Should Doctors Check for Mercury Levels of Those with "Silver" Fillings?
Dental amalgam has 50 percent mercury, a known neurotoxin, in its composition, yet it remains in use. The waste from dental ofices and human excrements of those with "silver" fillings are also known to be a significant source of mercury getting into the environment. Should medical doctors be checking for mercury levels of those with "silver" fillings? Also, it is reported that the mercury in the teeth vaporizes—would this affect a fetus?
Gina Solomon responds:
In some parts of the country, dental offices now need to install “amalgam separators” in order to avoid polluting their water discharges with mercury. That’s important because when the inorganic mercury that’s in dental fillings gets into the water, it can be converted into the more toxic “methyl mercury” that accumulates in fish.
It’s best to avoid getting new "silver" fillings, if possible, but I don’t advocate that people run out to get all their old fillings removed. Removing old fillings can actually vaporize more mercury (from the drilling), so it’s best to do that only if it’s necessary. The kind of mercury that’s most dangerous for fetal brain development is the methyl mercury that’s in fish. That said, I do recommend that pregnant women try to avoid getting mercury-containing fillings!
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