Mercury Removal Gains International Approval
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has acknowledged that dental amalgam— the mercury alloy used to make “silver” fillings is not safe for everyone. They now say roughly two-thirds of the U.S. population should avoid them due to the risks they pose to human health. The two major dental supply companies here in the this country have chosen to stop making and marketing amalgam.
At the same time, an amendment, requiring nations to discourage the use of mercury amalgam in children under the age of 15 and in pregnant and nursing mothers, to the Minamata Convention, a global treaty to reduce mercury pollution, was recently accepted.
Mercury is a neurotoxin, dangerous to the brain, and it’s off-gassed with every bite and swallow. Once that vapor is inhaled, it’s a quick trip from the lungs into the bloodstream, and from there to organs that have a special affinity for attracting heavy metals, particularly the kidneys and brain.
Mercury-free is not enough. When people learn about the health hazards posed by dental amalgam, they naturally favor healthier and more aesthetic alternatives. This consumer demand has inspired more dentists to quit the material even before the changes of the past couple years.
But mercury-free isn’t mercury-safe, and safety is paramount when it comes to removing old amalgams, whether that removal is due to wear or breakage, or because a patient chooses it for health reasons. Such exposure could make a healthy person sick and a chronically ill person even sicker. Instead of solving the problem, it creates a worse one.
Special precautions must be taken when removing mercury amalgam to protect the health of patients, dental workers and the planet. While any dentist can follow the strict International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology guidelines, the only assurance of having amalgams removed safely is by choosing a dentist that is Safe Mercury Amalgam Removal Technique (SMART) certified.
Dr. Vladimir Gashinsky is in Holistic Dental Center of NJ provides SMART-certified biological dentistry with surgical expertise. For appointments and more information, call 973-457-4244 or visit HolisticDentalCenterNJ.com .
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