Silver Amalgam is on its Way Out

Despite assurances from the American Dental Association that Mercury fillings are safe, their use is declining. The reason is often not concern for people’s health, but rather concern for pollution of the environment. More than 140 nations agreed in January of 2013 to a U.N. treaty calling for decreasing use of amalgam fillings. In the last 5 years, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Japan, Finland, Canada, and Germany have restricted the use of amalgams for health reasons. Be careful, though, replacing these fillings can cause toxicity. If you are concerned that you might have elevated mercury levels in your body, the best test is called the “Merc-out” test. You take a couple of pills that pull abnormal amounts of mercury into the urine, which you collect and send to the lab. High mercury levels increase the risk for many diseases. Check with a doctor listed in icimed.com or acam.org to safely treat this problem. See Chicago Tribune article printed in the Toledo Blade, April 15, 2013, section D, p. 1,5. Celebration of Health Association website