Questions to Ask before Having Your Dentist Remove Mercury Fillings
- What precautions does he or she use to protect you from mercury exposure during amalgam removal?
A dentist that takes no special precautions to protect you during amalgam removal, can poison you further. It is possible to be subjected to very high levels of exposure during removal, if proper protocols are not followed.
- Does your dentist do compatibility testing?
Many people particularly those with compromised immune systems, could react poorly to some alternative replacement materials. Before having your amalgams removed, speak with your dentist or an M.D. that will conduct the testing necessary to ensure that the replacement material being used will not cause you further problems.
- Does your dentist use an air purification or filtration system to minimize mercury vapor in the dental office?
Be sure to find out what system he or she uses before you visit the clinic. Dentist offices that do not have the proper equipment in place will have air quality that is far below safe occupational exposure limits.
- What does your dentist do for nutritional support before and after mercury removal? Does she or he work with any specific doctors? Can he provide a referral to you for compatibility testing and evaluation before visiting the dentist? What protocol does the doctor use for nutritional support and mercury chelation?
- Does your dentist belong to any biological dental associations, such as the IAOMT?
Very little time is spent in traditional dental schools teaching composite placement of dental materials. While composites are a superior filling material to mercury amalgam, they are very technique sensitive. If your dentist has not taken additional training and does not belong to any of the biological associations that address these problems, chances are that you will not be happy with the result.
- Does your dentist use an amalgam separator to ensure that the hazardous waste materials being removed from your mouth are separated from the water and not being dumped into the environment?
Dentist are among the largest polluters of mercury in North America. If your dentist does not protect the environment, one has to ask…..Does he really care about protecting you.
- Don’t be afraid to ask your dentist for referrals.
Speak with a few of his patients who have had similar procedures done. Check out the clinics web site. Most biological dentists in North America support us through their listing in our Mercury Free Dental Directory [1]. If the dentist you are considering using is not listed, find out why. We can only make this information available to you with dentists’ support
- Shop prices.
Mercury removal has become an industry within the dental community. There are now many dentists who are removing mercury fillings, simply because of public demand and economics. Biological dentists practicing mercury free dentistry, in most cases have a substantial investment in equipment and time. It is this investment and the precautions taken that can make ‘true’ mercury free dentists more expensive than others who are inexperienced in biological dentistry. Take the time to ensure you are not being overcharged. Compare apples to apples. On the other hand, it does not make sense for you to take unnecessary risks that could result in years of illness, for the sake of saving a few dollars.
- Use your right to informed consent that we and so many are fighting for, on your behalf. Do your research and make sound, well informed decisions. There is significant evidence of the substantial damage that traditional dentistry has done.