Why I travelled over 5 hours to see a Holistic Dentist
Aug 11, 2021
It seems extravagant to drive over 5 hours for just a dentist appointment, but to be honest, I would have driven twice as far. Or perhaps I would’ve flown if it was going to be a 10 hour trip! Although, the thought of having 10 luxurious hours on my own to listen to any podcasts or music I want does seem appealing. I’m in such a good groove with my podcast playlist right now, I have hours of interviews just waiting to be listened to.
The reason I visited the Holistic Dentist was to get two amalgam fillings removed that I had my teeth filled with well over 10 years ago. Now I can hear you thinking, “why on earth are you getting your fillings removed? And what even is amalgam?” Well, keep reading my friend, I’m about to reveal it all.
Amalgam fillings are made up of a mixture of metals, usually consisting of liquid mercury and a powdered alloy composed of silver, tin and copper. Usually the filling is made up of approximately 50% mercury. We’ve all read about the toxicity risks of methylmercury in seafood, but less people know about the mercury used in fillings. Mercury occurs naturally and exists in various forms: elemental (or metallic); inorganic (for example, mercuric chloride); and organic (for example, methylmercury and ethylmercury). These forms all have different toxicities, with different implications for health and for measures to prevent exposure.
The type of mercury used in fillings is elemental or metallic mercury which is released into the air as a vapour by natural processes. Sadly, the research has been there for almost 30 years indicating that dental amalgam contributes significantly to mercury body burden in humans who have amalgam fillings. Then in 2005, the World Health Organisation stated that, “Recent studies suggest that mercury may have no threshold below which some adverse effects do not occur.”
Talking of adverse effects, the World Health Organisation has outlined that elemental mercury (fillings) and methylmercury (seafood) are toxic to the central and peripheral nervous system. The International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology include that mercury is continuously emitted from amalgam fillings, and it is absorbed and retained in the body, particularly in the brain, kidney, liver, lung, and gastrointestinal tract. Although several studies have demonstrated that some mercury from amalgam fillings is absorbed, thankfully no relationship was observed between the mercury release from amalgam fillings and the mercury concentration in basal brain or brain more generally. However, in saying that, this study suggests that women who were exposed to amalgam fillings were 1.132 times more likely to have Alzheimer’s disease than were their non-exposed counterparts.
Sadly, the research also says that elemental mercury has the ability to readily cross the placental barrier. This means that the developing fetus can be exposed to mercury from the pregnant woman’s body through the placenta and infants may also be exposed to mercury from breastmilk.
Before we had my son, I knew this information at surface-level but it wasn’t until he was born that I dug deeper and found out the above information. Naturally I wish that I had them removed before we conceived him but the timing of life didn’t work out that way for us and once I knew, I was breastfeeding so unable to get them removed immediately. It’s another case of ‘once we know better, we can do better’ and that’s all we can do. So please, if you’re sitting there with amalgam fillings and you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, I can absolutely understand how you’re feeling, but please don’t panic. If it resonates with you, you can take action as soon as you’re able to too.
Many dentists will offer amalgam removal, but I specifically wanted a Holistic Dentist to complete the procedure as they take a holistic (of course) view of dental treatments and view the body as a whole, not just the mouth and teeth as seperate from the rest of the body. This is important as we know the mouth is the beginning of the digestive system and has its own microbiome. Holistic Dentists are also considerate of what ingredients are in the products and materials they use in their clinic, which as you know is incredibly important to me. I said to a friend the other day, “I think I care what goes in and on my body more than anyone else I’ve ever met!” The dentist who completed my treatment was such a wise and knowledgeable man, we had long chats about health, nutrition and the work of Weston A. Price who was also a dentist who focused on traditional cultures. I can’t wait to go back and see him for another appointment - and I don’t think anyone says that about dentists!
Before my appointment, I worked closely with a naturopath to ensure I had the tools in place for the detoxification process before and after the treatment. During the treatment, the dentist used a rubber dam to minimise the risk of any fragments going in my mouth and I also had oxygen supplied. The research does show that mercury is also known to be released during the placement, replacement, and removal of dental mercury amalgam fillings which is why I took the removal process seriously. If you do plan to get this procedure done, I highly recommend working closely with a practitioner who can support you through the process. If you’d like to show your dentist the recommended SMART removal process, you can find it here.
Interestingly, I had both fillings on the left hand side of my mouth and about a year ago I noticed that I would always chew my food on the right hand side of my mouth. Intuitively, I must have known not to use the left side as much because when you chew on amalgam fillings the mercury vapour is known to be released at higher rates. Our bodies know what to do, if we only listen! Also interestingly, after the procedure I felt immediately different. I was trying to explain the feeling to my dentist’s wife (who by chance was a medical herbalist, so of course I had to meet her) and described it like the current flowing through me shifted and changed. That’s the only way I can explain it!
Photo taken lakeside back in Wanaka without a mouthful of metal ;)
