You probably don’t think about your fillings unless one falls out or is damaged or you have sensitivity in your tooth. But maybe you should be thinking about them a lot more often. Why? Because they just might be affecting your health – every single day they remain in your teeth. Metal amalgam fillings aren’t just a blend of harmless metals. They contain mercury. In fact, about 50% of that amalgam filling in your mouth is mercury! Only 25-35% of the filling is silver, with the balance comprised of a combination of tin, copper, and zinc. And while some dentists claim the mercury in fillings is stable or inert in your tooth, our Wilmington dentists at All About Smiles don’t believe our patients’ health is worth risking.
The FDA classifies mercury as a poison – a volatile one. And yet, the dental use of mercury is a controversial topic. Some dentists and dental organizations maintain that the use of mercury in dental amalgam fillings is perfectly safe, while others, including several European countries, assert that Mercury is too unstable to be placed in anyone’s teeth. The real trouble is that every time you chew, brush your teeth, clench, grind, or otherwise stimulate the filling, mercury gas is released and continues be released for up to an hour-and-a-half – and there is as much mercury in the average filling as in a thermometer. That’s enough mercury in one large filling to contaminate a 10-square-mile lake and cause restricted fishing! And according to the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology, just having your teeth cleaned releases 1,000 amounts the EPA allows for the air we breathe. That is a lot of poison being released into your body.
If you Google the symptoms of mercury poisoning, the list seems to be endless. They include everything from mood swings and nervousness, cognitive difficulty, weakness, headaches, insomnia, and muscle twitching.
In fact, according to a recent article on the DAMS website, http://amalgam.org/, Swedish researchers developed and utilized a sophisticated test for immune or autoimmune reactions related to mercury and other immunotoxics. Interviews of a large population of Swedish patients who had amalgam removed due to health problems found that virtually all reported significant health improvements—and that these improvements were “permanent.” The duration of the study was 17 years. An even larger study found similar results. For instance, of those with allergies, 89% had significant improvement after amalgam removal.
At our dental office in Wilmington, we think that is significant enough for us to encourage our patients with any health concerns to have their metal fillings removed.
Learn more on the website of the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology: http://iaomt.org/mercury/. Then please feel free to call us at 302-239-1641 to schedule your next appointment.
It all adds up to better health, smile, body, and spirit!