I know this is not the best place to ask such questions but I was hoping for some unbiased answers. A couple years ago I moved to the US. When I went in for teeth cleaning, the dentist said I had a lot of cavities and that they needed to be fixed. I was 17 and I believed him, especially since I hadn't been to a dentist for cleaning ever before. I got 12 teeth filled with metal fillings. (In hindsight, I was almost certainly ripped off. The dentist saw a dumb 17 year old with insurance and did unnecessary work to make money) Around that time, maybe in a window of a year, I became chronically tired. I worked out most of my life and it was around this time when I felt I couldn't workout anymore. Before I event started a set I felt exhausted. My overall stamina also took a toll. I didn't really think much of it at the time. Just chalked it up to schoolwork and stuff. Maybe lack of sleep? But recently I went to a new dentist who recommended I remove all of the metal fillings and replace them with ceramic ones. Obviously initial thoughts are that he's full of shit and just wants to make easy money, but the symptoms he described (chronic tiredness, brain fog, worse cognition) sound right, and the timing also lines up. It could be a coincidence but I checked online for some research and found that metal fillings are banned in the EU specifically because they cause people to have elevated mercury levels which cause exactly what I just described. Now I'm conflicted. I find that most people online and most doctors seem to say it's safe, but at the same time there are a number of studies and dentist's who say otherwise. There is also my own personal experience that makes me feel like it's true that metal fillings are bad. TC: 190k
Even if there’s conclusion that amalgam fillings aren’t toxic, the simple fact that metal microscopically expands will eventually cause tiny fractures in your tooth which can lead to more expensive repairs. There’s a reason why dentists don’t use it anymore. I’ve been seeing the dentist every 6 months my whole life and luckily haven’t had a single cavity.
1) mental fillings last longer than ceramic so idk where you're getting the expanding thing from 2) I'm really glad to hear man. What's your cleaning process? And where can I find a good dentist like yours?
1) physics. Same way a mercury thermometer works. Going from extreme 98 degrees to near freezing when you drink cold liquids or eat ice cream is going to cause metal to expand and contract. Anyways, look it up. It’s one of the reasons they changed among other reasons. 2) I wouldn’t say I find good dentists anymore. I look for dentists who are comprehensive in their care and don’t push unnecessary things on me like “deep cleaning” or Invisalign. My cleaning process is just using a sonicare toothbrush 2x daily and swap out those heads often. I don’t floss either, which is bad and I really should. My lack of cavities is mostly genetic and also seeing the dentist frequently for cleanings.
There’s zero scientific basis supporting this. Dentists want to make money replacing your fillings.
Yes, metal fillings are no longer used by the vast majority of dental practices. You 100% should get them replaced. If your health isn’t reason enough, they also look pretty shit. I doubt all of the symptoms you described were related to metal fillings. The amount of mercury in them is very tiny and you were also a teenager (prone to fatigue) but if you can afford this, I don’t know why you wouldn’t do it.
Two reason why I'm hesitant 1) removing them is also a risk, it leaks a significant amount of vapor when being removed. 2) fillings aren't like Lego, if it gets remove and replaced, it will be traumatic for my tooth and definitely make it break/die sooner than if I leave it be.
Get replacements, but pace it out such that it is covered by insurance.
Just use magnets and remove them metal studf
You might consider why you’re ok leaving something in your mouth but afraid to remove it. And even a tiny amount of mercury is toxic. 1/ There are safe protocols for removing metal fillings. But you _will_ have to detox from the mercury (which has probably been slowly leaching into your bloodstream anyway—filings crack over time.) I dated someone going through this process with 17 fillings being removed and during his detox he freaked out one morning: there was a rainbow colored film on the toilet water. He called his doctor, they had it lab tested and it was mercury. 😳 2/ Go see an integrative dentist. They’ll work with you to safely remove them over time (you shouldn’t do them all at once as the extraction will release mercury). DM me if you’re in the BA.
Thanks for the comment. Why was your friends fillings removed? And sadly I'm not in the bay area, but I'll look to find an integrative dentist around ne
17 metal fillings sitting in his mouth for 20 years since he was a child made him worry in general but when one visibly cracked he got worried. He was from the UK and the notion of helping soft spots on teeth remineralize was non-existent. “Drill and fill” was the standard. When one of his fillings cracked he did some research and found a dentist who had a safe extraction protocol (including a hood to suck up mercury fumes and some serious hazmat gear). Took maybe 2 years to get them all out. He did a mercury detox before, during and after the extraction. The dentist confirmed 5 of his fillings had cracks—no other dentist had bothered checking. He started grinding his teeth over the years and his integrative dentist said this is quite common among tech workers. He is now mercury free. A long-term sinus infection went away and he says he has more mental clarity (in his teens, they thought he had a learning disability; he suspects his challenges at school were in part due to the number of mercury fillings in his mouth, at least one of which may have been cracked after an accident). Hope this helps. Don’t listen to opinions here, go get your filings examined. There is no safe level for mercury and who here can tell you whether any of your fillings have even minor fissures? No one.
TC
Added
The “old school” amalgam fillings are indeed bad for you. I had my amalgams replaced with ceramic. Just get that shit out of your body ASAP.
How many did you have replaced? What do you mean old school?
I have 8 fillings and one gold crown. I don’t know if there was an official FDA change but the mercury/silver/tin fillings used pre-2000 are no longer recommended due to the toxicity. Most good dentists will no longer use amalgam. I had about 5 amalgam fillings replaced with ceramic. Gold is a great material as well. I worked in dental materials space for some time.
Dentists are the worst in the US. They do unnecessary procedures to rip off. Removing wisdom teeth and filling cavities when you have no pain or symptoms whatsoever. They were after me for both and without any filling or removal of wisdom teeth I am good after 7 yrs. Moral of the story: Go to dentist only if you have a problem. Or don't go beyond preventive care which is regular cleaning.
Just smoke weed
No thanks