I have quite a few silver fillings in my mouth that I want to switch out for the white ones. I’ve worked very hard to get my health in order. I started by changing my eating. Then I added exercising. I’m now turning to my medicines and dental work. I’ve been told the silver fillings are filled with metal and I want to go metal-free. Rumor has it that I would have more success if I went to a holistic dentist? Is this true?
Olive
Dear Olive,
Congratulations on all the health changes you have been making. I am glad you wrote. You can certainly get your amalgam (silver) fillings switched out for the composite (white) fillings. There are some things you need to take into consideration when embarking on this.
The Main Ingredient in Amalgam Fillings is Mercury
Amalgam is essentially a fancy word for a mixture of things. So, when we talk about amalgam fillings, they are made of quite a few metals and other ingredients. However, the largest ingredient is mercury — a known toxin. As you can imagine, although the American Dental Association considers them perfectly safe. not many people are too thrilled with the prospect of having mercury in their bodies.
However, mercury can be very dangerous at room temperature. While you can get them replaced, you want to make sure it is done in a safe way that will prevent you from inhaling any mercury vapors or even swallowing little bits of mercury. This can be done with a sanitary amalgam removal. Unfortunately, not every dentist understands the procedure, nor do they have the required equipment for it. In that case, who would you go to for this process of switching out your fillings?
A holistic dentist is a good choice. They should be very good at keeping up with the clean technology available currently. It is not always easy to find a holistic dentist. If you run into that problem, then I will suggest two alternatives. One is a metal-free dentist and the other is a mercury-free dentist. All of these will be able to help you remove and replace your fillings safely.
As to whether you can do all of them at once will depend on how many you have and the policy of the dentist. Some dentists will do them all at once. Others will do them one quadrant at a time and others will don one arch at a time. This would be something to discuss with the dentist you end up with.
This blog is brought to you by West Seneca, Dentist Dr. Carl Embury.