My big goal for 2018 is to finally get healthy. That will include learning to exercise and eat right. But, it will also (hopefully) mean finally kicking the butt of this Lyme Disease. I was talking to a friend about my goals and she said some celebrity from a Housewives show had to go to a Holistic Dentist in order to get rid of her Lyme Disease. Should I switch dentists?
Carolyn I.
Dear Carolyn,
I think your friend is referring to Yolanda Hadid from Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. She’s been struggling with recovering from Lyme Disease. I understand many are finding it difficult. In order to take steps toward healing, one of the things she did is to remove everything from her body which could be considered a toxic substance. For Ms. Hadid, that included her breast implants and her silver amalgam fillings.
I haven’t seen the episode (or any episode) so I couldn’t tell you more about her specific case, but there have been a lot of similar questions as a result of her decision from dental patients around the world.
Why Remove Amalgam Fillings?
The first is why did she need to remove the fillings. You may or may not have been aware of the ingredients in old silver fillings, but the largest ingredient is mercury. We know mercury to be a toxic substance. I will say the American Dental Association (ADA) still considers amalgam fillings to be perfectly safe and quote studies to back them up.
Some patients and dentists take issue with those studies saying they only test the fillings in static situations and life isn’t like that. Others patients just don’t feel putting (or keeping) mercury in their mouth is worth the risk, especially if they start to leak or crack. As a result, more and more patients are opting to have them removed and replaced with white composite fillings which are mercury-free.
Do You Need a Holistic Dentist to Remove Amalgam Fillings?
The answer to that is yes and no. What you need is a dentist with the tools and knowledge of a Holistic Dentist who can do what is known as a sanitary amalgam removal. While most dentists will just drill out the filling and replace it, that leaves the patient at risk for swallowing mercury-laden pieces or inhaling the mercury vapors.
To prevent that, Dr. Dennis uses a rubber stopper dam and other equipment to isolate your tooth and keep you from swallowing or inhaling anything toxic. This helps protect you. Holistic dentists know how to do this and have the equipment.
However, not everyone has a holistic dentist in their area. If you find that to be an issue where you live, try looking for a mercury-free dentist. Many of them also know how to safely remove amalgam fillings. Be sure to ask what their procedure is, though. Don’t just assume because they only place white fillings, they know how to remove the older fillings correctly.
This blog is brought to you by Dr. Susan Dennis.