Many people are deciding they want to have their silver amalgam (mercury) fillings removed, but this can cause a tremendous amount of mercury to be absorbed by their body and make them ill. To help prevent this, safety precautions should be used so the person won’t swallow or breathe mercury vapor while the fillings are being drilled out Mercury vaporizes at room temperature. As soon as the dentist touches the filling with a drill, the temperature soars and the mercury vapor comes pouring off the fillings. Then when you take a breath it goes right into your lungs. To prevent this from happening, we take the following safety precautions:

  • Safety glasses are put over your eyes to protect them from settling mercury particles and vapor.
  • We have you breathe pure oxygen through a nasal cannula (tube). This will minimize your breathing the air right around your face, which is full of mercury vapor. Your nose will be covered with a dental mask to help keep the mercury vapor from going into your nostrils.
  • rubber dam will be placed over your mouth. This is a sheet of rubber that helps keep the mercury from going down your throat.
  • high-powered suction system is used to quickly remove the mercury vapor.
  • The procedure is performed in a special treatment room where a vacuum hood is installed for quickly removing mercury vapor right over a patient’s mouth.
  • Charcoal slurry rinse is provided before and after the removal.
  • Copious amounts of cold water will be constantly squirted on the filling as it’s being drilled out, to keep the temperature down.

AMALGAM FILLING REPLACEMENT

Safe Amalgam/Mercury Removal Procedure

THB

Duration

One surface

2,000

1 Visit

Two surfaces

3,000

1 Visit

Three surfaces

4,000

1 Visit

Four surfaces

5,000

1 Visit