Your Dentist, Your Mouth and Mercury
I have an unique perspective on mercury. I grew up eating fish that we caught all through the summer and even through the ice of winter in a river that was a major shipping route for lakers, cargo ships and giant bulk carriers. But even more importantly my family owned the largest mercury thermometer manufacturer in the U.S. throughout the early 1900’s. I can still remember sitting on the factory floor playing with all the balls of mercury that were rolling around, truly a children’s entertainment.
Later in my career I began to recognize those who had symptoms and illnesses that mimicked those that I witnessed in my early childhood among the workers at my family’s business. It was easy to make the connection to mercury, which was what prompted many states to begin banning the sale of mercury fever thermometers in the early 2000’s and for its condemnation in the Minamata Convention of 2013.
As far back as 1840 the newly formed American Society of Dental Surgeons denounces mercury amalgams as malpractice due to mercury toxicity, requiring members to sign a pledge not to use them.
in 1926 German chemist Dr. Alfred Stock demonstrates that silver amalgans continuously release mercury vapor in the mouth.
In 1976 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reiterated its stance that amalgam fillings are safe based on long-term historical use.
In 1991, the World Health Organization concluded that dental amalgams which are comprised of heavy metals with mercury, are THE primary source of mercury exposure for people who have them.
Since that time there have been numerous studies that have shown that the urine, saliva and blood of people with dental amalgams contain higher amounts of heavy metals and mercury than those without dental amalgams.
It has been shown that with pressure, clenching and TMJ habits, heavy metals including mercury can be discharged into the oral cavity. From the oral cavity mercury can and does vaporize in the mouth affecting mucous membranes, gums and especially the nervous system and brain.
In November of 2013, the Minamata Convention established an international treaty amoung 150 nations including the U.S. to reduce environmental and health risks posed by the mercury in amalgam dental fillings and the signatory countries agreed to phase out the use of amalgams as dental fillings.
Now in 2026, the European Union has instituted a full ban on dental amalgam over health and environmental concerns following earlier bans in Nordic countries like Norway and Sweden.
Knowing all of this, it is logical to ask the question why are amalgam dental fillings still used in the U.S. and why does the American Dental Association, considered the leading authority on dental policy, still insist in 2026:
“The ADA continues to support the use of dental amalgam based on the clinical judgment of the dentist as a safe, durable and affordable material to treat cavities if dentists and their patients agree it is the best treatment option, and dentists in the U.S. use devices called amalgam separators to prevent amalgam waste from entering the environment.”
Now take a look at that last phrase … use devices to prevent amalgam waste from entering the environment. In fact the ADA instructs dentists to take great care in removing amalgams requiring their disposal as toxic waste in dental offices.
So after all of this, the ADA is concerned about the environmental impact of mercury, but nowhere does it indicate any worry about the effect on living flesh, oral health or the vaporization effect of even having the mercury amalgam removed from a living person. There isn’t even guidance about the effect on the dentist doing the procedure and this has been a huge hidden tragedy.
I have had a number of dentists and hygienists in my office as patients over the years and as they age, most of them share some common concerns. Kidney damage, chronic gastrointestinal damage and brain/nervous system damage are all very common effects that I have seen. Many of them are coming in with the “dentist tremor”, hand shaking which was originally attributed to the tension over time with dental instruments, but now is shown in clinical studies around the world to be the effect of mercury exposure.
But here in the U.S., despite acknowledgement about environmental impact and agreeing that dental amalgam fillings contain 50% elemental mercury by weight and continuously release low levels of mercury vapor, the FDA and the ADA insist that these levels are safe for people and do not cause systemic illness.
My Solutions for Patients and Dentists
Clearing the body of heavy metals, particularly mercury is not only advisable if you have or have had amalgam fillings, it is essential. There are two levels of mercury clearance, one is through Chelation Therapy using DMSA or DMPS which binds to mercury so that the kidneys can filter it out in the urine. This is recommended if the levels are very high, but it does depend on the kidneys being healthy and able to do the filtration required.
The second is through oral chelation and that is what I prefer and recommend. It is more gentle, takes longer, but it does allow the body to do it naturally and gradually putting less pressure on the kidneys and liver. I recommend a 90 day process including a diet high in liver and kidney supportive foods such as leafy greens, garlic, onions and eggs for the wonderful sulfur they contain. During this time I use a three step cycling process which includes:
Support for the liver and kidneys including milk thistle, dandelion, collagen and vitamin B6.
Cycles of heavy metal detoxifiers including Bladderwrack seaweed, Spanish Black Radish, chelated Zinc, cilantro and Vitamin C.
Tissue detoxifiers to clear mercury from the areas where it tends to accumulate: the parotid glands, the lymphatic system, the nervous system, the liver and kidneys. Laminaria and Chlorophyll are great with this, but Lymph Channel Bio-Therapeutic Therapy is essential to mobilize fluid through lymph nodes and congested areas to move mercury to the bloodstream so that the liver and kidneys can remove it.
Restoratives for the nervous system and gum structure that are generally heavily affected by the long-term presence of mercury. Physica Dental-Tox is an essential piece at this point that I use in high doses for short bursts each week.
It is amazing to see the improvement over this 90 day regimen in reducing chronic and debilitating symptoms that were increasing over time. It is an incredible change that can happen when such a toxic and damaging element is removed from living tissue.
Now there are numerous dentists that have voluntarily given up amalgams and promote their removal safely and with essential safeguards for the patient and for the dentist. Don’t overlook the possibility of mercury toxicity in evaluating your health and symptoms. Even if you have had your amalgams removed, deeply buried mercury can surface months or even years after to cause problems. So be sure to consider heavy metal and mercury clearance for healthier longevity!