While overall our kids have done pretty well at the dentist, they haven’t been cavity free. For close to a quarter of a century, I’ve requested that their dentists use white dental composite instead of amalgams. I’ve repeatedly been told that the amalgams are much stronger and will last longer, but I haven’t wanted toxins (the EPA classifies amalgams as hazardous waste) put directly in their mouths and have continued to insist on composite.
I was surprised at a recent visit to a new dentist, when I made my usual request, to be told that amalgams are no longer used. ‘Why not?’ I asked, surprised. He shrugged and said that they’re no longer on the list of materials recommended by the Ministry of Health or covered by the health clinics. ‘But amalgams are stronger!’ I said. ‘No, composite fillings are perfectly strong,’ he reassured me.
It was a little unsettling to have this change be shared so matter-of-factly, as if he was stating the obvious – as if there hadn’t been a decades long policy to use amalgams. I almost feel like there should be a public announcement: we have finally realized we were wrong about our insistence on routinely using amalgams and we have changed our policy accordingly.
I went on to discuss amalgams with him, and told him my husband was looking for someone experienced in replacing the fillings from when he was young. The concern with the presence of amalgams is that they are the source of the slow release of toxins (including mercury) into the body. Here’s more information about this.
Getting the amalgams out is just one part of correcting the problem. The other is to get the highly toxic accumulated mercury out of the body. I remember the first time I ever heard anything about this topic; over 25 years ago on the way to work a fellow commuter told me she was having all of her amalgams removed. It was part of an extensive healing process.
Our new dentist told me there’s a biological dentist in Tel Aviv who specializes in this work. We did a little searching and my husband made an appointment right away. This isn’t the kind of work that should be done with a regular dentist, who isn’t familiar with safety protocols in having amalgams removed. When removing amalgams, mercury vapors can be released into the air, then reabsorbed by breathing into the lungs, and removing the amalgams without protective procedures in place can actually harm a person’s health more than leaving them in.
In the last month, over the course of two appointments my husband had all of his amalgams removed. He is very grateful to have found a dentist experienced in this work and so glad to have this taken care of, after a very long time of thinking about it.
If you’re wondering about how much this kind of work costs: the removal and replacement of each filling costs 750 shekels.
Avivah
Baruch HaShem, bli ayin hara, we haven’t had cavities in a while but I think that the dentists here (USA) don’t use silver fillings at all. And they never use them on children, ever. (A lot has changed in the dentistry world since I was a kid, Baruch HaShem!)
שבת שלום!
https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-issues-recommendations-certain-high-risk-groups-regarding-mercury-containing-dental-amalgam
That’s nice to hear! They were definitely using them on children when we were in the US (we moved almost eleven years ago, so it’s been a while).
Dr Yarden is great!! Highly recommended! 🙂
I was shocked to read this, I had no idea that they changed like this. Great news!
I’m so glad to hear that you had a positive experience with him!
That’s so interesting. I’m so glad your husband is rid of his! I learned about it years ago when you mentioned it. I have terrible teeth (likely from my mom’s digestive issues) and the slight saving grace is all of mine have ended up needing to be replaced by bigger restorations. I still think the damage was done, my thyroid is shot and I’ll have to supplement forever.
It’s kind of unfair that our teeth are so much a result of our mother’s diet and health status when pregnant and nursing us, but that’s how it is….
Even if the damage is done, I would still think it’s a good thing to have them out and not adding to the damage, right?
Wow! Good for him. I’m so glad they are finally putting a stop to this. Do you have any advice about detoxing mercury after you have the fillings out? I am having mine removed this summer because my husband and I want to have children. I found a holistic dentist who uses the SMART method but still want to make sure I get it all out, even the stuff that may already be stored somewhere, before we start having our children.
I don’t yet have any suggestions about detoxing. We’ll have to do some more research; the dentist didn’t make any suggestions. (I don’t think my husband specifically asked him about that.) My husband has had an excellent, excellent diet for years, so we would have to go beyond diet to actively pursue detoxing.