I’m finally beginning the process of getting my amalgam fillings removed. I’ve finally saved enough money to get started and I called the dentist that I will be going to and made the appointment for January 30th. I was planning to get my cracked amalgam replaced, plus the one next to it. But then my good friend Patty from Loving Our Guts contacted me and told me she had just finished reading It’s All in Your Head: The Link Between Mercury Amalgams and Illness by Dr. Hal Huggins. She told me his advice was to try to have all amalgams removed within 21 days, if at all possible, and that I should not cross the midline. In other words, have the fillings removed from one side first, then the other side in a subsequent appointment.
At first I freaked out a little bit, because this work is expensive. It doesn’t help when I see that the cost at my traditional dentist through my employer covered insurance plan would cost me about 20% of the amount I’m paying to my biological dentist. But then I decided I was going to go for it, and I called the dentist’s office to see if I could schedule to have all the fillings removed on the left side. That was fine as long as I could come in about an hour earlier in the day. I explained to them that historically I have trouble numbing and it often takes longer than for most people so we decided I would come in another half hour earlier.
I had ordered It’s All In Your Head at Patty’s suggestion and read that there are tests you should complete prior to having any work done. One of the most important tests is the materials sensitivity testing. I called my biological dentist to find out if he knows about this testing, and he was able to refer me to a laboratory. At this point it became clear if I wanted to get this testing done I would need to reschedule.
I learned that this test can be ordered by an individual, or by one’s dentist. It costs $275 which includes a hard copy 50 page report sent to the dentist, and an electronic copy will be emailed directly to my inbox. Overnight shipping through FedEx costs an additional $50, so the total I will be paying for this testing is $325. This is less than 1/10th of the cost of the dental work, and my husband and I decided it would be best for me to make sure that the money we are investing in having my fillings replaced is at least being spent for the replacement material which is least likely to cause a reaction from my body. I understand that our body reacts to anything foreign, it’s just that some things are tolerated while others can cause a problem.
Then I kind of lost steam. That first weekend after I’d made the decision was a very stressful one for me. Just because I was feeling scared about the dental work, because there is no telling what will happen once the dentist begins to remove and replace my fillings. The estimate I was given strictly covers removal and replacement. I know that the teeth being worked on having some deep fillings, and could be close to the root. So I may end having to get some teeth removed altogether, because I will not have a root canal. The thought of having teeth removed is pretty scary to me and I don’t really want to think about it too much.
In order to have the testing done I need to have blood drawn. I have to fast at least 8 hours, preferably 10, and I have to send the blood samples by FedEx once drawn.
Tomorrow is the day I will have my blood drawn, if all goes as planned. It takes two weeks to get back the results so I should call the dentist’s office tomorrow and set my appointment.
Many mixed feelings. In the book It’s All in Your Head, Dr. Huggins said that some people’s temperatures rose to normal after having the mercury removed. I looked at the Meridian Tooth Chart and every single one of my teeth that has mercury in it is related to thyroid.
Maybe one more piece of my puzzle. In beginning GAPS, I looked back to the years when my health changed, which I pinpoint as the time I began to gain weight. This was after the birth of my children. I thought my chemistry changed after giving birth. Then when I learned about gut dysbiosis I thought it must have been the four courses of antibiotics I took the year prior to conceiving my first son.
But now I’m realizing there was one more component. In the months prior to conceiving Matthew I also had dental work done. I do not know exactly the number, but I am pretty sure my first amalgams were in two teeth on the upper left side of my mouth when I was around the age of 16. At that time I had a cavity in between two molars, the size of a peppercorn. The dentist told me at that time that I had a lot of new cavities. My diet had changed in the previous year since I was living with a foster family who ate many processed foods. I was never able to get those teeth taken care of, until I was 22 years old. At that time, I probably had between 7 and 9 amalgams placed in my mouth.
So… it’s no wonder my chemistry changed… antibiotics, birth control pill, mercury fillings.
I apologize for not posting much of late. I am going to try to post more, especially since I want to chronicle this process of having my amalgams replaced. I am really hoping this will be an important step in my health journey, and I’m excited and scared all at the same time to be embarking on it.
For now, tomorrow is the first step. Getting my blood drawn to find out if I have any sensitivity to the dental materials.
Have you gone through this process of having your amalgams removed? Do you feel your health has improved as a result of having the mercury removed?
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