About Mercury
“I will follow that system of regimen which, according to my ability and judgment, I consider for the benefit of my patients, and abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous. I will give no deadly medicine to any one if asked, nor suggest any such counsel…”
Hippocrates’ Oath
An alternate source of oxygen is provided during the removal process
We are a mercury safe office. We place no mercury fillings and we follow the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT) recommendations for the removal of mercury fillings from the mouth. We make no claims nor offer guarantees relative to improvement in one’s health following removal of mercury fillings. Only through careful study of comprehensive blood chemistry can one tell the body burden of mercury and its effect on one’s health.
Non-latex “rubber dam” is used to isolate the teeth with the mercury
Our profession is roughly divided 50-50 on the issue of the safety of mercury fillings. The reason for this is that there is no study that has two groups of people who are exactly the same in all parameters except that one group has mercury fillings and the other doesn’t. Mercury is the great imposter, manifesting itself in a myriad of ways within each of us.
Water constantly bathes the mercury filling to prevent vapors from escaping
So this is what we do know. First, that mercury is a serious neurotoxin. It is especially dangerous to the young, whose neurological systems have not matured. Secondly, there are no safe levels for mercury in the human body. Finally, we know that contrary to long standing beliefs, mercury vapors are released from the mercury fillings for the life of the fillings.
Each of us is genetically unique and each of us handles toxins in our own unique ways. Some of us can push the mercury out through the gut, urine, skin, etc. and some of us can’t. Those who can’t, in many cases, pay a huge price due to the deleterious effects of this toxin.
A surgical handpiece that exhausts air out the back is used to prevent “misting” of mercury vapors and bacteria around the patient and team members
A special trap captures the solid particles of the mercury filling so that they do not enter the environment.
Ironically, when mercury fillings are removed from the mouth, as dentists, we cannot put these fillings in our garbage cans. We can’t even put them into the medical waste bags. We must store them in a closed container and periodically have a company come by, pick up this container and dispose of it in a special way. We are then given a certificate that verifies that proper protocol was followed in its disposal. It seems odd that it was O.K. while in the mouth but now that it is out of the mouth, it is a serious hazard to our environment.
A 2 horsepower (standard in the dental profession is 1 hp) is used to provide maximum suction of the vapors
“Snuffy” is a charcoal filtered portable suction unit that pulls fresh air across the the patient’s face and to provide additional protection from mercury vapors
There are ways to tell if we are having problems related to mercury toxicity. One can do a challenge test, where a chelating agent is given to individuals, urine is collected over a period of hours, and then analyzed for mercury. The problem is that that these tests don’t always tell the whole story. State of the art today may be evaluating “markers” in a blood chemistry profile to determine the presence and effects of mercury. These markers for mercury are different when one has had a recent exposure to mercury, when mercury has been present for some time, and when mercury has been present for a very long time.
One individual who has spent a lifetime studying and identifying these markers is Sam Queen, CCN from Colorado Springs, CO. He can be reached at healthrealities.com.
Click here to download a PDF with more information.
Scary…but the team needs protection as well!
An ionizer filters air within the room