The dangers of a mercury filling – What NC residents need to know

Amalgam is a silver colored material, containing about half mercury, which is commonly used in dental fillings. You may have heard a great deal about the risks of these fillings. You also may have heard that the FDA determined they are safe. If you’re confused, you aren’t alone. Many people are wondering just how dangerous a mercury filling is – or isn’t.

Get the facts

It has been said that the FDA determined mercury to be safe. That’s not precisely true. They determined that dental amalgam exposes adults to mercury vapor below or equivalent to the limits set by the EPA. This in no way implies that you are not exposed to toxic vapors if you have amalgam fillings. It simply means that the material was not banned, because it was not proven that those levels exceed the limit.

Although amalgam was approved for use, the FDA ruling is far from comforting. In fact they decided to change the classification of dental amalgam from Class I to Class II, allowing more strict FDA regulations on its use.

Some facts about the FDA ruling you may not know include:

• Dental professionals are warned to use adequate ventilation when working with amalgam for their own protection.
• Due to lack of scientific study and evidence, no determination could be made regarding the safety of amalgam for pregnant or nursing mothers, and young children.
• Patients may be allergic to mercury, or other metals in amalgam.
• The ruling was based exclusively on a specific set of studies and clinical data, which have been called into question by health advocates.
• According to the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology nearly 30 errors in the clinical data used by the FDA for this ruling have been verified, and one FDA cited study was performed in 1957.
• In December of 2011, an FDA panel recommended reviewing the decision, based on new evidence and continued reports of health problems caused by amalgam-mercury fillings.
• Some independent research, not considered by the FDA, has shown levels of mercury-vapor exposure many times the EPA threshold.

At Holistic Dental Centers in NC, we are focused on your health, not political technicalities. We will never put metal in your mouth, and we highly recommend that anyone with mercury fillings see Dr. Carl McMillan right away to have them safely removed.

Holistic Dental Centers in Cary and Cornelius, NC offer many general and cosmetic options, designed to protect patients’ oral health, as well as overall health and well-being.

Dr. Carl McMillan is a holistic dentist with a medical degree from the College of Dental Medicine of the Medical University of South Carolina. Due to his expertise, he was honored with the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT) presidency. He is compassionate towards patients and committed to providing them with safe, toxic-free dental treatments to help them maintain a happy and healthy smile.

Dr. Luis Crespo obtained his Doctorate of Dental Surgery from the West Virginia University School of Dentistry. An IAOMT member, he believes prevention is the best medicine and strives to educate both patients and parents on the benefits of maintaining a healthy mind, body, and spirit. He has served underprivileged communities across the world.

Dr. Erin Wilbanks graduated from Louisiana State University School of Dentistry in New Orleans with a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree. She is an accredited IAOMT member, is SMART (Safe Mercury Amalgam Removal Technique) certified and is a member of the Academy of General Dentistry.