Mercury Fillings & Fluoridation Finally on Their Way Out?

One of the most important concepts in biological dentistry is biocompatibility. We want to be sure that any materials and techniques that we use – whether for fillings, inlays, implants, or anything else – get along with your body on a biological level. 

We’re looking to support health, not disrupt it.

Truth be told, the dental profession as a whole continues to support certain practices that can ultimately interfere with some individuals’ overall health and well-being. Conventional dentists may scoff, but the science has shown how problematic some of these practices can be. 

In fact, some of that science is at center stage right now in a lawsuit currently proceeding in the US District Court for the Northern District of California. Originally filed in 2017 by Food & Water Watch and other groups and individuals, hearings for the case resumed on January 31, with 10 days scheduled for the trial. (You can get updates on the case here.) 

A federal judge in California will decide if adding fluoride to the drinking water of 200 million Americans is too risky for children’s developing brains based on research showing it could lower their IQs.

If Judge Edward M. Chen decides fluoride poses an unreasonable risk, the Environmental Protection Agency would have to restrict its drinking water use in some way.

That would be a very big win for the vast majority of US residents. Right now, roughly three-quarters of our nation’s population get fluoridated water, despite the fact that any benefit from fluoride comes from applying it directly to the teeth, not swallowing it. Research has shown that, at best, fluoride does not prevent decay but may slow its progress ever so slightly. 

For biological dentists like Dr. Jana, the risks of fluoride – neurotoxic and otherwise – far outweigh any benefits.

The same goes for another neurotoxin: the dental amalgam that’s used to make so-called “silver” fillings. Despite their name, those fillings are roughly 50% mercury. Mercury is one of the most toxic naturally occurring elements on the planet. Although it is especially poisonous to the brain, it can bioaccumulate in other organs, too, and contribute to a wide variety of health problems. 

That’s because dental mercury doesn’t stay fixed within the filling. It’s continually off-gassed. Some of that vapor is inhaled. From the lungs, it’s a quick and easy trip into the bloodstream, which carries the toxic metal throughout the body. 

Back in 2013, over 100 countries – including the United States – signed onto a treaty to protect humans and our environment from mercury exposure. Among other things, it includes provisions to limit mercury in dentistry. Since the treaty went into effect, more and more nations have taken action to do so. 

Now, the entire European Union has opted to ban the material completely, effective January 1, 2025. Dentists will not be allowed to place mercury amalgam in patients’ mouths. Companies will not be allowed to manufacture or export the material. 

This is a very big deal that may finally force the US to follow suit. After all, it followed the EU in advising against the use of amalgam in children, nursing mothers, and women who are pregnant or planning on pregnancy, among others. All told, the FDA guidance is relevant to about two-thirds of the total American population. 

That change, in turn, compelled other changes, such as the world’s two biggest dental supply companies quitting the amalgam biz altogether and even the American Dental Association starting to change its tune just a bit. 

We look forward to the day when mercury-free dentistry is the norm around the world and are proud to know that our office is already on the forefront of providing the kind of dentistry that we believe all people deserve: biocompatible dentistry that supports whole body health.