It’s well known that silver fillings can be harmful, but why should you look to a holistic dentist for your dental needs? In 1857 amalgam (‘silver’) fillings were an excellent solution for restoring teeth because they were inexpensive, simple for dentists to use, and they lasted a long time. That was the year the American Dental Association came into existence.
Few people realize that the ADA was formed to promote the use of amalgam fillings. The antibacterial properties of amalgam fillings got people of out pain quickly, and longevity was not an issue back then. People were not expected to live so long that their tooth crumbled around a metal filling as often happens today. The flexing of the metal against the tooth causes micro-fractures that can eventually cause the tooth to break while the filling stays intact. This is why it’s necessary to upgrade old dental work; however, it needs to be done without exposing the patient—and the dental staff—to vaporized and particulate mercury as it is being replaced.
Because the ADA regulates the standard of care and does not recognize that systemic issues can originate from dental treatment, dentists are not trained to take precautions with mercury removal. Those who have recognized that this is an issue are known as ‘holistic’ dentists, because they realize that the mouth is the gateway to the body. Since the holistic approach is not standardized as a specialty within dentistry, it may or may not include some or all of the following features. The International Association for Oral Medicine and Toxicology recommends following a strict protocol whenever metal fillings need to be replaced.
This includes use of a rubber dam for tooth isolation so that no metal particles find their way into the mouth or are swallowed. Clean air and oxygen through a nose piece, a specially-designed filtration unit near the patient’s mouth to capture vapors and a custom high speed vacuum unit are additional, recommended precautions when removing old amalgam fillings. To protect the environment as well, there may be additional filtration to prevent the metal waste from being released into the public water system.
