Dr. David’s wife, Deb Martin reporting here. In August, 2015, with some trepidation, I walked into McGinty Dental Group’s practice to have my old mercury fillings removed. I had real concern about breathing in toxic particles as the mercury was drilled out. But I already knew that this office was TOPS at safely removing the toxic substance I had in my mouth. As a highly-respected biological-dentist, Dr. Eileen McGinty and her assistant grind up and remove what is arguably the worst toxic element from people’s mouths safely every week. The pictures show one of my mercury fillings before the procedure, after the mercury amalgam was removed, and after the new composite.
PROTECTION COMES IN MANY FORMS
Fortunately, in this medical office, they have the latest in safety equipment and procedures such as oxygen masks, rubber dams, and a high-speed vacuum, and they know how to eat and supplement to detoxify both themselves and their patients. Dr. McGinty has a super smoothie everyday containing such heavy-metal detoxifying foods as avocado, cilantro and chlorella. (She has glowing skin and great energy too!)
As their patient, I received the “Safe Removal of Mercury Fillings” handout which includes instructions about foods to avoid, foods to definitely consume, and 11 supplements to take before and after the procedure. They also know how to make the surgery painless, and they distracted me with a movie. For my first of two procedures (they do half the mouth one day and half the next time), I chose the now-vintage “Dirty Dancing” with Patrick Swayze. (Be still my heart!)
Dr. David and I did this because we want to live long, healthy lives.
Sweden, Norway, and Denmark banned mercury fillings several years ago. The State of Maine requires that all dentists educate their patients on the dangers of mercury before they decide which type of filling to choose, amalgam (mercury) or a composite filling.
Mercury amalgams, AKA “silver fillings” have been linked to cancer, depression, auto-immune diseases such as MS and chronic fatigue, depression, memory loss, sleep loss, other neurological symptoms, and Parkinsons’ Disease and Alzheimers. Need proof? Hit the Internet to see lots of studies.
THERE IS NO SAFE LEVEL OF MERCURY EXPOSURE
On February 20th, 2015, kids were headed to school on a bus in Reno, Nevada, and one of them was carrying mercury to class. Due to concerns about small amounts of mercury which were potentially tracked into other school buildings by someone from that bus, 4 schools were shut down that day. Toxicity concern is high with tiny amounts of mercury, as small as the size of the tip of a lead pencil. But people with mercury amalgams (estimated to be 75% of us) commonly breathe in mercury vapor every day–in cumulatively toxic levels–with 80% absorption thru their lungs. It is already well understood in most of the medical community, and even the FDA on their own website states that fetuses are the most susceptible to neurological damage since the mercury can go right thru the placenta. This idea of toxic mercury in our mouths is sheer madness, or in the very least, it’s asking for trouble.
HOW TO ENSURE SAFE REMOVAL OF YOUR MERCURY AMALGAMS
You may be considering removal of your own mercury fillings, in which case the remainder of this article will be VERY useful for you!
FIRST, be sure you are working with a well-trained, biological dentist.
SECOND, protect yourself and prepare your body to detoxify. In our Food Healing classes, we teach about the power of certain foods to detoxify mercury. This is also highly important in the reversal of many immune system diseases such as cancer.
Here are suggestions, from Dr. McGinty and Lotus Blossom Clinic. Start this protocol 3 days prior and continue 3-4 days post surgery:
Consume an Alkaline and Low Sugar Diet:
- Add kale, cabbage, garlic, broccoli, cauliflower, collards, radishes, cucumber, wasabi.
- Consume fermented vegetables for the bacterial benefit to your intestines, the powerhouse of your immunity.
Nutritional Supplements (and foods that contain them):
- Glutathione, 50 mg, 3x/day (Antioxidant and Phase 2 Liver Detox)
– and/or consume plenty of these foods which contain Glutathione:
Cilantro is possibly the highest source (put in smoothies, salads, and guacamole—or simply chomp it down fresh),
Xocai Healthy Chocolate (2 chocolates, 4x day),
Asparagus, and avocado.
- N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), 250 mg, 2x/day (detoxifying effects)
- Methionine, 1000mg (divide into 2-3 doses/day – precursor for Glutathione)
- Vitamin B-6, 50mg, 3x/day
- Vitamin C, 500mg, 3x/day
- And/or eat plenty of red bell peppers, paprika, and kiwis
- Zinc 15-30mg/day
- And/or eat smoked oysters, highest zinc food (1 2x/day) and pumpkin seeds (need approximately 3 x the quantity to equal one oyster)
- Magnesium, 200mg/day
- And/or consume RAW cacao, such as Xocai Healthy Chocolate (dosage above covers this too)
- Selenium, 50 micrograms/day
- OR, consume 1 Brazil nut, 2x/day
- Garlic (RAW is best – we have a 9-Clove Garlic Pesto recipe which is fabulous)
- Chlorella (single cell green algae). Sunfood Superfood offers pellets that can be blended with your smoothie.
- IV-Vitamin C – This is a fairly extreme measure. It is best to have medical guidance because too much Vitamin C chelates other metals from your system. That can cause negative health effects.
This diet and supplements could be part of ANY program to detoxify a person from mercury and other heavy metals such as lead.
Once the mercury fillings are all gone, the dentist replaces them with new and improved fillings.
WHAT’S IN THE NEW FILLING MATERIAL?
Per the American Dental Association, the new composite is usually composed of plastic resins & finely-ground, glass-like particles, and people like them because they are esthetically more pleasing. They are white and blend in with your teeth.
While all amalgam fillings contain mercury, NOT all composites contain BPA (a compound in plastics which is a known endocrine disruptor and has been linked to cancer). Ask your dentist to be sure there is no BPA in the composite which will be in your mouth:
WANT TO CONFIRM YOUR LEVEL OF MERCURY, POST SURGERY?
Synchronicity is always amazing. I basically stumbled upon a bio-energetic tool called SpectraVision that answered the question for me, “Do I have any mercury toxicity from the procedure?” This technology is an integration of the ancient Chinese model of acupuncture and wellness with modern biofeedback and physio-feedback technology.
Just as our patients get great value from seeing and learning about the markers of health as shown in their own blood via a Live Blood Cell education session, I received a great deal of information from this Body Scan, including that I had no mercury problem, I did have a problem with a “Scotch” tooth polishing chemical, and that my body was happy with the foods I’ve been consuming. Sherri Ault, owner of InSync Healing (also in Denver), provides this service and was able to treat me right on the spot for the items which were discovered during the scan. I was pleasantly surprised at my increased energy and mental sharpness the very next day.
FINAL NOTE: I was lucky I had this procedure done for another reason. Two of my old fillings were harboring cavities! Apparently that is quite common.
References and Resources:
- Here’s what a good, biological dentist will do (hang in there past the office tour)
- Here’s the biological dentist of choice in our home state. McGintyDentalGroup.com Perhaps you may choose to take a vacation to Colorado and have the procedure done while you’re there!
- One method to verify your mercury toxicity level.