Pop quiz: Which type of filling would you rather have?
Black, corroding metal that expands with pressure and temperature, and leads to cracked or broken teeth.
Biocompatible white fillings that bond and hold your teeth together.
We suspect you’d choose those natural looking fillings over the metal ones. But they have virtues beyond just looking better. They’re the healthier option, as well.
Those metal fillings – the so-called “silver” fillings – are actually 50% mercury. Mercury is one of the most toxic, naturally occurring substances on the planet. It is neurotoxic, meaning that it is toxic to the brain.
And it doesn’t remain bound up in the filling forever. As you can see in the video below, it is easily off-gassed:
Even more concerning is the amount of mercury vapor and particulate that can be generated through conventional removal procedures:
When mercury vapor is inhaled, it’s a quick journey to the lungs and into the general circulation, where the toxin gravitates toward organs such as the brain, kidneys, and liver. Symptoms related to mercury toxicity are many, and include neurological, autoimmune, gastrointestinal, and cardiovascular problems.
Also of concern is that dental offices remain one of the main sources of environmental mercury pollution, both directly and indirectly, affecting animal and human life alike. In addition to mercury waste released into landfills and the sewage system, dental mercury also finds its way back into the environment via excretion (urine and feces in the sewage system) and the burial or cremation of individuals with amalgam fillings.
New Era Dentistry has always been both mercury-free and mercury-safe. When patients ask to have their amalgam fillings replaced with biocompatible restorations, we go to great lengths to ensure not just their safety but our own and our planet’s. You can learn more about our mercury-safe practices here.
We make no claim that mercury removal will stop any symptom, let alone cure disease. We rely on and work closely with other holistic health practitioners to determine mercury levels in your body and the best options for detoxification based on your particular health situation.
We do believe that where toxic and nontoxic options for repairing teeth are available, it only makes good sense to choose nontoxic.