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 their 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.
In addition, because it has been scientifically proven that high levels of poisonous mercury vapor are released when amalgam fillings are unsafely removed, I’ve 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’ve 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. My staff and me would be happy to answer any questions you have.
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