FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

   The philosophy of holistic dentists is focused on an global approach to health. There are two premises to this approach, namely: "Above all, do no harm" (the first precept of the Hippocratic Oath) and "Think globally; act locally". These two principles are primarily put into practice by making it a point to only use biocompatible materials, that is materials that are not harmful to the body. We have been members of the Association de médecine dentaire holistique du Québec since 1995.

   Experts in mercury toxicology have said that the smallest quantity of mercury not causing damage is still not known. Mercury (HG), a heavy metal, is an undesirable substance that is particularly harmful to the human body. Its presence in the body promotes the onset of long-term poisoning. A silver filling contains enough mercury to exceed the limit recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for adults for the past 100 years.

Unfortunately, no specific test has been created to determine the level of mercury poisoning. Certain indicative tests are currently being studied by healthcare professionals, who are interested in this serious problem. The difficulty lies in the fact that this disease does not attack like a virus and bacteria. We call it instead a syndrome or a combination of apparently unrelated events that occur with variable intensity. People who suffer from chronic mercury poisoning may complain about some of the following symptoms:

• irritability for no apparent reason
• periods of depression
• pins and needles and numbness in the extremities
• urgent need or urinate (often at night)
• chronic fatigue
• cold hands and feet
• loss of memory
• sudden rage without reason
• regular constipation
• tics of facial or other muscles
• trouble making simple decisions
• frequent leg cramps
• noise or ringing in the ears
• skin irritations and rashes
• metallic taste in the mouth
• suicidal thoughts
• unexplained pain in the chest.

  Caution is called for! It is not recommended that you rush off to your dentist to remove your fillings. Without adequate protection, the patient and dentist could be exposed to more noxious gas than if the fillings had remained in place.
  First and foremost, stop using fillings! Do not let anyone put silver fillings or any other material containing mercury into your mouth. Next, consider having the fillings removed. Removing fillings involves replacing them based on your health needs and priorities. Whether you replace them or not is a very personal decision that must be taken after a lot of thought. Removing them should not be considered a treatment, but rather as a step to improving your overall health. Before doing so, your first job will be to get informed. Next, you will have to find a team of competent advisors (physicians, dentists, etc.), who have in-depth knowledge on nutrition and detoxifying. Depending on your health and habits, your dentist may plan removing your fillings in a way that will meet your requirements.

Removal by attrition: If you stop using the silver fillings, you will gradually eliminate them over several years. Indeed, when a filling becomes inadequate (cavity, fracture, corrosion, etc.), you can request that it be replaced by a biocompatible material. This slow and gradual approach lessens the biological and economic impact and slowly reduces the leaking of mercury into your system.

Full slow removal: This involves completely replacing all silver fillings in steps. You can spread out your treatments over several months or even several years.

Full quick removal: This involves removing all your silver fillings within a series of consecutive appointments. This way of proceeding completely eliminates the source of mercury, but may entail major economic and biological impacts. To be well informed, we recommend that you read what you can on the subject. Here are some articles recommended by the Association de médecine dentaire holistique du Québec:

• "Silver Dental fillings - The toxic Time Bomb" de Sam Ziff
• "Mercury Poisonning from Dental Amalgam - A Hazard to human Brain" de Patrick Stortebecker, M.D., Pf,D
• "Dental Caries as a Cause of Nervous Disorders" de Patrick Stortebecker, M.D., Pf.D.
• "Infertility and Birth Defects - Is mercury from Dental Fillings a hidden cause?" de Sam Ziff & Dr Michael Ziff
• "The missing link? A persuasive new look at heart disease as it relates to mercury" de Michael Siff. DDS
• "It's All in your head" du Dr Huggins
• "The Complete Guide to Mercury Toxicity from Dental Filling" de Hoyal Taylor, DDS
• "La médecine dentaire holistique" du Dr Denis Hervé
• "Les dents lumière" du Dr Yves Gauthier.

Ref:

• Un poison dans votre bouche, Publication, AMHDQ
• Intoxication au mercure par les amalgames dentaire, Guide du patient, AMDHQ

   To be even safer, you can take blood biocompatibility tests to determine exactly what dental materials react well with your immune system. Along the same lines, there are also applied kinesiology tests (vega machine, etc). Of course, man will never be able to create a replacement material as perfect as the tooth itself. Therefore, you must do everything to avoid getting cavities and destroying your teeth so that artificial materials won’t have to be used to restore the chewing function.

The current trend in biological dentistry is to not use any metal in the mouth when possible. Biocompatibility tests now favour crowns and inlays made of an ultra-polymer composite.
When metal must be used, it’s best to use a noble alloy with a high gold content, without any non-precious metals. As much as possible, avoid using more than one alloy in your mouth.

Ref: Excerpt, Guide du patient, AMDHQ

   Think about having your fillings removed BEFORE become pregnant to protect your baby against the effects of mercury.

  The governments of Canada, France, Great Britain, Sweden and Germany have all issued a warning regarding silver fillings in pregnant women. These guidelines were issued to prevent the foetus from being exposed to the mercury contained in the mother’s silver fillings and are based on scientific evidence collected over the past decade.

Indeed, research has shown that:

1. Mercury in a pregnant woman’s fillings leak out and become concentrated in the tissue of the foetus.
2. Prenatal exposure to mercury, including mercury gas, can damage the foetus. dommages au fœtus.

Researchers have also shown that mercury in “so-called” safe doses could cause:

1. Changes in learned and spontaneous behaviour
2. A reduced ability to adapt
3. Changes in the nerve growth factor and receptor sites in the foetus’s brain
4. Even more harmful effects if the child was exposed to lead as well as mercury.

Just inserting, removing or even cleaning silver fillings during pregnancy puts the foetus at great risk. This work is only recommended during pregnancy in very specific circumstances and with the greatest of care.

If you plan to have a child, make sure you have your silver fillings replaced safely by a dentist who takes all steps necessary to protect you against the toxic gas released when drilling silver fillings BEFORE YOU BECOME PREGNANT TO ENSURE THE BEST POSSIBLE HEALITH FOR YOUR FUTURE CHILD.

  All people with silver fillings, even though in apparently good health, must be considered potentially poisoned by mercury. When the decision is made to remove the silver fillings, the poisoning should be treated first. Removing fillings before treating the poisoning could exacerbate the symptoms since the patient could be further contaminated during the replacement process. It is recommended that any biochemical imbalance be corrected in your body before initiating dental treatments.

Based on the results of blood, urine, hair and diet analyses, your physician will tell you to make certain changes to your diet and to take certain supplements to balance your internal chemistry.

Among other things, he may recommend:

1. to completely avoid sugar, caffeine and alcohol
2. to make specific dietary choices
3. to only drink pure water
4. to avoid any sources of mercury
5. to not chew gum or smoke
6. to start taking certain dietary supplements to re-balance your body’s chemistry
7. to regularly exercise
8. to ensure that you effectively and regularly go to the washroom.

Ref: Intoxication au mercure par les amalgames dentaires, Guide du patient, AMDHQ

  It all depends on our own ability to detoxify. Removing fillings and detoxification are not synonymous. The only purpose of removal is to eliminate a continuous source of mercury in your body, but it is not detoxification in itself.
The body of an intoxicated person could be compared with a bathtub that is overflowing. By removing fillings, we are simply turning off the taps. The task then remains to empty the tub.
The ability to detoxify may vary from person to person depending on heredity, level of intoxication, lifestyle and the detoxication techniques used.
During removal, there may be a noticeable increase in mercury in the blood. This situation may cause temporary exacerbation of the symptoms related to chronic intoxication. It is therefore important to promote better mercury elimination since normal elimination is usually not sufficient in cases of chronic intoxication.

Ref: Excerpt from "Intoxication au mercure par mes amalgames dentaires", Guide du patient, AMDHQ.

There is currently a technique involving the injection of massive doses of vitamin C (intravenously) during and/or after removal to force the evacuation of the mercury from the body.

Other products known under the names of DMPS or DMSA (chelation agents) are currently being studied for approval in the United States by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) as detoxification agents.