[AKDENTAL]

My husband has many amalgam fillings. One of his molars hurts when he brushes his teeth. It has a large amalgam filling and it shows on the side of the tooth. I'm not sure if it's always like that or the tooth cracked and the filling is showing. The filling is very old. He got it during his teen years. I'm afraid when he get it replaced, it will damage the nerve. What's the best way to treat it? Can the dentist just put bonding on the outside w/o replacing the old filling if there's a crack in the old one? Is there drilling involved when replacing the filling? Thank you very much for your help and info!

[Bryanna]

Hi AKDENTAL,

The area that shows the mercury filling could have been covered with tooth and that piece of tooth broke off. It would have to be seen clinically to determine that.

Regarding mercury fillings.... the first thing to know is that they are highly toxic. Chewing, eating hot and cold temperatures all cause the mercury vapors to continuously be released into the mouth which easily travels into the tissue, the thyroid, the brain, etc.

Mercury fillings have a life span of which they stay intact of about 10-15 years. After that they break down and corrode allowing bacteria to get in underneath the filling and cause decay. Old mercury fillings more times than not will have decay underneath them. So to remove this filling from the tooth is not what would damage the nerve it is the decay underneath that will damage the nerve. When the filling is removed there is a chance that the decay is already into the nerve which again is not because the filling was removed it is because the bacteria has been getting in for many years.

It is not wise to keep this filling in the tooth because it is highly toxic and because it has already out lived it's life span. Bonding cannot be put over the filling as the bonding material will not adhere to the metal and it would not be wise to cover this old filling anyway for the reasons that I have given you.

It is imperative that this toxic filling be removed by a dentist who follows the safe removal protocol otherwise your husband will be exposed to dangerous levels of mercury during the removal as the toxicity is at it's highest when the mercury filling is drilled into. Mercury toxicity can make someone extremely ill, it can cause neurological problems, cognitive problems, and a host of other things that can be difficult to eradicate.

To find a dentist who follows the proper protocol you can call dentists in your area and ask them if they routinely follow it or you can go to IAOMT.org and see if there is a proper dentist in your area.

The protocol is as follows:
The tooth is isolated with a rubber damn to prevent the patient from swallowing any of the pieces of the mercury filling.
The patient is given eye glasses to avoid the spray during the drilling from splattering into their eyes.
The patient is given oxygen through a small nasal cannula to purify the air they are breathing.
The dentist places a large vacuum near the patients face to draw the vapors away from the patient.
The dentist and hygienist both wear special masks for protection from the vapors.

It seems like a lot but it's really very simple and VERY necessary.

I hope this information is helpful.
Bryanna

Originally Posted by AKDENTAL

My husband has many amalgam fillings. One of his molars hurts when he brushes his teeth. It has a large amalgam filling and it shows on the side of the tooth. I'm not sure if it's always like that or the tooth cracked and the filling is showing. The filling is very old. He got it during his teen years. I'm afraid when he get it replaced, it will damage the nerve. What's the best way to treat it? Can the dentist just put bonding on the outside w/o replacing the old filling if there's a crack in the old one? Is there drilling involved when replacing the filling? Thank you very much for your help and info!

[AKDENTAL]

Thank you very much, Bryanna, for your help. Called the dentist and he can't get in for another two weeks. Is it wise to put some temporary filling material on the side of the tooth where the amalgam filling is showing? It seems like it's where the tooth cracked and is where it hurts when he taps on it?

Originally Posted by Bryanna

Hi AKDENTAL,

The area that shows the mercury filling could have been covered with tooth and that piece of tooth broke off. It would have to be seen clinically to determine that.

Regarding mercury fillings.... the first thing to know is that they are highly toxic. Chewing, eating hot and cold temperatures all cause the mercury vapors to continuously be released into the mouth which easily travels into the tissue, the thyroid, the brain, etc.

Mercury fillings have a life span of which they stay intact of about 10-15 years. After that they break down and corrode allowing bacteria to get in underneath the filling and cause decay. Old mercury fillings more times than not will have decay underneath them. So to remove this filling from the tooth is not what would damage the nerve it is the decay underneath that will damage the nerve. When the filling is removed there is a chance that the decay is already into the nerve which again is not because the filling was removed it is because the bacteria has been getting in for many years.

It is not wise to keep this filling in the tooth because it is highly toxic and because it has already out lived it's life span. Bonding cannot be put over the filling as the bonding material will not adhere to the metal and it would not be wise to cover this old filling anyway for the reasons that I have given you.

It is imperative that this toxic filling be removed by a dentist who follows the safe removal protocol otherwise your husband will be exposed to dangerous levels of mercury during the removal as the toxicity is at it's highest when the mercury filling is drilled into. Mercury toxicity can make someone extremely ill, it can cause neurological problems, cognitive problems, and a host of other things that can be difficult to eradicate.

To find a dentist who follows the proper protocol you can call dentists in your area and ask them if they routinely follow it or you can go to IAOMT.org and see if there is a proper dentist in your area.

The protocol is as follows:
The tooth is isolated with a rubber damn to prevent the patient from swallowing any of the pieces of the mercury filling.
The patient is given eye glasses to avoid the spray during the drilling from splattering into their eyes.
The patient is given oxygen through a small nasal cannula to purify the air they are breathing.
The dentist places a large vacuum near the patients face to draw the vapors away from the patient.
The dentist and hygienist both wear special masks for protection from the vapors.

It seems like a lot but it's really very simple and VERY necessary.

I hope this information is helpful.
Bryanna

[Bryanna]

AKDENTAL,

Nothing is really going to adhere to the metal. If it is cold sensitive to air, he could try putting some ortho wax over that area. But it will come off when he eats. You can usually buy ortho wax at a drug store. It is used for people who have braces on their teeth as they put it over the metal brackets to prevent the metal from irritating the inside of the cheek.

Please be sure that the dentist follows the proper removal protocol before he goes for his appointment as the dentist cannot follow it without the proper equipment and there are no substitutions for the equipment. It is critically important for your husband to be limited to the exposure of the mercury in that filling when they take it out.

Bryanna



QUOTE=AKDENTAL;1103940]Thank you very much, Bryanna, for your help. Called the dentist and he can't get in for another two weeks. Is it wise to put some temporary filling material on the side of the tooth where the amalgam filling is showing? It seems like it's where the tooth cracked and is where it hurts when he taps on it?[/QUOTE]

[AKDENTAL]

Thank you very much again for your help, Bryanna!

Originally Posted by Bryanna

AKDENTAL,

Nothing is really going to adhere to the metal. If it is cold sensitive to air, he could try putting some ortho wax over that area. But it will come off when he eats. You can usually buy ortho wax at a drug store. It is used for people who have braces on their teeth as they put it over the metal brackets to prevent the metal from irritating the inside of the cheek.

Please be sure that the dentist follows the proper removal protocol before he goes for his appointment as the dentist cannot follow it without the proper equipment and there are no substitutions for the equipment. It is critically important for your husband to be limited to the exposure of the mercury in that filling when they take it out.

Bryanna



QUOTE=AKDENTAL;1103940]Thank you very much, Bryanna, for your help. Called the dentist and he can't get in for another two weeks. Is it wise to put some temporary filling material on the side of the tooth where the amalgam filling is showing? It seems like it's where the tooth cracked and is where it hurts when he taps on it?

[/QUOTE]