A Guide to the Safe, Healthy, and Responsible Removal of Silver-Colored Metal Fillings that Contain Mercury

Bio refers to “life.” It is in our name for good reason. At Biodentist Alabama, all we do is guided by the fundamental principle of enhancing our patients’ lives. We only use the materials, technologies, and techniques that support health, function, safety, well-being, and smile esthetics. Our approach to removing amalgam fillings complements other services at our Dothan office. It also advances our mission of providing biocompatible (tissue-friendly), non-toxic, healthy, and highly functional cosmetic dental care.

A Mercury-Free and Mercury-Safe Dental Office

Our dentist, Dr. Nathan Pfister, has invested in the equipment and training on those tools to offer both mercury-free and mercury-safe dentistry. This distinction is important. Some dental practices are only mercury-free. This means that they do not place amalgam fillings. Dental amalgam is a combination of metals. This material has been used to make dental fillings for over 150 years. It is also overwhelmingly made of mercury, a notorious and well-documented toxin. So, while these fillings are “silver” in color, they are, on average, 50% mercury by weight. The balance of the filling contains a blend of silver, tin, copper, and other “trace” metals.

Mercury is continuously being emitted through fillings in your mouth. However, any time the amalgam is heated, the risk of mercury exposure increases, for instance, when drinking hot beverages. Amalgam is also heated during the conventional process of breaking up, drilling out, and removing silver-colored mercury fillings.

It is vital to note that mercury-free is not the same as mercury-safe. Just because a dentist markets himself mercury-free does not mean he has invested in the training and supplies to remove these toxic fillings safely. Dr. Pfister is accredited through the IAOMT and our team at Biodentist Alabama are both mercury-free and mercury-safe. We follow the protocols set forth by the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology. The IAOMT is the leading global network committed to educating and protecting the public, dental profession, and environment from the devastating effects of mercury exposure and waste.

The Safe Mercury Amalgam Removal Technique, or “SMART,” has thoughtfully defined a series of safeguards. These safeguards are designed to minimize the exposure of patients, dental teams, wastewater, and the environment to the dangerous effects of mercury. While removing silver amalgam metal fillings, mercury can be released as a harmful vapor or as particles or particulate matter. We have provided a snapshot into some of the ways that Biodentist Alabama supports the most healthy, safe, stress-free, and comfortable experience at our office through SMART:

• Use of alternative air sources, purifiers, high-volume suction inside as well outside the mouth, and oral irrigation
• Protective products such as rubber dams or sheeting around the teeth and disposable gowns
• Alternative treatment techniques not limited to removing the filling as precise “chunks” rather than by traditional drilling techniques
• Guidance on how to best prepare your mouth and body for the filling removal procedure, such as counseling on nutrition to support a natural detoxification process

Before our patients know it, they smile confidently and comfortably again, free of unsightly and toxic silver fillings. Our non-metal dental restorations are as durable and safe as they are cosmetic and blend seamlessly with the rest of the tooth structure and neighboring teeth. We welcome your questions about cavity treatment and filling removal. Call our Dothan, Alabama office at (855) 939-5566 or request an appointment from this website.