Amalgam (silver) fillings

Dr Fi Dann Ray MSc Applied Toxicology, MSc Chiropractic

September 2018.

 

What are they?

A mix of 42-45 % mercury, with Silver, copper, tin and zinc[i]

Why are they used?

Dentists have used amalgam fillings as they are long lasting, easy to do, have bacteriostatic effects (stop bacteria growing), are low cost, strong and durable[ii].  They are the least technique sensitive filling material – in other words you don’t have to be a good dentist to use amalgam successfully!

 

How long have they been used?

Amalgam fillings have been in use since 1848. At the time of their introduction there was vociferous opposition due to concerns about the toxicity of mercury.

Increasingly there is a movement away from the use of amalgam, particularly in children, and women of childbearing age. This is in spite of government and European level opinions that ‘amalgam is safe’.

 

So what’s the problem?

According to European health and safety law, the only safe places for mercury appear to be in the amalgam fillings in your mouth, some vaccines and energy saving lightbulbs!

They say the mercury in amalgams stays in the amalgam, and any that doesn’t comes out in the urine without causing much problem. If only…….

Researchers have measured mercury levels in hair and urine to test mercury load. Generally they don’t find much so the assumption has been that the people tested have not been exposed to or absorbed much mercury from their fillings. There is a major problem with this assumption. Mercury toxicity is what is known as a retention toxicity – it latches onto proteins in the cells of the body and doesn’t let go. This is why it doesn’t turn up in the urine or hair routinely.

These are the facts[iii]:

• Blood and urine levels of mercury do not correlate to tissue/ organ levels of mercury.
• On autopsy, people with amalgam fillings had 2-12x the mercury load compared with people who never had amalgams
• Also on autopsy, people with amalgam fillings had toxic levels of mercury in the kidneys and brain.
• The half life of mercury in the body 28 years. (This is the time it would take to go from 100 units of mercury to 50, this would equal 1 half life, then from 50 to 25 would equal the next half life etc) .
• Mercury vapour from amalgam fillings is 10x more toxic than lead to nerve cells (neurons)
• The average mercury load in the brains of people with alzheimer’s disease was well above the level considered toxic.
• Mercury levels 10x that needed to cause nerve and brain cell damage have been found in the babiers of mothers who had amalgam fillings.
• Mercury levels in umbilical cord blood (measure of a baby’s toxic load and can only have come from the mother) high enough to cause neurodevelopmental delay are common and are considered ‘normal’, leaving many babies vulnerable to damage.

 

Even old mercury amalgam fillings can leak mercury.

 

Hot drinks, chewing, using an electric toothbrush and even exposure to wifi[iv] can increase the rate of mercury vapour release into the body and brain, through the lungs, olfactory neurons and tissues of the mouth.

 

So what do I do?

Amalgam fillings have to be removed very carefully as disturbing a filling can release a lot of mercury vapour. You need to find a dentist expert in safe removal of amalgam. They will typically use a rubber dam to stop rogue pieces of filling from being swallowed, possibly nasal oxygen too. Some will test for biocompatibility of replacement filling material. Some will prescribe a pre and post amalgam removal protocol.

This is the one I use in practice:

 

How prepare for amalgam removal

General preparation:

Use Ultramicronised chlorella

For the oral dose, start with 10 drops 1x per day, then 10 drops 2x day, increase dose by 5 drops per dose. If you feel go back to the dose that worked well for you, and do that dose for 3 days, then slowly increase the dose. Optimum dose to aim for is 2 squirts (approx 40 drops) 2 x day. At this level, and when not ill or very stressed, we can look at amalgam replacement.

For 1 week before and 1 week after amalgam replacement take 1 tablespoon diatomaceous earth per day and 1000mg vitamin C

For 1 week before and for a month afterward – ionic/ colloidal minerals as advised on the packaging.

Generally it is best to have one quadrant of amalgams removed at a time by an expert ‘mercury free/ biological/ holistic dentist’ – so right upper, then left lower for instance, the order can be decided by your dentist/practitioner. If you only have a few amalgams, then more of the mouth can be cleared per visit. It is advised to wait 2-4 weeks between each amalgam removal session.

Make sure you are having at least one, and preferably 2 bowel movements per day.   If any mercury is swallowed, constipation is not a good situation, as it leads to increased absorption. Also constipation leads to higher ammonia levels that can increase the likelihood of a healing crisis/detox reaction.

 

On the day of removal:

Take 1 tbsp diatomaceous earth / activated charcoal as advised dose, then 30 mins later 2 dropperfuls ultra micronised chlorella around an hour prior to the appointment. Also take 1000mg vitamin C 30 mins prior to the appointment, or a near to that as you can.

After the amalgams have been removed and the dentist gets you to rinse your mouth, swill and spit ultramicronised chlorella (10 drops). Take 2 dropperfuls Ultramicronised chlorella and swallow. Later that day take another 2 dropperfuls of ultramicronised chlorella and 1000mg vitamin C around 30 mins later.

Optional – 2 tablets of NAC – helps with glutathione production which improves mercury binding and excretion. It also protects cells against free radicals and other toxins.

Alpha lipoic acid can also be taken as a toxin binder though check it is well tolerated first.

Selenium taken at advised dose – reduces mercury toxicity

 

The 2 days after removal-

Take 2 dropperfuls Ultra micronised chlorella 3x per day, 1 tbsp diatomaceous earth 1x day and 1000-2000mg vitamin C, along with the selenium. Space this over the day.

 

Day 4 –

Back to the original 2 dropperfuls 2x day Ultramicronised chlorella and 1tbsp/day of diatomaceous earth, plus the selenium.

 

General advice:

If you feel more than normally tired, confused, nauseous or itchy after amalgam removal, this can be a sign that you are exposed to a level of blood mercury too high for your body to tolerate.   The symptoms are caused by a higher toxin load than your body can excrete. If this happens, increase the dose of ultramicronised chlorella and take more vitamin C and NAC if you are using it.

Other advice

Minimise the electromagnetic radiation around you. The wifi and mobile phone frequencies are the worst as they use frequencies very close to those at which the membranes around each cell work. Particularly in the brain this causes metals to heat up, traps them inside the nerve cells, and reduces the amount of waste products that the cell can remove. Wifi signals also increase the rate of mercury release from amalgams.

It is advisable to have no cell phone or wifi contact, or computer usage as far as is possible for the day of amalgam removal and the three days afterward.

We advise no live probiotics during this process as probiotics have the ability to methylate metal and vapour mercury, turning it into a much more absorbable form.

Also in general: don’t have your mobile phone next to your bed as you sleep. Best turned off at night, as are any wifi networks.

 

Liver support:

Really helps with toxin elimination.

General liver support- to aid toxin excretion. These are optional, but can really help.

• Liver and kidney support tincture 2 squirts 2x day or as advised
• Fresh lemon squeezed into cold water- great in the morning.       Lemon has to be freshly cut open, it loses its liver benefiting properties after a few hours.
• Turmeric – add to any food you can.
• Cranberries with their seeds
• Unpasturised apple cider vinegar for salad dressings, or mixed with a little honey and added to warm water as a drink
• Epsom salt baths – 400g per bath. Order online as it is very expensive in shops
• Making your own kefir (use once all amalgams have been removed and you’ve waited a week after removal) – have a look online for methods and cultures. Fantastic for the gut and immune system as well as the liver. If you want to make kefir using nut/hemp/coconut milks look for water kefir. Raw sauerkraut or kimchi is also very useful/
• Chew food well, at least 10-15 bites per mouthful.
• Eat in a relaxed, concious way – your body uses food more beneficially this way than eating on the run.
• Consider the use of supplements to boost stomach acid production, and digestive enzymes to improve digestion. Both of these reduce fermentation within the gut and reduce liver stress.

 

Ultramicronised chlorella products available from Metatron Apoteke in Vienna (www.metatron-apo.at)

 

 

[i] Rathore, M., Singh, A., & Pant, V. A. (2012). The Dental Amalgam Toxicity Fear: A Myth or Actuality. Toxicology International, 19(2), 81–88. http://doi.org/10.4103/0971-6580.97191

[ii] Rathore, M., Singh, A., & Pant, V. A. (2012). The Dental Amalgam Toxicity Fear: A Myth or Actuality. Toxicology International, 19(2), 81–88. http://doi.org/10.4103/0971-6580.97191

[iii] Mutter, J. (2011). Is dental amalgam safe for humans? The opinion of the scientific committee of the European Commission. Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology (London, England), 6, 2. http://doi.org/10.1186/1745-6673-6-2

[iv] Paknahad, M., Mortazavi, S. M. J., Shahidi, S., Mortazavi, G., & Haghani, M. (2016). Effect of radiofrequency radiation from Wi-Fi devices on mercury release from amalgam restorations. Journal of Environmental Health Science and Engineering, 14, 12. http://doi.org/10.1186/s40201-016-0253-z