You may have read how your silver mercury fillings may be harmful to your health, now what? You’ve come to the right office by choosing SMART and PROTECT certified doctors to replace your old amalgam fillings. The safety protocols used by our doctors at Wrigleyville Dental is named by the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT) as the Safe Mercury Amalgam Removal Technique and the International Academy of Biological Dentistry and Medicine (IABDM) as the PROTECT Protocol. If you’re wondering why it’s necessary to take these extensive safety precautions during this procedure, you should know that all dental amalgam restorations contain about 50% mercury content and research finds that these fillings can emit mercury vapors. Without these precautions, your body is at a higher risk for ingesting or inhaling the mercury vapor, which can lead to mercury toxicity or contribute to other medical conditions. Mercury is a known neurotoxin. When mercury is disturbed by drilling them out, particles get inhaled and ingested, no matter how safe the protocol is. But the safer the protocol, the less exposure for the patient.
We take the following measures to ensure safety for our patients, staff, doctors and the environment:
- In order to protect the patient’s skin, hair and clothing, a full body, impermeable barrier, as well as a full head/face/neck barrier is utilized.
- The amalgam is sectioned into chunks and removed in as large of pieces as possible, to minimize mercury vapor exposure.
- We use lots of cool water during the procedure to minimize the vapors that come from the fillings.
- Oxygen will be delivered to the patient via a nasal mask to minimize any mercury vapor or amalgam particulate inhalation during the procedure.
- We use one suction directly over the tooth, another for the saliva, and a third one by your chin to help remove any aerosol and vapor. The suction by your chin also has a HEPA filter which filters the room air.
- Several HEPA filters are placed inside the room as well as a negative ion generator to decrease the amount of mercury vapor inside the treatment room.
- You are given a charcoal rinse prior to removing the fillings to ensure that any mercury particles that pass into the mouth are captured and eliminated.
- You will also receive a thorough water rinse and a charcoal rinse after the procedure to ensure all mercury particles are eliminated from the mouth.
- We will take a digital x-ray to ensure all mercury silver particles have been removed from the tooth.
- We will give you 1,000mg of liposomal Vitamin C supplement to support your immune system after your treatment is completed.
- We also utilize an amalgam separator in our office to collect mercury amalgam waste and prevent it from being released into the water supply.
This is the most holistic, comprehensive, safest way to remove mercury silver amalgam fillings safely. Despite the safest of protocols, some individuals still may get sick or have symptoms after the procedure. The best way to ensure that your body is ready for this procedure, is to have a Mercury Toxicity Test done. Read more about it here.
What to do prior to removal
Whenever a mercury amalgam is removed from a tooth, some of the mercury seeps into the body’s tissues no matter how safe the protocol. Therefore, removing mercury fillings is not advised for everyone. If there is the potential for adverse reactions, a Mercury Toxicity Test is recommended prior to amalgam removal. Some healthcare practitioners want their patients on kidney and/or liver support before and after the procedure. Check with your medical doctor prior to having your amalgams removed if there may be any contraindications.
Read more about what to do prior to mercury removal
Below is a picture of an actual amalgam removal done here at Wrigleyville Dental.