Should I have my (mercury) amalgam fillings removed?

[Eaglekott]

I have two friends that is dentists one even a Professor, and both say no, not if you don't have any issues with them, The damage was done when they were put there, and they say amalgam if far the best material for fixing caries if if was not for the mercury exposure when they are put there.

 

Second best material to fix teeth is apperently precious gold, The composite plastic once tend to deteriorate over time.

[Petethefeet]

I had my amalgam fillings replaced by white ones in Chiang mai. I went to CM dental in the road past the train station. She is very good.

[MeaMaximaCulpa]

6 hours ago, thecyclist said:

Composite fillings lasting 5 to 10 years? Rarely that long in my case. But my cavities are huge, they usually fall out after a year or two. 

Perhaps talk with your dentist if ceramic inlays may be a better option for big fillings?

[HighPriority]

On 2/5/2025 at 10:59 PM, Will B Good said:

 

I read somewhere that the risks are in removal of the fillings and the biggest risk is to the dentist .....not overly convinced by that though.

I believe your readings are good science, not so sure of your opinion though. 

[3NUMBAS]

Too late by now ,damage is done

[suspectdevice]

I was getting pain in my gums consistently allied with migraines. The specialist advised me that it was my wisdom teeth causing the problems and would have to be removed. When he warned me that one of the side effects of this could be blindness i decided to keep the wisdom teeth.

  I was in Phuket and got all my mercury fillings taken out and replaced with the white. Since doing that i have never had any of the pain i used to have.

  I would encourage anyone to go for it. 😁👍

[GammaGlobulin]

I would say....

Just have them replaced, as needed, when the fillings naturally require it, from time to time.

 

I am not concerned about such a thing, otherwise.

 

Each to his/her own, though.

[Baht Simpson]

One thing to think about is the condition of the remaining tooth. In the old days, in the U.K. at least, when filling a tooth they would drill a big hole and fill the whole tooth with filling. 

 

Over the years if you haven't had any more work done the enamel on the outside wears down and leaves the walls of the tooth very thin. They don't drill out the whole tooth now for that very reason. 

 

Obviously it varies from person to person and you may be o.k., but something for the dentist to advise you on.

 

 

[Stiddle Mump]

Get the filthy things out ASAP. Brain will be less foggy when you do.

 

Don't personally go to dentists. Don't trust them. Don't like them. Not much a dentist can do, that you can't do yourself.

[nomad22]

The only people recommending removing those are dentists trying to make money and uneducated, paranoid people on internet message boards.  

 

Real scientists and medical organizations such as the US FDA and UK NHS advise not to remove them unless there is a problem with them.  The removal process increases your risk of mercury exposure.

 

https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/dental-amalgam-fillings/information-patients-about-dental-amalgam-fillings

[Somjot]

On 2/5/2025 at 3:03 PM, BangkokHank said:

I have had (mercury) amalgam fillings in several of my teeth since my youth. I have been reading lately about the dangers of having mercury fillings in one's teeth.

 

The only reason I would consider having this done is because I don't think that anyone benefits from having mercury in their mouth. 

 

Does anybody have any knowledge of/experience with this procedure? Would you have it done if you had known then what you know now? Any thoughts on the matter would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

Here is my advice being a dentist for almost 35 years:

the only downside of amalgam fillings is their appearance.

Amalgam fillings are not made of mercury, or at least not of mercury alone.

It is mercury which is chemically connected to silver but also a little bit of copper, zinc and tin, and therefore is a completely different thing than mercury alone, which, yes, is poisonous.

I give you an example:

Sodium is an alkali metal, which if in contact with skin may lead to severe chemical burn injuries. Swallow it and you will die. Same goes for Chlorine.

And yet we eat both of them every day because once chemically connected it becomes table salt.

However freshly inserted amalgam fillings still release a small amount of mercury, which did not bind to silver or the other metals, which is swallowed and as the body has no transport mechanism for mercury, meaning it has no mechanism to absorb it into the bloodstream, it normally leaves it through the natural exit of our body.

This may happen in the first six months after you got that filling.

Mercury becomes dangerous if you inhale it as it can get into your body via your lungs, that's why dentists always use the water cooling and a high power suction unit to protect you and themselves from inhaling mercury while they are drilling out old Amalgam fillings.

So my advice: keep them as long as they are functioning and get composite fillings with nanoparticles in case they have to be replaced.