I’d been having some health issues. In exasperation, my medical doctor (who is a saint by the way) decided to do some wide-ranging allergy testing. It turns out I have developed rather challenging metal allergies. I can avoid quite a bit of metal, but I have metal fillings. Do you have a recommendation of what to do? My dentist seems to be blowing it off, but I’m ready to feel normal and hopefully healthy again.

Samantha

Dear Samantha,

It sounds like you have a great medical doctor and an apathetic dentist. If you have a metal allergy, it is in your best interest to have your fillings removed and replaced with metal-free fillings. Your dentist isn’t going to be the best one to do this. It has to be done very carefully because the main ingredient in your silver fillings is mercury.

You don’t want to just remove them. If you do, there’s a very good chance you’ll swallow some mercury or inhale mercury vapors. I’m pretty sure you do not want a known neurotoxin in your body.

In order to prevent that, you’ll need a dentist who knows how to do what is known as a sanitary amalgam removal. The right dentist will use a stopper dam to prevent you from swallowing, they’ll also give you an apron to protect you from dust (because of your allergies). They’ll also need to run cold water on the fillings so the mercury doesn’t melt and use a fan to protect you from vapors.

It’s very involved and does require some specialized training and equipment. So, who should you get to remove your metal fillings and replace them with metal-free fillings?

Finding the Right Dentist to Remove Your Amalgam Fillings

Your best bet is to get a mercury-free dentist. They only place white, composite fillings which are both mercury and metal-free. They’ll also know the correct procedures in removing your old fillings in order to replace them.

You’ll find the metal-free fillings far superior to their old amalgam predecessors. While they have the obvious benefit of matching your natural tooth color, they have clinical advantages too. They can strengthen your teeth and they prevent your dentist from having to remove healthy tooth structure. Their bonding procedure is more advanced and allows you to keep more of your tooth.

This blog is brought to you by New Orleans Dentist Dr. Duan Delaune.