Co-authored by Dr. Stephen Kovar

Mercury fillings are outdated and toxic, and if you currently have mercury fillings, you should consider having them removed.

However, just asking your dentist to remove your mercury fillings or other metals can be just as dangerous to your health. There are key protocols that must be followed, and before you consider having a dentist remove your mercury fillings, there are some key questions you should ask, including:

• Do they place a rubber dam in your mouth to keep you from swallowing mercury particles?
• Do they provide a separate oxygen supply to keep you from breathing the vapors that are caused by the drilling?
• Do they provide protective clothing for the patient/staff/doctor?
• Do they provide patient protective eye wear?
• Do they use a lower speed or high speed hand piece drill, and do they cut and chunk the filling or do they just grind it out? (Less grinding = less Mercury vapor release.)
• Do they have a high suction, separate vapor evacuator and ion air purifier?

You should also work with with a naturopathic or homeopathic physician to prepare your body for mercury and heavy metal removal and detoxing your body from mercury and other heavy metals after your fillings are removed. Failure to do so can cause your body to get extremely sick as it attempts to detoxify on its own.

There is also a danger to dentists and assistants that arise out of the  removal of mercury amalgam fillings in the waste water and vapors released into air. These dangers exist for both for dentists who place mercury fillings, but also for dentists who remove them. For this reason, not only should there be strict protocols which should be followed in removing mercury from a patient’s mouth, but all dentists should be taking environmental precautions to protect their city’s water supply.

Most cities do not even realize the danger dentists are contributing to poisoning the air and water supply around us.  I actually conducted a “test” of my office’s wastewater by having City water officials come out and test the wastewater from my dental office before and after putting in mercury separators. Putting in the mercury separators resulted in a 98% reduction in mercury levels into the City’s waste water system.  In fact, except for certain cities that have adopted rules requiring dentists to install mercury separators on their wastewater, dental offices around the country continue to poison our nation’s water supply! For environmental reasons alone, the use of mercury fillings should be banned completely. However, when you factor in the damage mercury fillings can cause to your health, it is clear that the costs of using mercury fillings outweigh any benefits their advocates may claim they provide.

All pictures taken and provided by Dr. Stephen Kovar

Suggested resources:

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission or other compensation if you click through and make a purchase.

* The Poison in Your Teeth, by Tom McGuire, DDS

* It’s All In Your Head: the Link Between Mercury Amalgams and Illness, by Dr. Hal A. Huggins

* Whole-Body Dentistry, by Mark A. Breiner, DDS

** Mercury Free Dentistry Campaign at www.toxicteeth.org

** Learn the Essential Dental Mercury Facts at www.iaomt.org

** Mercury Amalgam “Silver” Fillings Essentials at www.iabdm.org

FDA’s “About Dental Amalgam Fillings” at www.fda.gov

* I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

** I receive no compensation from these websites but I highly recommend and endorse them.

 

Dr. Stephen KovarDr. Stephen KovarDr. Stephen A. Kovar, DMD, FAGD has worked as a holistic dentist in Mesa, Arizona in the My Dentist office since 2008.

He attended Montana State University at Bozeman, Montana studying Biomedical Sciences. He then pursued his dental education at Oregon Health Sciences University, School of Dentistry where he graduated with Honors in 1995. Following dental school, Dr. Kovar completed a General Practice / Hospital Residency at the West Los Angeles / UCLA Veterans Administration Medical Center. Upon completing his residency, Dr. Kovar moved back to Portland, Oregon where, for 10 years, he established his dental practice and also was an Assistant Professor of Restorative Dentistry at Oregon Health and Sciences University, School of Dentistry.

In July, 2004, Dr. Kovar achieved the honor of receiving a Fellowship in the Academy of General Dentistry – an honor that less than 5% of all dentist’s in North America has achieved.