TOXIC AMALGAM FILLINGS
The controversy surrounding amalgam fillings is not a new one. In fact, it has been raging since the 1800s, shortly after the technique was brought over from France by the Crawcour brothers in 1833. By the middle of the 1800s, the majority of dentists in the country were using them, but the newly formed Dental Society of American Surgeons asserted that the use of amalgam was malpractice and forbade its members from using it. The organization was disbanded in 1856 and replaced in 1859 by the American Dental Association that we know today.
While the controversy never totally died down, the use of amalgams was standard dental practice for decades and no one gave much thought to mercury or other metals in the body. Because it was so widely used, many people believed it must be safe. The most common argument against them during this time seemed to be aesthetics, not toxicity.
Fast forward to 2007 when the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease registry, a division of the US Department of Health and Human Services, ranked mercury as the third most toxic substance known. Dental amalgam fillings are no less than 50% mercury. This means that one of the most toxic substances known to the US government is in the mouths of a huge portion of the population, even in children who are most susceptible to its harmful effects.
Amalgam fillings also tend to expand over time, leading to cracks in the teeth, sometimes severely enough that the tooth cannot be salvaged. Amalgam can also separate from the surface of the tooth over time. Many holistic dentist find themselves places caps on teeth that have suffered under the stress placed on them by amalgam fillings.
So why use it? Basically because it works. Amalgam fillings are very strong, abrasion-resistant, can last for many years and work as intended for most people. Holistic dentists, however, are in nearly unanimous agreement that using something that there is no real benefit to filling the mouths of their patients with one of the most toxic materials known.
The good news is there are alternatives to amalgam fillings that work at least as well as amalgam. Most holistic dentists stopped using amalgam decades ago and still place fillings that work well for their patients.
Some people argue vehemently that amalgam fillings are safe. Obviously, they have to be or they wouldn’t be place in people’s mouths, right? While it is possible that this is all hype and amalgams are safer than we’ve made them out to be, the fact remains that there are lots of other materials available that are more aesthetically pleasing, just as strong as amalgam and have been proven to be safe, biocompatible, and they don’t place added stress on the remaining tooth structure. Safe or not, there really is no good argument in favor of amalgams over other materials.
To read more about holistic dental options, visit http://www.biocompatibledentist.org