Summary
Today, Dr. Nammy Patel talks about Safe Mercury Amalgam Removal Technique (SMART). She outlines the risks of mercury fillings and explains best practices for removing old fillings.
John Maher: Hi, I am John Maher. I’m here today with Dr. Nammy Patel, founder of Green Dentistry in San Francisco, California, helping patients recognize the vital connection between dental health and whole body health and author of the bestselling books, Age with Style: Guide to a Youthful Smile and Healthy Living and Total Wellness: Understanding the Link Between Your Teeth and Your Health.
Today, our topic is SMART removal of mercury fillings. Welcome, Nammy.
Dr. Nammy Patel: Thank you for having me, John.
Health Risks of Mercury Fillings
John: Sure. So Dr. Nammy, can you explain a little bit of the potential health risks of mercury amalgam fillings?
Dr. Nammy: So Mercury amalgam fillings are not the best fillings for anyone to have. They’re actually linked to a lot of conditions. A lot of times, patients have anxiety, brain fog, the body has trouble detoxing. So there’s a lot of things that go along with mercury toxicity.
And so amalgam is a material that has mercury, it has tin, it has silver, it has all these things combined together. And 50, 100 years ago, they were used as restorations because there were no other alternatives. And that material was a great filling material because it’s hard and it lasts a long time.
Now, as time has progressed, as with anything, what we’ve learned is that these silver fillings, when you chew and grind and have a hot cup of coffee, they actually release the mercury vapor. So that mercury vapor is really concerning because that mercury vapor gets absorbed by your oral cavity and it actually goes in and alters your DNA, in particular, the amino acid glutathione.
And what it does, for example, your body is meant to make an orange. And when that mercury is released, it goes into your oral cavity, it gets absorbed by your DNA, it now tells your body to make an apple. So it really messes up all of our cellular functions and gets our body to create chaos and havoc because it’s creating the wrong materials, it needs to heal itself. It’s also not rejuvenating, and it’s a really, really, really big concern in dentistry.
SMART technique for Removing Mercury Fillings
John: Okay. And so what does SMART, S-M-A-R-T stand for and what is the SMART technique for removing mercury fillings?
Dr. Nammy: SMART actually means Safe Mercury Amalgam Removal Technique. And it is a certified technique put together by the IAoMT [International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology]. It’s an organization that is committed to reducing toxicity, especially when removing these mercury fillings because, like I shared with you earlier, when you chew and grind, that mercury vapor is released.
Now when a dentist goes in with the drills, the mercury vapor is even released like 100 times more. So it’s very important that the mercury is removed safely. You can’t just go to any other dentist and get mercury removal done because it will cause havoc in your body as I was sharing earlier. So you have to be very careful with how you actually have the mercury removed.
SMART Vs. Traditional Mercury Removal
John: And so does that differ from traditional mercury removal techniques? Do they just not pay attention to that mercury vapor?
Dr. Nammy: It is so different. That mercury vapor in traditional dentistry is just removed like any other decay or any other filling. When someone is SMART certified like myself, so we remove the mercury safely, and the way we do that is by isolating the tooth, there’s also an external oxygen source. Your body is covered. We’re wearing masks to make sure that we’re not absorbing any of that mercury vapor so that not only is that environment safe for you, it’s safe for the staff and the team.
Alternatives to Mercury Dental Fillings
John: And what are some alternative filling materials that you use after the mercury is removed?
Dr. Nammy: In my practice, I have two materials I typically utilize. The first one is composite, which is a plastic material. It’s made out of glass particles. If the filling is small, I can use that and it lasts a long time. It’s wonderful.
And if the mercury filling is really big and has cracks on it, I’m most likely going to go with a porcelain crown. And the specific porcelain crowns I use in my practice are biocompatible so that once we remove this toxic mercury fillings, we’re actually replacing it with something that is sustainable and healthier for your body.
Safe Disposal of Old Mercury Fillings
John: And how do you safely dispose of the mercury fillings that you remove? You don’t want to just throw that away in the trash, right?
Dr. Nammy: Oh, absolutely not. We definitely don’t want to throw it away in the trash, number one. Number two, we also don’t want to get sucked up and end up in our water system or in the oceans again. So in our practice, we actually have a separate amalgam filter. So as the mercury’s been removed and things are getting suctioned up, it doesn’t go into the water system again. It actually gets sequestered by a filter, and we have a special government agency that comes and picks it up.
Contact Us About Removing Your Old Mercury Fillings
John: Okay. All right. Well that’s really great information, Dr. Nammy. Thanks again for speaking with me today.
Dr. Nammy: Absolutely, my pleasure, John.
John: And for more information about Green Dentistry, visit the website sfgreendentist.com or call (415) 433-0119.