Mercury Safe Dentistry
Why My Practice is Mercury Safe
To Our Valued Patients:
Dental schools still teach dentists to use mercury amalgam (silver) fillings and the American Dental Association (ADA) continues to tell the public they are safe. But recently more and more questions have been raised about the safety of the mercury vapor released from amalgam fillings while they are in a person's mouth. This has resulted in a controversy and an ongoing debate about them - with some dentists saying they are safe and more and more saying they aren’t. This has now evolved to the point where over 60% of practicing dentists are no longer putting mercury amalgam/silver fillings in their patients’ teeth. Also of interest is that three countries, Norway, Sweden and Denmark have banned the use of mercury fillings in the dental practice.
This controversy has made me rethink what I was taught in dental school. After extensive research (including reading Dr. Tom McGuire’s book; The Poison in Your Teeth: Mercury Amalgam (Silver) Fillings . . . Hazardous to Your Health), articles on his website www.mercurysafeandmercuryfree.com, and information provided by the ADA, I concluded it would be in the best interests of my patients, myself and my staff, and the environment, to no longer offer mercury amalgam/silver fillings as a dental filling material and become a Mercury Free (amalgam filling free) dental practice. Of note is the fact that the ADA also supports occupationally mercury safe dentistry.
One Step Further: Becoming Mercury Safe and Mercury Free
In addition, because it has been scientifically proven that high levels of poisonous mercury vapor are released when amalgam fillings are unsafely removed, I have made my office as Occupationally Mercury Safe as possible. To that end, I use state-of-the art technology, equipment, and safe removal protocols, to protect my patients, my staff, myself, and the environment from excessive, and unnecessary, occupational exposure to occupational mercury at my office. Thus, I have now made my practice both Occupationally Mercury Safe and Mercury Free (amalgam filling free). Click Here to review our amalgam removal protocols.
Becoming both a Mercury Safe and Mercury Amalgam Free dental practice was my decision to make. But I believe that deciding whether or not to have your existing amalgam fillings removed and replaced must be your choice. Because I place great importance on Patient Education, I feel it is my responsibility to educate my patients about the important relationship of oral to overall health and to provide them with the information required for them to make educated decisions about their oral health. That is why we recommend Dr. McGuire’s book to learn more about the pros and cons of removing, or keeping, these fillings. But again I want to make it clear that the decision to remove and replace these fillings can only be made by you. I and my staff would be happy to answer any questions you have.
What You Can Expect at Hi-Tech Family Dentistry
- Superior technology that will lead to less time spend in the dental chair and more time showing off your winning smile to family and friends
- Absolute comfort and ease-of-mind. We take the time to make sure you are as comfortable as possible during any given procedure. And you can rest assured knowing our doctors are experts in their field.
- A commitment to your overall health and well-being. We are well-versed in how oral health leads to overall health and we’re proactive about recommending services if we feel they are in your best overall interest. These things translate into a better quality of life.
- Quality care. Above all, we care. We care about your personal experience in our office and our combined commitment to will providing state-of-the art service, investing in innovative technology, and ensuring you’re comfortable translates into the highest level of dental care available today.
Thank you for your confidence in our dental office and we look forward to meeting you.