A Mouthful of Metals – Why Metals are Not Meant for your Mouth.
Part 3.
The fact that mercury vapor escapes from amalgam and enters the body is no longer debated. We agree that mercury is released on eating and chewing, as well as in response to changes in temperature and acidity in the mouth. The issue dividing dentists is how much enters and accumulates in the body and whether it is enough to harm some individuals.
Holistic dentists believe this vapor will indeed harm individuals as chronic exposure to this form of mercury occurs slowly, but constantly over a period of 10, 15 or even 20 years. And on average, there is seldom only one amalgam filling in the mouth.
The removal of mercury from the mouth requires careful attention. The bare minimum involves the use of rubber dam and high volume suction to remove the debris from drilling the filling. Alternative air supply should also be provided to ensure the patient does not inhale the mercury vapor that is released. The precautions are important to prevent the patient from swallowing large chunks of mercury filling and to minimize the spike in mercury levels in the blood.
As one patient so adeptly puts: “It is like bringing in the Hazmat team!” That said, to the strictest of precautions, the patient will still be exposed to mercury (studies have shown spikes in mercury levels in the blood after amalgam-removal). Treatment is usually supplemented by a detoxification program that aims to chelate and remove all the excess mercury from our tissues and within our bloodstream. This detoxification program should be started a week before an amalgam is removed and continued up to 2 months after the last one is removed.
In our last chapter, we will examine one last issue of why metals are not meant for our mouth.