We may still be learning the full extent to which mercury exposure causes significant health problems, but there is simply no denying that mercury poses a toxic threat to humans and our environment. Study after study has shown that excessive mercury exposure can lead to a wide range of health problems in children and adults; recent research has even drawn a causal connection between exposure to mercury and autism.
That is why we emphasize mercury-free dentistry so often and so much. Dental amalgams, or silver fillings, contain approximately 50 percent elemental mercury. Over time, silver fillings emit vapors that can cause mood swings, tremors, headaches, insomnia, nervousness, irritability, and weakness. Other more serious ailments associated with methylmercury poisoning include vision problems, cerebral palsy, hearing problems, growth problems, intellectual disability, and microcephaly.
Reducing and eliminating mercury from your body can increase your overall health and wellness and reduce the chances of serious illness. Here are three ways you and your family can reduce your mercury exposure starting today:
Mercury Filling Removal
As noted, silver fillings are prepared with liquid mercury, which has since been determined to be extremely hazardous to our health. At Assure A Smile, we not only prohibit mercury use in the office but also safely remove mercury fillings from patients who received this hazardous material from other dentists in the past. While a common procedure, mercury filling removal must be performed with extreme caution to avoid unnecessary and dangerous exposure to mercury vapor and amalgam fragments. Patients should make an appointment with an experienced mercury removal dentist to ensure health complications do not arise during the procedure.
Careful and Selective Fish Consumption
Certain kinds of fish contain significant amounts of mercury, not because evolution put it there, but because we have. Mercury from coal-fired power plants and other industrial facilities gets released into the air and descends into rivers, lakes, and oceans where it is absorbed by sea life, including fish which accumulate mercury in fatty tissue. While almost all fish and shellfish contain trace amounts of mercury, certain fish species, including ones that regularly wind up on dinner tables, have mercury levels which can pose grave health risks, especially for pregnant women, when eaten regularly.
Bigger fish, such as tuna, shark, swordfish, and bluefish, tend to accumulate greater amounts of mercury than smaller ones. Try to reduce or eliminate your intake of these and replace them with such fish as salmon, flounder, tilapia, mackerel, and haddock which don’t hold on to mercury as much as their larger cousins do.
Check Your Cosmetics
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, many cosmetic products, usually manufactured abroad and sold illegally here, contain dangerous levels of mercury. These products are usually marketed as skin lighteners and anti-aging treatments claiming to remove age spots, freckles, blemishes, and wrinkles. But check the label; if it lists “mercurous chloride,” “calomel,” “mercuric,” “mercurio,” or “mercury,” the product contains mercury. Don’t buy it, don’t use it, and get rid of it.
At Assure A Smile, we have been and remain at the forefront of holistic, mercury-free dentistry. We are committed to improving the overall health and wellness of our patients, including reducing their exposure to mercury. We safely and carefully remove mercury-filled dental amalgam and replace them with healthier biocompatible and non-toxic white composites that look more natural without the injurious side effects.
To schedule a consultation to discuss your concerns about mercury exposure or to schedule safe mercury removal in Miami, click here to schedule an appointment online or you may contact us via phone at (305) 274-0047. We welcome the opportunity to help you.
