Safe Removal of Mercury Fillings

A patient needs to use a “biological” dentist in order to assure that the mercury amalgam filling removal is going to be done safely
A great many people who contact DAMS have made the mistake of letting a “regular” dentist remove amalgam fillings. Unsafe removal often results in a worsening of symptoms and maybe even the appearance of new symptoms and new disorders. Such unsafe removal is a step backwards rather than a step forward, at least in the short run. So we urge care in selecting a dentist: as with hiring a lead abatement expert or an asbestos removal expert for your home or building, you want a competent contractor who will put all of the necessary protections in place. In doing amalgam filling removal, a dentist is going to do a mercury abatement job in your mouth, so you want necessary cautions. DAMS can provide you with its list of holistic dentists in your state, region or country and it is OK for a patient to screen them further as to where they got their training with regard to safe amalgam removal, and what protections are in place. There are three academies based in the US that train and educate the biological, holistic dentists; they are the IAOMT, the IABDM and the Holistic Dental Association. IAOMT has a new, expanded protocol for dentists to follow in removing mercury amalgam fillings; it is called the SMART protocol and IAOMT offers a SMART certificate to those dentists that complete the training. The IABDM has a similar program that is calls the PROTECT PROTOCOL, and provides a certificate to dentist that complete their program.

Here are some patient protections that need to be in place for safe amalgam removal:
  1. A physical curtain, called a "dam," usually made out of nitrile, is used to provide barrier between the dentist and the tooth having the amalgam removed and the rest of the patient’s mouth and face.The tooth being worked on fits through a slit in the “dam” curtain. This dam blocks the amalgam particle splatter that would otherwise spatter into the patient’s mouth. Another physical barrier that is used by some dentists is a product called Clean-up that fits around a tooth being worked on; it even has an aspirating arm that draws mercury vapor and fine amalgam particles from the tooth where the amalgam is being removed.
  2. There should be a system to continuously remove mercury vapor from the air using either 1) a spray of electrons that gives the mercury atoms a negative charge, allowing them to be collected on a positively charged plate or 2) a high volume air vacuum system that draws the air away from the patient's face and safely disposes of the mercury contaminated air.
  3. Goggles are used to cover the patient’s eyes and a disposable garment is draped over the patient’s head, hair and clothing to protect against fine amalgam splatter.
  4. A clean air supply is provided for the patient to breather through a nasal canula.
  5. Patients are often provided with activated charcoal to drink before the amalgam removal is done in order to bind fine amalgam particles that have been inadvertently been swallowed.
  6. After an amalgam removal, the patient is allowed to rinse orally with a chlorella or a similar mercury binder dissolved in water. The chorella bound with mercury is then spit out and not swallowed.
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Note:   The biological dentist is more likely to use the skill needed to place the new, white fillings properly, so that they last a long time and don’t cause adverse health effects. The choice of the white fillings used is also important.