Mercury-Safe
vs. Mercury-Free
If you have silver-mercury fillings, it might just be time to consider their removal - for the health of both your teeth and overall body. Old silver-mercury fillings can contain up to 50% elemental mercury; and mercury is a very well known toxin to the human body. Important to know, however, when choosing a dentist to remove those old fillings, is that there are safe and not-so-safe ways of removal.
Just because a dental office says that it is "Mercury-Free" doesn't mean that they will employ all the strictest of mercury vapor reduction techniques. For example, our office is both mercury-safe and mercury-free and we want
to make sure that patients understand the difference.
The term mercury-free was coined nearly 40 years ago by a dentist who wanted to set himself apart from other dentists who felt silver-mercury fillings were safe. Mercury-free (M-F) simply refers to an office that does not use these (amalgam) fillings. Instead these M-F offices will use other restorative materials, such as composite/resin fillings (tooth-colored fillings). However, in reality, the term “mercury-free” wasn’t entirely true, because mercury is released in excessive amounts during the removal process.
The term mercury-free was coined nearly 40 years ago by a dentist who wanted to set himself apart from other dentists who felt silver-mercury fillings were safe. Mercury-free (M-F) simply refers to an office that does not use these (amalgam) fillings. Instead these M-F offices will use other restorative materials, such as composite/resin fillings (tooth-colored fillings). However, in reality, the term “mercury-free” wasn’t entirely true, because mercury is released in excessive amounts during the removal process.
Mercury-safe refers to the practice of removing old amalgam
fillings safely and disposing of the material safely. If certain protocols are
not in place for removing amalgam fillings, huge amounts of mercury vapors can
be released into the air. This mercury
vapor can negatively affect the patient’s health. It is no longer just enough
to be mercury-free. Offices need to
practice safe removal protocols for removing amalgam fillings.
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| Safe Removal Process |
It is not enough to assume that an office that is mercury-free
is also mercury-safe. Dentists who are
mercury-safe have specialized equipment, training and skills to minimize the
patient’s exposure to mercury vapors during the removal process. If you wish to protect yourself from unnecessary
exposure to mercury vapors you need to ask if the office is mercury-safe and
mercury-free, before scheduling the appointment. If you ask the right the right questions and choose the right office, you can safely have a beautiful and healthy new smile!
