Silver fillings (also called amalgam fillings) have been commonly used in Australia for many years. In fact, they’ve been used to strengthen decaying teeth for over 100 years. Unfortunately, and despite their name, silver fillings actually contain approximately 50% mercury — a potent toxin that can be poisonous in any form. Numerous studies have shown that mercury fillings have potentially hazardous effects, both for your health and the environment. At Holistic Dental Donvale, we offer patients in Melbourne safe, mercury-free, and biocompatible alternative to amalgam fillings, giving you extra peace of mind and helping to protect your overall health.
What are the dangers of mercury fillings?
The main danger of a mercury filling is that it can release dangerous mercury toxins into the body. Eating hot foods, drinking warm beverages and smoking cigarettes can all cause mercury to vaporise from the mouth and become inhaled or absorbed into the bloodstream. In addition, you may be grinding tiny particles of your amalgam fillings off with your teeth and ingesting them without even knowing it. When these mercury toxins build up in the body over time, they can cause mercury poisoning. Serious adverse health effects of mercury poisoning include:
- permanent damage to the nervous system (particularly in children)
- tremors and headaches
- insomnia
- kidney problems
- reproductive birth defects
Should I have my amalgam fillings replaced?
Each patient is treated on a case-by-case basis at Holistic Dental Donvale and we’ll never remove your amalgam fillings if we don’t feel it’s completely necessary. If a silver filling does need to be removed, we’ll do it safely and effectively. We use special watertight dams, efficient separating filters and high-volume air evacuation units to isolate the tooth from the rest of the mouth and reduce the risk of ingesting or inhaling mercury. Once the mercury has been removed, we’ll reinforce your tooth with a safe, biocompatible restorative material.
Mercury-free fillings in Melbourne
Our holistic dentists don’t use any mercury or toxic materials in our treatments and if you come to us with a decaying tooth, we won’t simply take a ‘drill and fill’ approach either. Instead, we’ll look at your health from all angles to find the root cause of your dental issues and if you do need a filling, we’ll restore your tooth using safe, biocompatible alternatives to mercury. Find out more about the BPA-free white compound we use on our dental fillings page.
Find out more
At Holistic Dental Donvale, we specialise in treating the whole you, rather than exclusively focusing on your dental symptoms. Whether you need a filling or another dental service, we’ll plan a professional course of personalised treatment plan that not only improves your oral health but also supports your general health and wellbeing. To book a free consultation with one of our holistic dentists or find out more about our full range of services, give us a call on 03 9842 6675 or visit our general dentistry homepage.
