impact on my health, although I have noticed some improvement with respect to nasal inflammation, and I am only less than one week post-restorations. But I am well aware of concerns with mercury amalgams. It is just good sense to put only biocompatible materials in one's mouth. Doing anything else, despite the financial feasibility (or financial benefit to a dentist through increased business), can be potentially harmful.