A qualified dentist can consult you on whether it is in your best interest to remove the mercury fillings — mainly because the removal process exposes you to a lot of mercury vapor, even compared to leaving them in.
Mercury Fillings 101
What is a mercury filling? Mercury fillings are the most commonly used cavity fillers in America, used for over 150 years. Also called “silver fillings”, they contain 50% mercury by weight. Yes, mercury, the infamous neurotoxin (meaning it messes with your nervous system). Dentists across the world are using this cheap amalgam in people’s mouths, including for children and pregnant women. Fortunately, there are much safer alternatives, namely porcelain or composite resin. Unfortunately, they are a little more expensive.
Mercury fillings are also known as:
- Amalgam fillings
- Silver fillings
- Silver amalgam fillings
- Mercury amalgam fillings
- Dental amalgam fillings
When did dentists stop using mercury in fillings? Most dentists in America have not stopped using mercury in fillings. Although many European countries have banned their use, the American Dental Association (ADA) insists there is no evidence that mercury fillings pose any health risk. Even though they do.
Interesting fact: Back when mercury fillings were first introduced, the only US dental association at that time declared that the use of mercury fillings was “malpractice”. Now, unfortunately, they’re the standard of care. Do dentists still use mercury fillings? Yes, half of dentists still use mercury fillings in America. They are perfectly legal, even if they are known to expose people (including children) to poisonous mercury vapors, leading to mercury toxicity. Mercury toxicity has been linked to tremors, dementia, autism, miscarriage, immune system dysfunction, and many more health problems.
