A Bit on Mercury Toxicity and Dental Amalgam Use

The human body is an amazing machine with a molecular system of a built in enzymatic and antioxidant network to rid our body of toxins and to protect our cells if exposed to these toxins. In a modern life full of chemicals and man-made additives, we are chronically exposed to thousands of unnatural environmental and dietary toxins that must be dealt with by our body. Each of them alone is not a smoking gun. However, for someone whose toxic load has maxed out their detox systems, a particular toxin can begin to have detrimental effects that can manifest as neurological issues, autoimmune disorders, mental health changes, or systemic chronic illness.

For some, the toxin that tips the overload bucket is a heavy metal, such as mercury. Common sources of mercury exposure include dental amalgam fillings, thimerosal in vaccines, and dietary sources in some freshwater fish. Growing up, I remember my mom on multiple occasions using her stern voice to tell me to “Be careful with that thermometer! If you drop it, we will all get mercury poisoning”. Back then, I did not understand the “why”, I just listened because mom’s voice indicated that I did not want to experience that outcome. Mercury is a known neurotoxin, but it is important that we put it into context. Amount and duration of exposure, the form of mercury, as well as the detoxification ability of the body all play a role in the body’s response to mercury.

Let me be clear that the aim of this post is NOT to scare anyone into a rush to have all of their amalgam fillings removed. Not at all. It is to help you understand the potential role that the mercury from amalgam fillings could play into chronic conditions or toxicities in your body. While the release of mercury from dental amalgams is undeniably present, your body may be detoxifying it without a problem. While we have not placed amalgam fillings in our office in well over a decade, we have many patients in our practice with old amalgam fillings in their mouths. If the fillings are problematic, or if integrative work with a functional medicine practitioner indicates mercury toxicity, we recommend removal. If the fillings are intact and there are no indications of mercury toxicity, we simply monitor them.

To understand the mercury release with dental amalgam fillings, let’s talk about the associated acute and chronic exposures to mercury vapor. The acute exposures to mercury vapor are highest at the placement of the amalgam fillings and second highest at removal of the amalgam fillings. Utilizing safe amalgam removal techniques to minimize your exposure to mercury vapor will be discussed more below. The chronic low exposure to mercury vapor happens with any abrasion or erosion of the amalgam fillings, such as when your teeth contact during a swallow, when you chew your food, if you grind your teeth, when you brush your teeth, and when you drink carbonated beverages. Check out this clip from a 2013 Dr. Oz episode to see a lab controlled measure of mercury vapor release from brushing teeth with amalgam fillings.

DID YOU KNOW?? Norway, Sweden, and Denmark have had bans in place for the use of dental amalgam for over a decade. The European Union has a ban on use of dental amalgam effective January 1, 2025. The US has placed no ban. However, in September of 2020, the US FDA quietly updated its guidance on dental amalgam, recommending that “certain high-risk groups” avoid getting dental amalgams, including (taken straight from the FDA website):

• Pregnant women and their developing fetuses
• Women who are planning to become pregnant
• Nursing women and their newborns and infants
• Children, especially those younger than 6 years of age
• People with pre-existing neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, or Parkinson’s disease
• People with impaired kidney function
• People with known heightened sensitivity (allergy) to mercury or other compound of dental amalgam

Understanding Glutathione, “The Mother of All Antioxidants”

Glutathione (GSH) is a natural molecule produced by our body, a sulfur compound with 3 core amino acids- cysteine, glycine, and glutamine. This “Mother of All Antioxidants” has a vital role in maintaining wellness throughout the body.

Some of the many functions GSH performs:

• Cofactor “Helper molecule” for important enzymes in protection from oxidative damage, such as glutathione peroxidase.
• Helps with liver detoxification

Unfortunately, a quarter of the population genetically cannot metabolize glutathione properly. What’s more, our body’s production of Glutathione reduces with age. This wasn’t a problem for our ancestors with a much simpler life more free of toxins and synthetic chemicals. Today, however, our toxic burden is heavy and insufficient Glutathione leads to chronic illness and autoimmune issues.

Steps to Optimize Detoxification with Safe Amalgam Removal

Mercury depletes glutathione and ascorbate (vitamin C), and inhibits thiamine (B12) and pyridoxine (B6). Prior to, during, and after mercury detoxification and safe amalgam removal, we want to optimize and replenish all of these things and more.

Natural steps can we take to optimize mercury detoxification:

• Eat foods rich in sulfur to support Glutathione. Garlic, onions, ginger, eggs, kale, broccoli, and other cruciferous vegetables. Pasture raised eggs. Grass Fed raw dairy (pasteurization destroys GSH) products with high cream content: whole milk, cream, butter. Grass Fed meats, particularly organs like beef liver. Whey protein.
• Minimize foods with ingredients that rapidly deplete Glutathione stores: NO ultra-processed foods, no refined sugar, no toxins such as preservatives, dyes, additives.
• Supplement with Milk Thistle, n-acetylcysteine, lipoic acid, selenium, zinc to boost glutathione and detoxification.
• Supplement to replenish ascorbate (vitamin C) and B vitamins Thiamine (B12) and Pyridoxine (B6).
• Utilize Chlorella powder daily to bind mercury and remove it naturally through the digestive system
• Optimize elimination pathways. Drink enough water to make urine clear. Eat adequate fiber. Assure bowel movements daily so that mercury does not reabsorb from your gut. Sauna daily to increase sweat.
• Limit antibiotic use. Antibiotics have been shown in multiple studies on PubMed to inhibit excretion of mercury.
• If you have a functional medicine provider, they will be a very helpful resource for optimal detoxification.

Safe amalgam removal will:

• Remove amalgam fillings from your teeth in large chunks, in order to reduce the grinding that releases mercury vapor.
• Minimize mercury vapor inhalation. This includes very high powered suction, oftentimes utilizing 2 separate high volume evacuation units. A nasal hood with inhalation of oxygen and a dedicated isolation system can also be utilized.
• Supply a sufficient dose of a heavy metal chelating agent such as chlorella in coordination with the procedure.

To learn more, you can find a great deal of information about mercury toxicity from Dr. Mark Hyman, MD.