I know there are always health fads. The latest to be discredited is Kale mania. Now I keep hearing it needs to be mercury-free dentistry. First, how much mercury is there really in dentistry? Is it that serious? Help me understand this before I go through all the trouble of searching for the latest fad in dentistry.
Marilyn
Dear Marilyn,
The only real area in dentistry where there’s mercury to contend with is in what type of filling you get. Amalgam fillings, commonly called silver fillings are the culprit. The word amalgam means mixture or blend. Unfortunately, while it does include several types of materials, it’s main ingredient at more than 50% is mercury.
I must say at the outset that the American Dental Association (ADA) still says that amalgam fillings are perfectly safe. However, giving that Mercury is a known toxin, including a neurotoxin, you can see why patients aren’t lining up to knowingly put mercury in their bodies.
Knowingly is the key word there. The word started getting out that the fillings were loaded with mercury. Most patients didn’t know that and they now want mercury-free dentists. It’s understandable, especially in this day and age when we have such a great alternative. In fact, some patients become so concerned they opt to switch out the old fillings for the new.
Mercury-Free Fillings
Since the 1980s we’ve had a great alternative. Composite fillings are superior in almost every way. Yet, some dentists still insist on using what they’ve always used using the ADA’s proclamation of safety as an excuse.
Other dentists have embraced the new technology. In fact, they’ve gone a step further and no longer even offer amalgam fillings, often advertisting as the mercury-free dentists you’ve heard so much about.
Removing Amalgam Fillings
Where you have to be careful is in the removal process. You can’t just switch out the old fillings any which way. You put yourself at serious risk of inhaling mercury vapors or some pieces of mercury in the removal process.
Because of that, dentists have developed what is known as a sanitary amalgam removal. This protects you from the risk mentioned above. To find a dentist who knows that procedure your best bet is to find a holistic dentist or a mercury free dentist.
I hope this helps answer your question. This blog is brought to you by Baton Rouge Dentist Dr. Steven Collins.