Dental Fillings with Mercury in It
The big concern about silver amalgam fillings is the environmental and health impact of their chief ingredient: mercury. Despite the controversy the majority of dentists are still using amalgam fillings.
According to the American Dental Association dentists continue to fill some 50 million teeth with amalgam each year and many of those teeth belong to children.
Mercury, a known neurotoxin, makes up 50 percent (in weight) of amalgam fillings, which also contain silver, copper and tin. The ADA though says the amount of mercury vapor released by the fillings is too little to cause harm.
The FDA ruled in 2009, that amalgam filling were safe for adults and children older than 6. Though there are no long term clinical studies regarding kids younger than 6 or pregnant women and their developing fetuses, the FDA did not have significant concerns regarding these populations.
Still, in response to concerns about its ruling, the FDA convened a panel last December to re-examine the issue and expects to make a new announcement by the end of this year.
Some dentists are concerned about the mercury in amalgam fillings but the governing body for dentists, the American Dental Association does not require dentists to disclose to their patients the mercury content in amalgam fillings. Meaning the ADA doesn’t consider amalgam fillings a big threat to patients.
The worry has to do with the buildup of mercury from vapors over a lifetime. The body is not able to excrete mercury well so it tends to stay in your system for many years. Mercury fillings have been cited as causing Alzheimers, allergies, and many other illnesses though no hard clinical evidence exists to prove these claims.
If you do decide to have your amalgam fillings removed there are other risks such as increased tooth sensitivity, potential future need of a root canal if there’s nerve damage in the process, the increased release of mercury vapors during removal and the cost, which can range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. If you have insurance, you can have your dentist tell them you are having them replaced because they are old/worn and the cost will probably be covered.
If you are worried about amalgam fillings, talk to a dentist you trust and see what they have to say. While the FDA says it is okay, you may still be troubled and a discussion with your dentist may help ease your mind.
Holistic dentistry is becoming more popular. Holistic dentists may use less invasive techniques and consider the relationship between dental problems and other parts of your body. If you want to find out more see our post
Related posts:
- Caring for Dental Extractions and Alternative Medicine Holistic Preventing Bacterial Growth After Dental Surgery Holistic dentistry is...
- Alternative Medicine Dental Underbite Dental Underbite Treatment Though underbite is a condition that only...
- FDA and Homeopathic Regulations Homeopathic Dilutions Often on this site we discuss homeopathic cures....
- How Important is Vitamin D in the Prevention of Autism Mercury Free Flu Shots Dr. Robert Sears, wrote a book...
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
Feedback