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What is ‘Mercury Free Dentistry”?
Mercury free dentistry takes a special approach to the dental education and practice that recognizes that the use of dental amalgams may cause serious health issues. Dental amalgam is often referred to as “silver fillings” because it is metallic in color and most commonly used to fill cavities. What most patients do not know, however, is that dental amalgam may contain up to 50% or more mercury content.
“Dental amalgam may be 50% mercury or more,” explains Assure a Smile founder Dr. Theodore Herrmann. “This presents a serious health concern for anyone who has had a procedure performed with dental amalgam.” Dr. Herrmann specializes in safe mercury filling removal for patients who wish to have older “silver fillings” replaced with new non-toxic white composite alternatives. The procedure is highly recommended by a growing number of health professionals, especially after reports by international health agencies have warned the public of the dangers of mercury exposure and dental amalgams.
One such report was released in 1991. In a study published by the World Health Organization, dental amalgams were labeled the “greatest source” of mercury exposure to individuals in non-industrialized settings. In many ways, the 1991 World Health Organization report was a significant milestone in the fight against toxic dental amalgam. Slowly, health professionals, agencies, and even dental colleges began to endorse an “anti-amalgam”
Summer of 2012 saw 3 important shifts towards mercury free dentistry, each of which has contributed to a slow but steady shift towards safer dental procedures for both patients and dental practitioners.
In the northeastern United States, the New York University College of Dentistry announced a new policy on dental amalgam that banned the substance from use in NYU dental clinics. The new policy has also eliminated the dental amalgam competency exam for students, a curricular change that illustrates the University’s unwavering commitment to abolishing the use of toxic dental amalgam. Additionally, the University has announced that dental amalgam will no longer be recommended as the default material for tooth restoration procedures, like filling cavities.
The shift towards mercury free dentistry is not isolated in the United States, however. Major change has erupted in Europe as consultants to the European Union have officially announced recommendations that each of the 27 E.U. countries phase-out the use of dental amalgams. While patient safety is the primary concern, another major issue is the threat that mercury-rich amalgams pose to the environment. Mercury is just as toxic to nature as it is to human beings, and disposal of the material may harm wildlife and natural ecosystems. At particularly high risk of exposure and poisoning are fish, birds, and water-based foliage. Rain water often floods mercury deposits from the soil into streams, rivers, and lakes, posing a serious threat to water-based wildlife.
Mercury Free Dentistry in Miami
While it may take several more years to entirely ban the use of dental amalgam worldwide, South Florida residents may experience it today. Assure A Smile has practiced mercury-free dentistry since first opening to the Miami community in 1988. A family-friendly practice, Assure A Smile offers a holistic approach to patients that focuses on the health of the entire body. Mercury-rich amalgams, fluoridated water, and other toxic chemicals are never used. Instead, procedures are performed with biocompatible materials that pose no threat to general health.
To experience holistic dentistry firsthad, readers are invited to contact Assure A Smile directly at 305-274-0047.
Learn More About Assure A Smile
Learn more about Assure A Smile online at http://www.assureasmile.com.
To learn more about holistic dentistry and mercury-free procedures, please visit http://www.assureasmile.com/
Readers are also invited to subscribe to the Miami Dentist Blog to stay up-to-date with the international phase-out of dental amalgam at http://www.assureasmile.com/
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http://www.prlog.org/
