As most holistic dentists recognize, amalgam fillings are extremely harmful to the human body. But, it’s taken a long time for the general health system to promote the removal and ban of silver amalgam fillings, even though the side effects are proven to be detrimental to patients’ health.
The European Union’s Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR) said that when it comes to children and pregnant patients, “alternative materials to amalgam should be the first choice.”
This is a giant step forward for educational health advocates everywhere. And, hopefully, this recent release will protect millions of children, pregnant women, unborn babies and individuals suffering from kidney disorders that stemmed from mercury exposure.
Unfortunately, the American Dental Association (ADA) has not recognized this consensus and instead has skewed the story to state that amalgam use is still safe for the “general population.” Although the SCENIHR said silver filling aren’t recommended for pregnant women and unborn children, they never said mercury implants were recommended for adults.
What are the Dangers of Amalgam Fillings?
Amalgam fillings, also called silver fillings, are composed of up to 50 percent mercury. The problem with mercury is that it has the potential to cause methylmercury poisoning. Methylmercury is a specific type of mercury that doesn’t go away – it stays in the body tissue of the person (or animal) that consumes it.
Methylmercury poisoning is why the Environmental Protection Agency consistently warns pregnant women and young children against eating fish. Some of the symptoms of methylmercury poisoning include slow physical development, microcephaly, intellectual issues, hearing issues, cerebral palsy, and vision problems.
With the side effects of mercury poisoning being so serious, it’s important to understand where mercury exposure comes from and how you can avoid it moving forward.
How to Eliminate Mercury from Your Life
Cutting out raw or undercooked fish is one way to eliminate mercury from your diet. But, as much as you restrict your diet, you may still be exposed to poison due to past dental work. Heavy metal from silver fillings is the most toxic, non-radioactive substance on the planet (that we know of). Even the World Health Organization warns that exposure to mercury, even on a minor scale, has a serious side effect to your wellbeing.
If you are unaware of your past dental work or know that you have silver fillings, you should seriously consider having them removed. These fillings contain 50 to 65 percent mercury that is not contained inside the material. In fact, silver fillings release mercury vapor into the mouth over time, leading to long-term exposure.
Unfortunately, around 46 percent of dentists in the United States still use mercury-ridden dental amalgams. Perhaps this is because knowledge of the components of silver fillings and their side effects are somewhat unknown. In 2006, 72 percent of respondents of a 2,590-person poll said they were not aware that mercury was an ingredient in silver fillings.
You can’t change the past, but you can prevent future mercury exposure and related issues by taking care of your oral care in a natural, holistic manner today.
As a leading mercury-free dentistry, Assure A Smile aims to help educate patients identify and treat mercury-related issues. Dr. Ted Herrmann himself was a victim of mercury exposure, and suffered until a nutritionist informed him about the dangers of silver fillings. This awareness completely altered his career path, and he decided to pursue a biological approach to dentistry. To reverse the effects of his silver fillings, Dr. Herrmann altered his diet and studied mercury exposure as it relates to dentistry, allowing him to become a leader in the holistic oral care industry.
Safe Mercury Filling Removal & Restoration in Miami
Assure A Smile Miami dentistry specializes in safely removing and replacing dental amalgams. We take every precaution necessary to ensure patient safety, and we utilize environmentally friendly disposal methods to do our part in waste reduction. For more information, readers are invited to contact us online or call our practice directly at 305.274.0047. Readers may also visit the following page to learn more about mercury filling removal in Miami.
