There is no longer any doubt that excessive mercury exposure can cause a long list of health problems in children and adults; recent research has even drawn a causal connection between exposure to mercury and autism. Since silver fillings, or dental amalgam, contain approximately 50 percent elemental mercury, we avoid using them at our holistic dental practice. For the many adults who received dental amalgam fillings in the past, we safely and carefully remove mercury-filled dental amalgam and replace them with healthier bio-compatible and non-toxic white composites.
Mercury is, of course, a metal. On top of the array of established issues with mercury, a new study suggests that metal exposure can be a contributing factor to autoimmune disease.
In April, the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT) released a report entitled “Autoimmune Diseases and Metal Implants and Devices” which compiles decades of research linking the autoimmune disease to metals used in dentistry and medicine, including metals in dental fillings and implants.
As noted in the article, there are now over 80 recognized autoimmune diseases, and it is estimated that between 14 million and 50 million Americans suffer from some form of the condition. Some of the most common and well-known autoimmune diseases include:
- Diabetes
- Lupus
- multiple sclerosis
- rheumatoid arthritis
- celiac disease.
Reviewing the abundant scientific literature on the connection between metal exposure and autoimmune conditions, the authors of the study focused on how those conditions improve when the offending metal is removed.
Some of the health conditions that improved (or from which patients even recovered) after removal of metal dental implants and devices include:
- a variant of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) known as progressive muscular atrophy
- autoimmune thyroiditis
- chronic fatigue syndrome
- Crohn’s disease
- Fibromyalgia
- multiple sclerosis
- oral lichen planus
- Sjögren’s syndrome, and
- systemic lupus erythematosus.
The article concluded with the following advice, which we wholeheartedly agree with:
For all these reasons and more, it is imperative for patients battling the autoimmune disease to work with their doctors and other healthcare professionals so that toxins and allergens such as metal medical and dental implants and devices are kept out of their bodies and healthier, safer options are put in to replace them.
Assure A Smile: A Commitment to Mercury-Free Dentistry
At Assure A Smile, we have been and remain at the forefront of holistic, metal-free and mercury-free dentistry. Assure a Smile is a proud member of the World Alliance for Mercury-Free Dentistry which, in affiliation with the Campaign for Mercury-Free Dentistry, has fought hard since 2010 for the phase-down and eventual ban on dental amalgam usage.
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.
