Amalgam fillings, also called silver fillings or mercury fillings, are no longer used by the vast majority of dentists. Only in certain circumstances might silver fillings be used. These fillings contain about 50 percent mercury, which is known to be toxic to many forms of life, including humans.

Although these fillings are no longer used, there are many people who still have these fillings. Most dentists recommend that you have mercury fillings removed and replaced with modern fillings or crowns. The mercury in these fillings is so toxic that the government has placed regulations on how these fillings are to be removed and disposed of.

Armed with this information, you may be wondering what all of that mercury is doing to your body. Yes, mercury leaks out from the fillings and enters your blood through the mouth. The gums and lining of your mouth are an easy way for substances to enter your bloodstream. This means that by the time you have a filling removed, your body could have absorbed a large amount of mercury.

True mercury poisoning is rare, but the mercury can affect your overall health. Some symptoms of absorbing mercury through amalgam fillings include:

• Anxiety or nervousness
• Mood changes
• Memory problems
• Physical tremors
• Muscle weakness
• Metallic taste
• Changes in vision, hearing, or speech

Most of these symptoms are related to the brain and nervous system, which are the most affected by mercury poisoning. You may only have a few symptoms if the mercury level in your blood is not high. However, even a small amount of mercury can be dangerous.

After having mercury fillings removed, your body needs to go through a detoxification process to remove the mercury. One of the best ways to do this is with chelation therapy, which is a form of IV therapy that flushes toxins from the body. This is a simple in-office IV drip, which will flush the mercury from your body over the course of several days.

If you have had mercury fillings and have not gone through detoxification, you should schedule an appointment today.