Amalgam, the common silver substance used to fill cavities, has been used in dentistry for more than 100 years. It is a combination of metals like silver, mercury, tin and copper and has traces of zinc, indium or palladium. Generally amalgams contain 50% of mercury 35% of silver and 9% tin and 6% of copper and traces of zinc and other metals. As alternatives there can be amalgams made with larger percentages of other metals like copper or indium which can bind mercury strongly and can decrease its release from this mixture.
Mercury is used in amalgam because it helps make the material more pliable. It creates a compound that is soft enough to pack into the teeth but quickly hardens to withstand the actions of biting and chewing.
Being cheaper compared to other fillings and due to its capability to with stand pressure caused due to chewing; it is preferred over other filling materials.
Millions of people currently have amalgam fillings and some dentists are still using it today. However he harmful effects that mercury has on human health has been well documented waterpik for centuries. The fact that mercury can have a accumulative harmful effect on human health has to be taken into consideration carefully.
According to one source, mercury can attach through the sulfhydral groups on amino acids in your CNS (Central nervous system) unless actively removed for as long as 15-30 years. In other words, the longer you are exposed to the mercury the greater your risk of creating toxicity in your body.
We are exposed every day to mercury through various sources like water, air, occupation but using amalgam filling exposes you to mercury every day on a consistent basis. Although the risk of exposure to mercury through use of amalgam fillings is a controversial issue but it cannot be ignored that chewing, brushing and intake of hot foods can stimulate the release of mercury therefore exposing oneself to its possible toxicity.
Supporters of amalgam fillings claim that the amount of mercury released from amalgam fillings is negligible. However animal studies have conclusively shown labelled mercury traces appearing in kidneys, brain and intestinal walls. These mercury traces occurred from the amalgam. Some European countries have banned the use of amalgams as dental fillings.
Additionally there are reports showing a link between amalgam fillings with autoimmune disorders like Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis and thyroid problems along
with other problems such as food allergies, kidney dysfunction, infertility, polycystic ovary syndrome and neurotransmitter imbalances causing tremors, insomnia, polyneuropath and paresthesias.
Why risk your health with mercury fillings. Today you have a choice with composite fillings. Composite is usually make of a quartz resin and most often has a light sensitive agent in it.
Composite fillings actually bond to the tooth thus helping the tooth be restored its original strength. Mercury fillings actually weaken the teeth making them more susceptible to breaking. Composite fillings restore the natural appearance of your teeth thus making it more aesthetically pleasing. And composite fillings are less sensitive to hot and cold that teeth filled with mercury.
The choice is simple. For health and cosmetic reasons have your teeth restored with mercury-free fillings.
Everyone wants to have a healthy mouth and a nice smile. This is why getting professional holistic dental care is so important. Nowadays, natural dentists are concerned about the use of toxic elements in the mouth. Mercury is one such poison. In recent years, the number of dentists placing mercury fillings has gone from 99% down to 50%. Increasing numbers of people are having their mercury fillings removed and replaced with natural porcelain composite fillings. Why? For two reasons.
1. Mercury Is Highly Toxic
A mercury filling is a toxic mercury implant in the body. No one would allow a lead filling to be placed. But the secret is that the mercury is more toxic than lead, and much more toxic because it is a vapor and is absorbed into the body. It goes right to the brain.
But removing mercury fillings can be dangerous too. Toxic mercury is released from fillings that are both in the mouth and being removed. Clinically dentists have repeatedly heard that same story from patients in their dental chairs, who have found that when they started getting their mercury fillings removed in an office that didn't protect them, they got sick and were sick for months. They were mercury poisoned! That is why the holistic dentist has built his or her office around the concept of being a safe mercury removal office.
2. Mercury Fillings Expand As They Age
The second secret is that mercury fillings expand like freezing water as they age, and this breaks the teeth. That is the reason for most crowns in peoples' mouths! The amalgam expands because it corrodes, and metal corrosion always takes more space than the original metal. You might be familiar with how rust under a car's paint will lift the paint. Corrosion can expand seventy times the original metal.
That is why the motto of the holistic dentist is, "Save your teeth, get the mercury fillings out." Get them out before they crack the teeth and you have to get a crown or lose the tooth. If the tooth splits down the middle it has to be pulled. If it breaks off out to a side, it can be saved with a crown. But if the mercury is replaced with a tooth colored, bonded, porcelain composite filling, the tooth is saved. Notice how conservative it is to just replace the mercury filling; it saves all the rest of the enamel and tooth. If the tooth breaks and requires a crown, the whole tooth has to be reduced (or in other words, the enamel ground off of it) for the crown. So "Save your teeth, get the mercury fillings out."
One more problem - mercury fillings corrode because of electrolytic corrosion. There are electric micro-currents between different metals in the mouth. A battery is basically two dissimilar metals with an electrolyte between them. Saliva is the electrolyte, and so electrons flow between the differing electronegative potentials of metals. That is why if a crown with metal in it is placed over a tooth with mercury/silver in it, you might see a darkening in the gums around it, a metal tattoo. The tattoo is there because mercury ions carrying the charge drop out of the electrical circuit in the tissues because they become sulfated and pile up and make the tattoo.
Concerned about your mercury fillings? See your holistic dentist and have them safely removed and replaced.