Amalgam remediation

What is a professional amalgam restoration?

Amalgam is a dental filling material that is used to close tooth cavities. This material is not only easy to process and cheap, but also lasts for many years. Amalgam is also characterized by the fact that it has an antibacterial effect due to its toxic corrosion products, meaning that it can protect against further caries formation. Amalgam has therefore historically been used as a standard treatment in the dental sector for decades, particularly in the context of health insurance and low-cost medicine.

However, amalgam is a metal mixture that consists of around 50% mercury and can have a harmful effect on health. Even in extremely small doses, the metallic components of amalgam can can lead to diseases.
Amalgam restoration is a particularly gentle way of removing existing amalgam and replacing it with another filling material.

When removing amalgam fillings, meticulous attention must be paid to the suction and protective measures. Careful 6-fold protection (see below) is an international standard in the context of holistic biological dentistry! 6-fold protection means

• Silicone cofferdam
• Clean-Up vacuum cleaner
• iQ air extraction
• Low-speed boring with special grinders
• Fresh air supply
• Gold mask

Without these measures, “amalgam restoration” is likely to result in a particularly high peak load of pollutants for both the patient and the treatment team, as particularly high levels of pollutants are produced during drilling. The 6-fold protection prevents these pollutants from entering the organism Proper amalgam remediation and, if necessary, subsequent elimination can often alleviate symptoms caused by amalgam fillings. These include, in particular, visual disturbances, headaches, migraine attacks or rheumatic disorders. The amalgam is replaced with a highly compatible material and can be color-matched to the surrounding teeth. After amalgam restoration, you will be fully functional again. However, in the case of deep defects, hypersensitivity may persist for several days or weeks.

Why is an amalgam filling bad?

Amalgam itself is a mixture of different metals consisting mainly of mercury, tin, silver and copper. All of these components are heavy metals.

However, the mercury in particular is considered toxic if it is released by various factors (chewing, teeth grinding, cosseting, etc.) and enters the body. At room temperature it is liquid and tends to evaporate. This can easily lead to absorption into the body. The mercury vapor is released from the amalgam fillings, especially when eating hot food, and is almost completely absorbed through the lungs. In addition, the elemental mercury can migrate directly into the gums and pulp and thus spread throughout the body. Mercury can transform into various organic and inorganic compounds, some of which are highly toxic and thus cause serious long-term damage to the organism, especially the CNS. Due to the placental permeability of mercury, mercury exposure of mothers becomes a generational problem. Especially if there are other metallic dental materials in the mouth in addition to amalgam, there is a so-called oral battery with the natural saliva. The oral currents that occur are therefore significantly higher than the normal potential of nerve cells, which in turn can lead to neurological disorders. Chronic exposure to mercury can damage both the oral flora and the intestinal flora. This can result not only in chronic gum inflammation, but also in digestive disorders.

Amalgam fillings are therefore now only permitted to a limited extent in many countries.

In the worst case, this heavy metal can even lead to mercury poisoning. This is often characterized by the following signs:

• Tiredness
• Lack of concentration
• Headache
• Strong mood swings
• Depression

Amalgam is also suspected of contributing to the development of serious illnesses such as cancer or autoimmune diseases. Although there is no scientific evidence of a related cancer risk, it cannot be ruled out.

Can amalgam restoration be dangerous?

Improper removal of amalgam fillings can result in severe additional exposure to harmful substances for the organism of both the patient and the treatment team.

What protective measures are taken?

When removing amalgam fillings, meticulous attention must be paid to the suction and protective measures, as otherwise a strong additional pollutant load is almost unavoidable. Careful 6-fold protection (see below) is the international standard in the context of holistic biological dentistry! 6-fold protection means

• Silicone cofferdam
• Clean-Up vacuum cleaner
• iQ air extraction
• Low-speed boring with special grinders
• Fresh air supply
• Gold mask

As amalgam is considered hazardous waste, we also have to filter it out in special containers (so-called amalgam separators) in the dental practice and dispose of it at high cost. In this way, we can guarantee that the amalgam does not get into the environment and pollute it. What is interesting in this context, however, is that as a patient you were previously allowed to chew on this hazardous waste for years…

How does amalgam remediation work?

Amalgam fillings can be removed as part of an amalgam restoration to prevent the further absorption of mercury into the body. This involves the use of certain dental suction devices and protective measures that allow the amalgam to be gently and completely removed from the teeth.

Under local anesthesia, the amalgam is removed with a rubber dam, a type of rubber bandage around the tooth in question, using a special suction device.

When removing amalgam fillings, meticulous attention must be paid to the suction and protective measures. Careful 6-fold protection (see below) is an international standard in the context of holistic biological dentistry! 6-fold protection means

• Silicone cofferdam
• Clean-Up vacuum cleaner
• iQ air extraction
• Low-speed boring with special grinders
• Fresh air supply
• Gold mask

Particular care is taken to ensure that as little mercury vapor as possible is produced and that no dust gets onto the oral mucosa. The resulting defects in the teeth after removal of the amalgam fillings and the usually existing caries are restored with durable, biologically well-tolerated materials, usually with CAD/CAM ceramic immediate restorations or composite fillings in one session, so that the deep defects in the tooth are immediately hermetically sealed again.

These high-quality ceramic or composite dental restorations are highly aesthetic, well tolerated by the body and durable. In addition, they resemble the natural tooth color and therefore look particularly natural.

After an amalgam restoration, your teeth will not only look “like the real thing” again, but your body will also be less stressed. In addition, a so-called systemic amalgam removal can be useful, which is carried out by our medical partners.

What are the costs associated with amalgam restoration?

Amalgam restoration is recommended if an allergy to amalgam has been proven. In this case, the statutory health insurance companies will cover the costs of the treatment. However, if you simply wish to have the existing amalgam fillings replaced with high-quality fillings, the statutory insurance providers usually do not cover the costs. Good private insurance plans usually cover most of the costs. You will find out the exact costs of an amalgam restoration after a thorough examination and treatment planning in our practice. This is because an individual consultation and treatment plan are always required. The cost of this treatment depends on the extent of the amalgam restoration. The number of teeth affected, the time required and the cost of the replacement filling are the decisive factors.