Found this on The Internets and thought it’d be appropriate to share some dental humor. (I do not claim ownership of the photo.) But here’s your friendly holistic dentist PSA: take mercury seriously!
Dr. Boyajian, Los Angeles
Tag Archive for: mercury vapor
So I’ve talked your ears off about the importance of dentally preparing before pregnancy happens, especially if your body needs to detox from mercury vapor. But, like the majority of people, you probably have not done so. Mothers and mothers-to-be, something urgent comes up and you must go to the dentist for one reason or another. What are things you should be aware of?
First off, do not mess with amalgam (metal) fillings in your teeth until you are done breastfeeding. Each case has its own individual implications, so if for some reason yours need working on, you’ll have to talk to me directly about the safest way to do so.
Secondly, most dentists use an array of chemicals in their offices for various purposes (sterilization, anesthesia, antibiotics, sedation, painkilling, etc.). I use them myself; I just prefer not to when I don’t have to. Again, these substances are generally accepted as having no ill effect on a pregnancy after short-term use. I will say, however, that NSAIDs should be strictly avoided.
For a mother, I personally am not comfortable with any exposure, period, and will avoid it as far as I can; but it’s up to you to do your research, ask questions, and be involved in the decisions made for your and your child(ren)’s health. Part of why I am so excited about using ozone in my dentistry is because it is multi-functional and completely safe, even for members of society with more vulnerable physical health. It is no-risk with fabulous results. Using it with a laser takes care of many things that dentists keep various chemicals on hand for.
Lastly, specifically for those breastfeeding, I offer practical advice. If your in this situation where you must see a dentist for a problem while nursing, there are precautions you should take. Drugs you take are passed to your milk in concentrations of 1-3% of your dose. It may not sound like much, but it doesn’t take much to start polluting the development of infants. The drugs are usually cleared from your system in 24 hours. To avoid passing any toxins to your baby, pump extra milk at least a day before your appointment (it is a sound decision to have extra breastmilk stored anyway for situations like this). On the day of appointment after the drugs, anesthetics, etc., are administered, pump and throw away the milk you produce for the next 24 hours.
After that it is safe to continue nursing your child normally. If you notice any adverse effects in you or your child, call the doctor immediately.
Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles
www.dentalwellnessarts.com
Since it’s likely that the mercury levels in your body will quickly spike as your amalgam fillings are removed, you should consider paying special attention to your health (nutrition and diet, in particular) in order to supply your body with the best ammo for serious detoxing. I have the ability to refer you to nutritionists and health specialists. Pregnant/nursing mothers should not get the procedure done until they are neither pregnant (or trying to be) nor nursing. Those with known sensitivities to mercury should consult a doctor knowledgeable about mercury and its effects on the human body before attempting the removal.
Take special care of your diet before and after the procedure to help your tissues detox. Also pay attention to your physical health and alert your physician and/or dentist about anything negatively out of the ordinary.
As you can see, this is serious stuff! Mercury poisoning is no frivolous matter. Here are a few helpful links with content directed towards patients about the whys and wherefores of mercury and removing it.
http://iaomt.org/patients/index.asp
http://dentalwellness4u.com/breaking/breaking.html
Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles
www.dentalwellnessarts.com
Once you’ve decided to have the mercury in your mouth removed and replaced, some important precautions need to be taken:
- Be aware that even when correctly removed, a mercury filling or crown releases astronomical amounts of mercury vapor and even visible debris. Sometimes, inevitably, there is a rise in mercury levels in the human body. However, now that the source of mercury is gone and the body will continue trying to detoxify itself, the amount will decrease over time.
- It is important not to swallow while getting the amalgam replaced. This is probably the most uncomfortable aspect of the process, but should not be much of a bother considering the great service you’re doing for your health in the long run.
- The time and effort involved in amalgam removal depend on how much mercury is in the mouth. Some may have one small filling; others, several crowns and fillings. It’s too bad that conventional dentists are not hesitant to pump mouths full of the stuff. Getting it back out is so much less convenient than putting in in.
- I like to use the Isolite system for a hassle-free mercury removal procedure. An Isolite mouthpiece provides light, suction, and a tongue barrier all in one. An Isolite helps protect much of the oral cavity (your mouth) from flying mercury debris.
- As an extra precaution, I use a powerful suctioning machine that stands nearby and safely “vacuums” up the mercury debris that may be released while the amalgam is removed. This machine is very important. When mercury is broken into pieces and removed, not only does the patient need to be careful of exposure, but the entire rest of the office does, too. Microscopic traces of mercury could very well go undetected, causing a toxic environment for everyone.
In the next post, I’ll go over what should happen after mercury is removed.
Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles
www.dentalwellnessarts.com
Holistic dentistry calls for not using metals or toxins when treating patients. However, sometimes patients come in, previously having had fillings or crowns using mercury placed in their mouths by another dentist. It is imperative that patients have this work removed and redone as soon as possible, and I’ll explain why in a second.
Some dentists proudly tout their positions as being mercury-free offices. But there’s a difference between mercury-free and mercury-safe dentistry. Mercury-free dentistry does not incorporate mercury into any part of its practice; however, that does not automatically include the priority of removing/replacing preexisting mercury from regular patients. And even then if it does, does its staff know how to do it safely?
Mercury is most toxic to the human body when it is vaporized, because that is the form of mercury most easily spread and embedded throughout the tissues. Mercury vapor is constantly emanating from amalgam fillings, set off by body heat, movement during speech, chewing, teeth grinding, etc. Even when perfectly still, low levels of mercury vapor still leak into your system. Some people feel its effects sooner, and others later; those effects may be drastic or occasional inconveniences (migraines out of nowhere, for instance). Unfortunately, mercury poisoning is usually misdiagnosed for other illnesses because its range of symptoms is so wide. Thus mercury toxicity hides under the radar for long periods of time, in many cases for life. Mercury is particularly threatening to brain and nerve health. Pregnant or nursing mothers and children should take the biggest precautions to avoid exposure to mercury.
The human body is always in a state of cleansing or detoxifying. The standard American diet, along with the general exposure to daily environmental toxins, chemicals, drugs, and dangerous materials, already puts toxic burdens on our bodies that are too heavy to bear. Our bodies are accumulating more toxins faster than we can get rid of them. Why compound the problem by tolerating mercury in our teeth?
Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles
www.dentalwellnessarts.com
Most of the public has been told that the metal filling up their cavities is silver. Most American dentists either are not informed or choose to ignore the fact that a high amount of mercury is contained in amalgam, and continues to release mercury vapor even after the filling has hardened.
Mercury is one of the most toxic substances known to man, and the reality of how many people contain it in their mouths is even more frightening. Any disturbance, such as chewing, brushing, or even licking the fillings absentmindedly releases harmful amounts of Hg atoms that envelop themselves into the innermost tissues of your body, particularly the digestive system, the liver, the lungs, and the brain. Many people are allergic to mercury, and live with serious allergic reactions to the fillings in their mouths, hardly aware that the fillings themselves are the cause of their distress. Many diagnosed “diseases” or “disorders” were never healed, because the root problem was never identified or acknowledged.
It is vital that amalgam be removed from a patient’s mouth as soon as possible. We are a mercury-free practice, taking every safety measure possible to prevent the patient and the doctor from inhaling mercury vapor through amalgam filling removals. A mercury detoxification process is strongly recommended after amalgam has been removed from a patient. For one who has had amalgam fillings removed, we have many resources and guidelines about how to get started with this.
Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles
www.dentalwellnessarts.com
One quick thing I learned at the IAOMT meeting was the difference between mercury-free and mercury-safe dentistry. This is important for me to specify. Mercury-free dentistry is a good thing, but it only implies that materials and equipment a dentist is using don’t contain mercury.
What if someone already has amalgam (silver) fillings, bringing them into the office to be removed? Removal of amalgam fillings causes microscopic particles of mercury to be released in the air, and very careful measures must be taken so that inhalation or skin exposure is prevented. This is definitely the case in my office and with my staff; the term just needed specification. Mercury is extremely toxic and destructive to our health. Once it’s in your body, it’s very difficult to detoxify and remove all traces.
Dr. Boyajian, West Los Angeles
www.dentalwellnessarts.com
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Westchester, CA 90045
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