Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
By Carrie Vitt of Deliciously Organic
In the spring of 2008, a simple trip to the dentist for a routine procedure turned my world upside-down.
I went to the dentist because of a cracked amalgam filling in one of my teeth.
I didn’t realize at the time that if you get an amalgam filling removed or replaced you should go to a biological dentist who’s been properly trained! The reason is that approximately 50% of a dental amalgam is toxic elemental mercury by weight. Improper removal of amalgam fillings risks heavy metal toxicity among other serious health woes.
Unfortunately, my conventional dentist didn’t take the proper, necessary precautions during the amalgam filling removal process, and as soon as I sat up from the chair, I felt sick and knew something was terribly wrong.
I stumbled out of the office and spent nearly a week in bed recuperating. I thought my reaction to the removal was strange, but I’d never read anything about amalgam fillings being a health hazard, so I didn’t put the two together.
After a week I regained some of my strength and got on with my life.
A few weeks later, however, I began to have problems with my complexion, including breakouts, rough skin and splotchy patches on my face.
I was familiar with the Weston A. Price Foundation and its traditional dietary principles as I was already eating an organic, nutrient-dense diet. I hadn’t changed anything in my daily regimen and was exercising regularly and sensibly.
I was confused as to what was happening to me.
As time went on, things got much worse when I broke out in inexplicable hives from the neck up. My face was swollen and red, peeled twice a day, and I felt like someone was holding a frying pan to my skin.
The worse part of this entire ordeal was that I went from doctor to doctor and they all told me I had dry skin, handed me a tube of steroid cream and sent me on my way. I’m not an idiot. I knew my skin wasn’t “dry”, and I knew I had to dig deeper.
I began eliminating things from my diet as I searched for a cause, but no change made a bit of difference. My symptoms got worse. I became very depressed and starting losing my hair. I didn’t want to go anywhere because not only did I look horrible, but I was in constant pain.
I slept with ice packs on my face to ease the burning. I became allergic to everything. If I ate lettuce, I would swell. If I ate meat, I would swell. If I walked into a room with too much perfume, I would swell.
So I stayed at home.
All day.
Every day.
After nine months I finally found a doctor who listened and ran tests. All of the allergy tests came back negative and my preliminary blood work was all “normal”.
Perplexed, she told me about an autoimmune disease that in some extreme cases causes hives. The results came in and I was finally diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease (a thyroid autoimmune disorder). The doctor told me to start a thyroid medication, but after some research, I learned the medication would only calm the symptoms and not heal the root cause of my disease. I decided to look for an alternative solution.
How Amalgam Filling Removal Triggered Autoimmune Problems
I began working with a certified nutritionist at Biodynamic Wellness to help me find the root cause of my disease. Remember the amalgam filling I had removed and filled? We discovered my thyroid had absorbed most of the heavy metals from the filling removal and consequently caused my liver to “back up” so it couldn’t properly filter any toxins my body encountered.
This helped explain the hives and thyroid disease. She put prescribed a grain-free, nutrient dense diet, and gentle detox therapies.
I Healed My Hashimoto’s with NO Thryoid Meds or Surgery!
After several years of discipline, detox and rest (and NO thyroid meds!), I’m happy to say my autoimmune disease including Hashimoto’s is now in full remission! My health struggles and path to healing led me to write my new book, The Grain-Free Family Table. In the book I share my entire story of recovery, tips to help reduce inflammation and encourage recovery from disease, and over 125 grain-free recipes to get you going on this new path.
If you’re struggling with an autoimmune disease, I highly encourage you to find a good nutritionist or holistic-minded, experienced health practitioner who can help you find the root cause of your disease and a specialized treatment plan for your body. Even if everyone around you says it can’t be done, follow your instincts. If you think it’s possible, run toward that hope.
After my experience, I truly believe that many of the diseases that ail us can be avoided or reversed with the right foods, detox and support.
The worst is having 5+ amalgams fillings placed all at once as a child. This was me. Smashed my head with enough hard cover textbooks in the middle of class while nobody did anything. Developed early onset Parkinson’s a couple years later and lived with it throughout high school. Then a decade after the incident and feeling desperate due to living in complete delirium…. I tried a plant only diet and eating more carrots and then raw carrot juice helped immensely with pulling and keeping the mercury out of my brain. Even after all the begging towards family to pay for the removal of these fillings… They believed these so called experts that they aren’t toxic. It’s sad losing out on 2 decades of development. Mercury poisoning from amalgams is like being raped daily with major digestive and nervous system issues.
The lady who wrote the article looks fantastic in her after picture. It gives me light at the end of the tunnel after I have these fillings removed. The only problem is finding a dentist I can trust after many ordeals with these professional Frankenstein’s.
I would recommend a phone consult with my biological dentist if you can’t find anyone locally. He will coach you through what you need to do! https://natural-smiles.com/
Good luck!
In 2012 I had part of a filling come out. Knowing nothing about the proper protocol for removing amalgam fillings I went to a local dentist. He did not use any of the necessary protection for me as his patient, for himself, nor his staff. When he was finished he said he was able to leave part of the filling and the tooth would need a cap. He capped the tooth, leaving the remaining amalgam. I remember particles floating in my mouth during the procedure. Not long after this I developed severe fatigue. I went to a doctor who insisted I was depressed despite the fact that blood work revealed elevated thyroid antibodies. My health continued to decline with joint pain and unexplained rashes . A year later I saw a naturalpathic doctor who diagnosed me with Hashimotos. I have since found a holistic dentist who uses all the proper protection and recommends liver support before and after having fillings removed. She herself once suffered from mercury poisoning.
About 8-9 months ago, I had a crown put in along with three amalgam’s replaced with white fillings (porcelain?). Within the next couple weeks, I felt sick and fatigued all of the time. My jaw hurt so bad and the muscles were always so tense that I started having ear and eye issues as well. Then I couldn’t produce saliva and my already light-sensitive eyes became even worse. I was diagnosed with Sjogren’s Syndrome 3 months after the dental work. My fibromyalgia also got a lot worse and I ended up in urgent care with chest pain and being short of breath. There they found that my liver enzymes were a little high and I had inflammation. That’s gotten better but I’ve also been dealing with extremely bad back and rib pain for the last 6ish month now.
I’ve told multiple doctors and two dentists that I thought that procedure gave me an infection that caused the autoimmune disease, and my other issues, to trigger but I haven’t had an success with that idea. I’m glad, however, that maybe I was on the right track and that others have figured it out, too.
Just want to say this article is very informative. Too often medical misinformation, misdiagnosis and malpractices are making people sick without even realizing it.
Every time another amalgam filling was added to my previous collection, additional facial nasty pain appeared. But, since I trusted the medical society, I put it aside. However, eventually the pain was very extreme and consistent. After several years, every few days, as I take a bight of food or chew gum, this now triggered every facial muscle, other than from eyes up, to go into a muscle spasm. It stopped you dead in your tracks, due to the level of pain. Candida yeast infection, internal and external, was next on the list. I did some research and found that this was a previously known of connection with amalgam fillings. 17 years later, I had the amalgam fillings removed. I thought that the dentist had killed the nerves in my teeth, because I could now clench my teeth together without this causing pure pain. But it began to come back to me that this was normal, as I began to recall the vague memories that this was how it used to be 17 years beforehand.
Also, my hands were no longer ice cold. People stopped telling me that there was something on the tip of my nose. Previously the tip of my nose was blue, which also was due to poor blood circulation. These were just a few of the long list of health problems that I had encountered.
At the dentists office, where I had my amalgam fillings removed, the walls were all covered with letters from his patients, all thanking him for giving them their lives back, and all listing the same basic symptoms that I had, and how they were now fading away or had faded away completely.
TO Sakura,
I realize this is an old comment. I dont know your situation currently. However it may be necessary to eliminate all grain, nightshade and dairy in order to effect a positive change. It may also require a careful selection of supplements also.
I have to say that I had bad cavities at 4 years old. They filled all of them. My parents had no insurance and this was before there were other options for fillings besides Anaglam. I am allergic to Kathon/ Methylchloroisothiazolinone and thimerosal.
I have suspected that all my life, I am also sensitive to nickel. I know I am not the only one. Every time I visit a dentist, have a teeth cleaning my entire mouth breaks out in hives, all over my tongue and cheeks. I thought I had oral thrush, but nope, its an allergy. I have auto immune problems and am interested in seeing if removing the metal fillings would improve my health.
In 3rd world countries amalgam fillings are the first treatment… the mercury could be a problem, yes, but not the reactions she had. 1. the amount of mercury in the material is not enough to poisoning, only if you drink the entire blister, and is imposible. 2. the kind of rash she had looks like an allergic reaction. I work for more than 12 years and before that as a dentistry student with amalgam and I never had those kind of reactions… sorry but I have to be suspicious I don´t think amalgam could do that, I saw several treatments made on kids disabled drinking more medications than a regular person, immunosuppressed, epileptic… That´s only my opinion, but before run to ask for a replacement of your fillings talk with your dentist, Amalgam exist since 1896, and if you think you need more information look online, but no Facebook, go to google scholar, with serious investigations. I apologize if you found some grammar mistakes, English is not my first language
I have had MANY amalgam fillings in my teeth…from 6 years old on…and I am 64!! I have considered having them removed but have not really done research until now… I am experiencing some auto-immune symptoms, so decided to research. I too go to Biodynamic Wellness! Great connection! I am wondering if anyone has experiences with amalgam fillings removed that are UNDER crowns. What is that process like? Crown removal, mercury clean up and re-placement of crown? Same one used? THANKS…
I too, had my silver fillings removed recently by a regular dentist and am now having skin and oral blisters. I’m being tested for auto immune disorders as well. I’m happy to hear you reversed your condition. I’m hoping I can too. I’m already gluten-free, wheat-free and soy-free so I’m not sure what more I can eliminate in my diet. I’m open to any suggestions. This has been awful!