Everything You Should Know About Mercury Filling Removal

Everything You Should Know About Mercury Filling Removal

Dec 01, 2022

In recent years, health concerns over amalgam fillings have increased steadily. As a result, millions are looking for suitable alternatives while others are looking for safe ways to remove their fillings. If you’re considering mercury filling removal, this guide covers the basics of mercury fillings and everything you may need to know about mercury filling removal.

What are mercury fillings?

Mercury fillings are also called amalgam fillings, silver amalgam fillings, or silver fillings. They are the most commonly used fillers for tooth cavities. These fillings contain an alloy of metals like copper, tin, silver, and mercury. Elemental mercury is used to bind the alloys of the metals and accounts for about 50% of the filling.

Reasons to Remove Mercury Fillings

According to recent studies, long-term mercury exposure has serious health complications such as:

  • Autism
  • Memory loss and dementia
  • Headaches
  • Fatigue
  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • Immune system dysfunction
  • Insomnia
  • Miscarriage
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Motor skill dysfunction
  • Heart disease
  • Personality changes like anger, anxiety, and irritability
  • Kidney problems

Research studies have indicated a decrease in mercury levels in blood and urine after mercury filling removal. For these reasons, most European countries have banned mercury fillings. However, they are still in use in America and other countries.

Simple actions such as brushing your teeth, drinking hot liquids, and bruxism can cause release mercury vapor or toxins that you can ingest or breathe. While there isn’t enough evidence that mercury can cause serious health complications, choosing more natural and aesthetic materials such as porcelain and composite resin is more convenient.

Apart from the health concerns, the unsightly metallic appearance of mercury fillings is another reason to remove them. Poor aesthetics can make some people feel self-conscious about smiling or laughing. We offer mercury amalgam removal near you.

Must you remove mercury fillings?

While you should remove mercury filling, it’s only sometimes necessary. Our dentist can help you decide about mercury amalgam removal in Glastonbury. To determine this, the dentist can consider factors such as mercury toxicity levels (test in the blood), tooth grinding, age and location of the filling, patient age, and lifestyle habits.

Some of the benefits of removing the mercury fillings include the following:

  • Reduce exposure and contact with mercury: For instance, chewing hard foods like grains can release mercury vapors.
  • Peace of mind. Knowing your mouth is free of toxins will keep you at ease.
  • Reduces the risk of serious health problems like heart disease, immune system dysfunction, and dementia
  • Replacing mercury fillings with tooth-colored fillings improves your appearance and self-confidence.
  • It will eliminate any symptoms related to mercury poisoning.

Steps of Removing Amalgam Fillings

There are pros and cons of removing mercury fillings. The greatest downside is the greater risk of inhaling mercury vapor or ingesting mercury particles during removal. The risk is even greater if your filling is very old.

Therefore, removing a filling at home puts you at a greater risk of mercury toxicity and other mercury-related complications. Call our dentist about mercury amalgam removal costs and what you can expect from the procedure.

Apart from using a professional to remove the filling, our dentist uses safe mercury amalgam removal techniques like:

  • Protective wear. Safety coverings like glasses are placed over the eyes to protect them.
  • Oxygen. Breathing pure oxygen through a nasal tube when removing mercury fillings minimizes the risk of inhaling mercury vapor. You can cover the nose with a mask to prevent the vapor from going through the nostrils.
  • Rubber dam. Placing a rubber sheet over the mouth helps prevent any mercury from going down the throat.
  • Powdered charcoal and chlorella can be placed in the mouth to absorb any mercury particles to prevent them from getting absorbed into the system.
  • A small-diameter carbide drill breaks the mercury amalgam into small chunks for removal.
  • Minimum drilling. You should remove the mercury with as little drilling as possible to minimize the mercury vapor or particles released in the air.
  • A high-volume suction helps pull out particles away from the mouth quickly, reducing the amount of exposure.
  • Cold water. Constantly squirting cold water when removing the fillings keeps the temperature low and reduces the risk of inhaling mercury vapor.
  • A high-volume air filtration system placed 2 – 4 inches away is used to reduce mercury exposure.

The dentist will thoroughly flush your mouth with water after the procedure. Then, the dentist will remove all the protective wear and dispose of the waste materials. If you’re curious as to how long it takes to feel better after amalgam removal, you shouldn’t worry.

Steven F. Hinchey, DMD, can help remove your mercury fillings safely, reducing the risk of mercury exposure. You’ll also get essential tips on how to detox and restore your oral and overall well-being.

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