Mercury and Dentistry

As most of you know, the silver amalgam fillings contain mercury.  However, most of you may not know they typically have a 50% or greater mercury by weight content. The American Dental Association and the FDA have research that suggests the mercury content in the fillings is not enough to harm most humans. However, there is also plenty of research that suggests that the mercury release into our bodies is much higher than the studies the ADA and the FDA use as their defense of the mercury content in the mercury/silver fillings.  It’s a very controversial topic as you can imagine.  I’ve included a link to some FAQs regarding mercury:

https://www.iaomt.org/patients/index.asp

Many dentists have had their own suspicions on the safety of mercury in dental fillings and have stopped placing the mercury fillings in their own patients.  However, most of these dentists probably do not realize that there is a tremendous release of mercury vapor when these fillings are removed.  Without proper precautions, much of the vapor can be inhaled by both the patient and the dental staff.  There are safer ways to remove dental amalgam and if you’re concerned about mercury release, you should find a dentist trained in the safer removal of amalgam.  The IAOMT (International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology) is a group where you can find a dentist trained in safer amalgam removal techniques.

Here’s an interesting video which shows how much mercury vapor can be released from a dental amalgam:

After learning about the potential toxicity of mercury from an IAOMT conference, I’ve started the removal of my own dental amalgams and have invested in equipment to help safely remove the amalgams in my own clients’ teeth.  Some dentists feel that some practitioners are just trying to rip off their patients by recommending the removal of their mercury fills but when is it a bad idea to remove a toxic material from somebody’s body?  If you have any questions regarding mercury or it’s removal, feel free to contact us at our Inland Empire Dental Office at 951-686-3666.