Thailand or Bali for removal of mercury fillings

[james24]

I have decided to remove my mercury fillings and would like to know a bit about the procedure.

I emailed a doctor in Bali to get a quote and this is what he sent me back

"Composite filling costs 60 AuD each tooth

A porcelain fused to metal crown costs 350 AUD

all porcelain crown costs 400--500 AUD


for bridgework we charge based on how many crowns involved

crown and bridgework take 2 visits approximately 3-8 days apart depend on how many crowns, "

Is all of this necessary?! All I wanted to do was remove my fillings and fill it with a different substance rather than mercury..? I might add I really know nothing about the vocabulary used in dentistry so if anyone can help me decifer exactly what I should ask for relative to what I want that would be great.

Also is Bali a cheaper option than Thailand? I ask as I'll be flying there from Perth in W.A just for this treatment..? Thanks guys

[pluto_manibo]

Thailand has much better medical and dental care.

[puck2]

One example of costs for a dental clinic in Chiang Mai, one of the best but not the cheapest in Chiang Mai -->

http://www.gracedentalclinic.com/pricelist-eng.html

[puck2]

Another dental clinic's price liste in CM -->

http://www.empressdentalclinic.com/fee.html

concerning the dentistry - read here -->

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/513012-recommended-doctors-and-medical-specialists/

[lemoncake]

One example of costs for a dental clinic in Chiang Mai, one of the best but not the cheapest in Chiang Mai -->

http://www.gracedentalclinic.com/pricelist-eng.html

More like a rip off.

In Pattaya and BKK

Teeth clean 500-900

Tooth filling 600

Root Canal with good quality crown 14000-17000

Laser Teeth Whitening 5500

And we not talking some crappy clinics but nice, modern, clean, well equipped clinics

[iancnx]

Khun Varaporn at CM Ram replaced over 20 fillings of mine at age 46 yrs old. The fillings were all 27 years old and my teeth were in shitstate. One route canal and four crowns + + needed That was 6 years ago. She is still going strong. Best £1000 I ever spent. Big gob now perfect.

[iancnx]

One example of costs for a dental clinic in Chiang Mai, one of the best but not the cheapest in Chiang Mai -->

http://www.gracedentalclinic.com/pricelist-eng.html

More like a rip off.

In Pattaya and BKK

Teeth clean 500-900

Tooth filling 600

Root Canal with good quality crown 14000-17000

Laser Teeth Whitening 5500

And we not talking some crappy clinics but nice, modern, clean, well equipped clinics

Agreed CM Ram much more competitive.

[Sheryl]

The reply you got from Bali is not answering your question, which they apparently did not understand.

If you are removing mercury fillings because of health concerns, be aware that the mercury in fillings is bound into an amalgam with silver, tin, copper, and zinc. These elements are tightly bonded together preventing the release of the individual components. In the course of having them all removed some of these bonds will break releasing mercury i.e. you will actually be increasing your exposure to mercury by doing this.

Studies have shown that the amount of mercury present in the mouths and blood of people with mercury fillings is negligible and also that most people with symptoms they attributed to mercury poisoning did not have elevated mercury levels at all. There is something of a rip-off industry in the West of persuading people they are being poisoned by the fillings in their teeth and then charging large amounts for "safe" removal. This industry is not present in Asia, most Asian dentists haven't heard of it hence your trouble conveying what it is you want.

A far better and safer approach would be to replace the fillings with composite one by one or a few at a time as they become loose or fall out.

[james24]

Thank for all your reply guys

I will be replacing them however I dont know what I have to pay for or indeed what it involves...

Im guessing removal of the fillings and replacement with the composite. However is that all I need to ask for? I really have no idea what else I need e.g are caps, crowns, bridgework etc necessary..?

[Sheryl]

There would be no reason for a cap or crown or bridgework if it is just replacing a filling. You need only the old filling removed and a new one put in.

[impulse]

Studies have shown that the amount of mercury present in the mouths and blood of people with mercury fillings is negligible and also that most people with symptoms they attributed to mercury poisoning did not have elevated mercury levels at all. There is something of a rip-off industry in the West of persuading people they are being poisoned by the fillings in their teeth and then charging large amounts for "safe" removal. This industry is not present in Asia, most Asian dentists haven't heard of it hence your trouble conveying what it is you want.

A far better and safer approach would be to replace the fillings with composite one by one or a few at a time as they become loose or fall out.

I don't know whether to believe the ADA whose members would be on the hook for hundreds of billions of dollars in damages should any study indicate that mercury in fillings did cause problems, or any government studies, because the government would be on the hook for the same reason (and let's face it, the FDA is in the pockets of Big Pharma, the AMA and ADA), or the hundreds of anecdotal accounts I've read on the interweb (and from people I know personally) of people claiming their lives were transformed after they had their amalgam fillings replaced. All of the sources are suspect and come with their own agenda and ideas.

But I did do a calculation, and based on accepted limits for mercury in waste, if you ground me up, guts, feathers, teeth and all, I'd have to be carted off as toxic waste because of the amount of mercury in my teeth.

So I'm having them replaced one at a time here in Bangkok where it's affordable. Lord knows I couldn't have afforded the tens of thousands of dollars it would have cost back in the USA.

Edited July 20, 2013 by impulse

[wilcopops]

One thing that might help is thast removal of mercury fillings because of a fear of mercury is quite unnecessary. In fact dentists who diagose this or recommend it ae practicing outside the boundaries of dentistry - therefore most probably illegally.

PS - like many confuse Big Pharma with Good Science.

If there were any truth in it, BF would make a fortune out of selling replacement fillings!...................

Edited July 20, 2013 by wilcopops

[Robby nz]

There is a big dental school in BKK just down the road from Victory Monument.

I went there to have a broken tooth capped.

The job was done by a senior lecturer there and he did a great job, they even came and took a photo of my other teeth so they could match the color of the cap.

It took, if I remember correctly, 3 appointments, cant remember the cost but it was very reasonable.

Now I couldn't tell you which tooth it was.

.

Suspect Sheryl will know more about the place than I do.

[wilcopops]

There is a big dental school in BKK just down the road from Victory Monument.

I went there to have a broken tooth capped.

The job was done by a senior lecturer there and he did a great job, they even came and took a photo of my other teeth so they could match the color of the cap.

It took, if I remember correctly, 3 appointments, cant remember the cost but it was very reasonable.

Now I couldn't tell you which tooth it was.

.

Suspect Sheryl will know more about the place than I do.

"they even came and took a photo of my other teeth so they could match the color of the cap." - i think you need to brush up (no pun intended) on run-of-the-mill dentistry.

[Sheryl]

There is a big dental school in BKK just down the road from Victory Monument.

I went there to have a broken tooth capped.

The job was done by a senior lecturer there and he did a great job, they even came and took a photo of my other teeth so they could match the color of the cap.

It took, if I remember correctly, 3 appointments, cant remember the cost but it was very reasonable.

Now I couldn't tell you which tooth it was.

.

Suspect Sheryl will know more about the place than I do.

That is the Mahidol Univ Dental Hospital.

Definitely the best source of low cost good quality dentistry but like all government facilities, long waits & some red tape.

[chiang mai]

Khun Varaporn at CM Ram replaced over 20 fillings of mine at age 46 yrs old. The fillings were all 27 years old and my teeth were in shitstate. One route canal and four crowns + + needed That was 6 years ago. She is still going strong. Best £1000 I ever spent. Big gob now perfect.

Doctor Varaporn (not kuhn) is excellent but is so much in demand that it's difficult to get in to see her, definitely worth a wait however.

[james24]

Thanks everyone for your replies, it seems Thailand is the way forward for what I need. Now all I need to do is find some cheap return flights to Perth!

[wynzlo]

Been doing research into this myself lately and found that Thantakit Dental Center in Bangkok can do safe removal of amalgam fillings. See here: http://thantakit.com/safe-amalgam-mercury-removal.html

Haven't been before, but I have an appointment in a couple weeks to get 3 filings replaced. Will report back on how it goes.

[wilcopops]

THe way forward? Yes any country that permits without question unnecessary procedures. If they are prepared to do this, just what other ethics will they have sacrificed when they treat you?

Infections?

the odd extra cap or filling whilst they're in there.......or just a few cost wing measures - like failing to properly remove the old fillings, ignoring any potential sources for infection - if it's fixed price they certainly won't want to spend extra time in your mouth.......and if it requires an extra session after you've gone home....well why would they mention they haven't finished properly?

At least get the work checked she to get home!

[maxme]

I understand you do not want Amalgam in your mouth but it is proven that Mercury is mostly released from amalgam alloy when fillings are just finished. Also bare in mind the procedure of removing amalgam filling can be harmful from Mercury vapor and residue as well. If you have had fillings for a long time not sure if it s worth it. Another risk is, if the existing fillings are already deep and close to the tooth pulp, you tend to loose more tooth structure from drilling and it means tooth pulp can be exposed or irritated. In that case, expect a root canal followed by a post and crown.

[beammeup]

 

Been doing research into this myself lately and found that Thantakit Dental Center in Bangkok can do safe removal of amalgam fillings. See here: http://thantakit.com/safe-amalgam-mercury-removal.html

Haven't been before, but I have an appointment in a couple weeks to get 3 filings replaced. Will report back on how it goes.

 

I have had all my amalgams removed several from Thantakit in Pratunam. Great job, It was the safest removal I had found in Thailand, slightly more expensive but worth it. I brought a charcoal mask and put it over my nose for extra protection, they were fine with that. I have peace of mind now whenever I eat hot food or chew gum.

[wynzlo]

Thantakit did a pretty good job replacing my two fillings. It is clear they offer the safe removal procedure due to demand rather than belief in the importance of the procedure. Some of it was a bit rushed. At one point the dam hadn't been placed properly and water was leaking through. Also, I probably should have had something covering my nose like the previous poster mentioned.

Overall they were professional, efficient, and didn't try to sell me anything I didn't need, which I truly appreciated after encountering some less-than-honest dentists in the U.S.

For someone who thinks they might have mercury issues already, it might be worth looking for a holistic dentist that offers extra safe removal practices. For someone just looking to get their fillings replaced as a precaution, Thantakit is a good bet.

[expatsupreme]

you decied to do it now? I did it like 15 years ago. Mercury is toxic, when the dentist tooks it out it cant be placed in regular trash, it has to go to specific hazardous waste, and then somebody still claims mercury is not poison? And you have it in your teeth, it evaporates the marcury fumes all 24/7. Evn though you take the marcury out, you will stull suffer from possible sideeffects because mercury is not deep in your body tissue and cant be removed. More here http://alternativecomplementarymedicine.com/mercury-fillings-may-be-affecting-dentists-study/

[wilcopops]

you decied to do it now? I did it like 15 years ago. Mercury is toxic, when the dentist tooks it out it cant be placed in regular trash, it has to go to specific hazardous waste, and then somebody still claims mercury is not poison? And you have it in your teeth, it evaporates the marcury fumes all 24/7. Evn though you take the marcury out, you will stull suffer from possible sideeffects because mercury is not deep in your body tissue and cant be removed. More here http://alternativecomplementarymedicine.com/mercury-fillings-may-be-affecting-dentists-study/

perhaps the tooth fairy can help? - it's as plausible as your "science".

read this.........

http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/mercury.html

Edited September 24, 2013 by wilcopops