How to Reduce Your Mercury Exposure
We may still be learning the full extent to which [...]
We may still be learning the full extent to which [...]
On Wednesday, April 19, Dr. Ted Herrmann, DMD, led a [...]
This past summer, the journal of Metabolic Brain Disease published [...]
Dental amalgam fillings have been used by dentists worldwide for [...]
Not only are silver fillings dangerous for patients, exposure to mercury is also toxic for everyone in the office when they are attending to a patient with silver amalgams. In fact, toxic exposure during routine dental procedures violates many workplace safety laws. An astonishing 170,000 dentists across the United States still work with amalgams while refusing to acknowledge the harm they are imposing on their patients, their staff, and themselves. Most of this is due to erroneous claims that amalgams don’t release mercury. Watch the trailer here!
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.” Read more on how to eliminate mercury toxins from your mouth and life.
This October, we saw an exciting victory for the Consumers for Dental Choice campaign against the use of dangerous and potentially toxic dental amalgam (silver fillings). Now, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing a new rule that will require all dental offices to use amalgam separators when performing procedures involving mercury-rich dental amalgam. In addition to acknowledging the inherent danger of dental amalgam, the EPA’s proposal also aims to reduce mercury pollution by requiring dental offices to more carefully capture, contain, and dispose of the hazardous metallic debris.
According to a new poll by Zogby Research Services, only about 1 in 10 patients are told by their dentist that dental amalgam (silver fillings) contains a potentially harmful level of liquid mercury (i). It’s estimated that over 1 billion teeth have been restored with dental amalgam worldwide, presenting a serious health concern for the patient, the environment, and the general world population.
Worldwide, it’s estimated that more than 180 million people have teeth the have been repaired with some sort of dental restorative material. In total, that’s a staggering 1.4 billion teeth. From the 1950s through present day, one of the most common dental restoratives has always been dental amalgam. Often called “silver fillings,” this metallic mixture is prepared with up to 50% or more liquid mercury. Poisoning from these “mercury fillings” is a risk that holistic dental professionals are quick to warn patients about, even though agencies like the American Dental Association refuse to formally acknowledge any potential health problems associated with their use. At Assure A Smile, we take a holistic approach to dentistry that focuses on both oral health and total body wellness. We believe patients should be educated about mercury poisoning, dental amalgam, and the long-term health risks associated with silver fillings.
In 1991, the World Health Organization released a report confirming that the mercury content of dental amalgam (used for silver fillings) was the single greatest source of mercury pollution in non-industrialized settings. Since that time, health professionals and environmental scientists have pushed hard to have the material banned. Unfortunately, there is nothing illegal about putting this dangerous neuro-toxin in your mouth. Learn more about the dangers of mercury-rich dental amalgam in the free infographic below.