The day I had my amalgam fillings removed was a long-awaited day. I had also been dreading it! I had been researching the proper techniques for removal and how to prepare for the day for a long time. In my research, I had come across stories of people who became very ill after their amalgam filling removal, because the procedure had not been done correctly. While my dentist had all the necessary removal equipment needed to keep me safe, there was still a huge “what if” in the back of my mind.
The Morning of:Â
- Woke up at 4:30 am for a run outside to get the lymph flowing and my detoxifying organs fired up for the big day
- Decided to fast for the morning so my body was not burdened down by digestion
- Drank plenty of filtered water to help my kidneys along
- Took my preparatory supplements. I encourage you to do your own research on supplementation and consult with a holistic dentist to get the correct regimen.
- I decided to stop breastfeeding after having my fillings removed because I did not want to expose my son to mercury if it got into my system. He was almost 2 years old so I felt he had a good run. I nursed him for the last time right before I left for my appointment. Knowing that it was the last time was really hard for me. Really hard!
- Left for my appointment at 8:00
The Procedure:Â
I did not want my dentist to think I was too “granola” and questioning her skills so I had to have a certain finesse when asking for the necessary precautions to protect me from the mercury. I asked to get “happy gas” because I knew it would be a separate source of air for me to breathe and would protect me from any mercury vapor. Plus, happy gas is totally awesome!
I also requested a rubber dam, to protect me from any filling pieces that might fall into my mouth. They had the necessary suction and water to keep everything cooled and suctioned away.
They numbed me, gassed me, and pulled those suckers out. She simply drilled along the side of my filling for a few seconds and the fillings popped out! Within minutes they were out of my mouth. What a relief. They took pictures of my teeth before they filled them with BPA and aluminum free composite. I asked if I could keep the pictures and they agreed. Please note that these are multiple pictures of the same teeth, I don’t have that many fillings! So here they are….
1. The white streak is new decay that was under my amalgam filling (if not for that, my insurance would not have covered the filling removal)
2. The pink spots are tooth pulp
3. The dark spots are not decay, they are stains left behind from the amalgam (mercury!) fillings. My dentist cleaned this off
This picture shows a new spot of decay. I am hoping to “remineralize this spot”! Stay tuned for updates on this process. Read “Cure Tooth Decay” for more on the remineralization process.
After the procedure (which took about 2.5 hours!)
I took some more supplements to bind the mercury and ate a large salad filled with cilantro. I encourage you to do your own research on the post-procedure supplementation.
For more information on oral health and how to take care of your teeth, please check out the following books:
Don’t forget to check out my other two posts about my amalgam filling removal:
52 Replies to “Removing My Amalgam Fillings”
When you go to get your amalgam fillings pulled ask your dentist if he recycles the material? I work at a clinic in Oregon and here it is mandatory for dentists to recycle all Mercury bearing material. We started using a local company called Acme Pure to recycle all of our waste. They also sell amalgam separator replacement canisters for only$245!!!!!
Hey,
My fiancee also wants his mercury fillings removed asap. What do you think is the safest thing to get them refilled with?
Anna
A composite that is heavy metal free, and BPA free if possible. I would discuss it with your dentist. If you can find a holistic dentist in your area, that would be ideal!
How many did you have done in one sitting? Do they recommend doing them at different times? Did you have any ill effects after they were removed in the post days/months? I have 6 that I am really anxious to get out and just now starting to do my homework. Thanks
I had 5 done at once. They were taken out very quickly, she only took a few minutes. We had all the precautions in place. I never felt ill afterwards. I only felt better!
What doctor did your removal and where from? I’m in Reno and want to get mine done immediately!
I am in Minnesota, Tooth by the Lake is my dentist
Hi, I am researching all of this, thanks for your post on removing your amalgams. You do not mention the process for the composite they replaced them with, was that put in each tooth right when the silver amalgams were removed? What was that like and do those dry immediately as you mentioned you were fine and able to eat a salad right after? Your teeth were in no pain? And may I ask what the cost was to remove 5 and the city you had then done in? Thank you for your reply.
I had a BPA free composite put in place of the amalgams. They dried really fast, my dentist used a special light that hardens them right there in the office. I had cavities under my old amalgams, so they were fortunately covered by my insurance. I think the total came to something like $3,500. I only paid a co-pay though! I had it done in Plymouth, Minnesota.
Kate, thank you for your reply, appreciate you posting all this on your site. Now I know what is what, now to find a holistic dentist and check to see if my insurance will cover any of it. I have MS and it’s coming to light that mercury poisoning can cause MS symptoms, crazy all the damage mercury can do. Seems for health reasons everyone needs to get theirs taken out pronto.
It’s great that you made that connection Jay! I hope you find lots of healing after your amalgams are removed. I know a wonderful practitioner who specialized in minerals and detoxification. You might want to check her out to see if she would be a good fit for you along your journey: https://store.liveto110.com/mineral-power-program/mineral-power-prime/#_l_1h
Did you get the amalgams removed? How are your ms symptoms now? Ms is cause by toxic exposure!
Hi, I’m a 24 year old, I received the metal fillings during military training in 2011, I obviously agreed to the procedure.I was out of high-school and what did I know. My mother noticed them and was not very happy about it( (Her occupation is revolved around Business, Pharmacy and RN. She obviously knew something I did not. I have to get those filling removed as soon as I can. I’d like some guidance on how to go about this process in the safest way possible.
Hi Remi,
I would recommend that you find a holistic dentist in your area. They are the professionals who are the best trained in the “safe” removal of metal fillings. You can find a lot of information about it online too.
Hey just chiming in. I live in San Diego, there’s a holistic dentist in Tijuana in case you don’t have insurance. Americanbiodental.com. Honestly better than any dentist I’ve been to in the US. They have all their pricing online, and you can request for them to shuttle you from US to their office and back.
That’s the dentist that I went to yesterday and they did not give me oxygen during my 1st session! During the 2nd session, I only received oxygen because I asked them! Maybe if I were Caucasian I wouldn’t have encountered this problem- I went in there, and choose to speak with my broken Spanish (thinking I’d be facilitating things) but I must’ve appeared like an ignorant Mexican girl unaware of Huggins protocol, just there to replace for aesthetic reasons, hence reason why they did things different to me in comparisons to wonderful reviews I’ve read about that place.. that’s just my theory
Hi Kate, just came across your post. Could you tell us if you noticed any positive health benefits after amalgam removal such as more energy, clearer thinking. Did you ever suffer from “brain fog” and it improved after removal? Any other noticeable differences in anything else?
I had TMJ go away completely and my mood seemed to improve.
Hi. I have 5 amalgam fillings to be removed. Does it make a difference to my well being whether I have them removed all at once with sedation or if I do them in two visits without sedation? I have experienced multiple symptoms of mercury poisoning.
That decision really has to be up to you. Some people recommend breaking it up into sessions. I had mine all removed at once
Ok. I was a bit hesitant at first because I learned of the dangers that could arise from crossing the midline but now I understand that sedation compresses the time. I just wanted to know if there would be a difference in the outcome in terms of health returning.
Hi, I am looking into having this done. Can you tell me who the doctor was that performed this for you? Also, did they determine that it would be covered by insurance before the fillings were removed or was it only after they saw the decay underneath? Thanks!
They determined that it was covered by insurance after they saw the decay, thats when I finally decided to just have them all removed too! I went with Boger dental in Minnesota. You can google “holistic dentist” and find one in your area.
I just came across this post from Google. Have you had any kids since your removal? I’m getting one removed soon (with a holistic dentist) but was hoping to TTC soon. I’ve found anything from 3 months – 18 months as the waiting time people claim you need for your baby to be safe in the womb. Do you have any thoughts?
Hi,
first of all thanks for this post! I’m researching this topic now and it was valuable to read about your experience.
Could you share how much time elapsed between amalgam filling removal and your next pregnancy?
Many thanks in advance!
I had a surprise and was pregnant 6 months later 🙂
I am also breastfeeding and interested in amalgam removal. Did you have any adverse effects after? Could you give any more info on supplements especially ones safe for BF, I seem to be reading contradictory things. Also, The link to “post procedure” blog post on this topic does not seem to be working. Thank you for documenting your experience, this has been very helpful.
Hi janine, I only had benefits after having them removed. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend any supplements. That could be considered prescriptive. I can recommend a good book: https://amzn.to/2lnmg9X
Janine,
I am very interested in what you decided to do about your amalgams while breastfeeding. I am currently in the same boat. I want to have mine removed asap but my baby is only 5 months old and I would like to breastfeed until she is atleast 2. I have even considered having the whole tooth extracted to prevent from disturbing the mercury. Looking forward to hearing from you.
I am in this exact situation right now except my daughter is 2 and 3 months. I definitely do not want to stop breastfeeding yet. I have four amalgam fillings in my mouth and it’s just ruining my life I know it is ; depression up and down fatigue brain fog etc. I eat organic and healthy I try to stay away from gluten.. I know all about the detrimental affects of mercury. If anyone has ANY advice or EXPERIENCE REMOVING their amalgam fillings while breastfeeding with a holistic dentist please please let me know I will literally pay you LOL . I don’t want this toxic garbage ruining my life anymore…
Hi Fatima, Did you end up getting them removed while still breastfeeding? I’m in this situation with my 9 month old and want to breastfeed till at least 2 or beyond, not sure what to do with all of the conflicting info out there…
If there is no access to a holistic doctor in your state would recommend going to a regular dentist?
Make sure they take the precautions to protect you from the mercury
Had all of mine out which was 3 at once. I threw up every morning for a couple weeks. I took a. Chelator for a couple years following. Cilantro. The amalgams were replaced with porcelein fillings. I got them removed as a process of elimination for multiple sclerosis. 17 years later, I don’t have many symptoms. I highly recommend it.
Kate, thank you so much for sharing your experience! This is very helpful. I’m currently researching doctor’s in my area for the procedure. I am a nutritional therapy practitioner student currently, but I see a nutritional therapist also. In a recent visit w/ my NTP we discovered that my pancreas, liver, and adrenals were all extremely stressed and the cause was mercury toxicity through out my body. Bingo, my amalgams. So needless to say I’m on a mission to have them removed. I’m extremely nervous as this seems to be a big operation and I do not have a great dental plan currently. Like you, I just want to make sure that the procedure is done safely and correctly in a way that I will not have any post surgery problems. I have no idea what is under my amalgams currently and that could be a whole nother story. Thank you again for sharing your story and experience.
Good luck Laura, I hope getting them out really helps you! So cool that you are in school for NTP, I have that on my bucket list 🙂
Hi Kate,
WE have been listening to Dr. Pompa’s podcasts about preparing for amalgam filling removal. His theory is that you need to go through this process in steps. First, prepare your body for the removeal, then remove the amalgam, then 4 days later (not any earlier) do chelation to remove the mercury from your body, then do chelation to remove it from your brain. He cautions to make sure you do chelation correctly, because if you don’t it can stir up the mercury, causing more trouble. Did you go through chelation?
I took some chelation supplements recommended by my local practitioner. I love Dr. Pompa’s podcast and I really trust his recommendations too.
Hi Kate,
Did you have your hair and clothes covered during the procedure? Did the dentist also wash your mouth throughly after removing the rubber dam. Because I heard some do and some don’t and you need to pay extra. I read somewhere that the rubber dam does not protect you from the vapour, therefore rinsing and washing by the dentist is a must.
My hair was back and my clothes were covered, they did rinse my mouth after
What about silver or gold crowns? Do they the pose the same problem ?
usually the silver contains some mercury, from what I have heard. Metals in the mouth are not natural and any metal can cause issues
Hi, I’m 57 and have been getting amalgam fillings since I was very young. I’ve had several root canals (first one at age 16) that have gone bad and ended up having to be pulled. The dentist has talked about pulling my teeth because there are no good ones to attach partials too. I only have 6 teeth on top and 10 on bottom. My fillings on top don’t last long because they get used so much to compensate for the missing ones, like 2 to 3 months. I’m wondering if I should also use these precautions if I just have the teeth pulled. I have ms and I’m waiting for testing but I believe mercury poisoning too. I am on disability and have no insurance. Thank you very much!
if your on disability you should have insurance ,,, im on it and get free insurance
Kate,
Thanks for this. Congratulations on the second baby. I got mine out after my last child weaned and my health is much better. I just wanted to let you know that cilantro can move mercury around the body and into the brain. Check out Cutler Chelation protocol and what not to do. Low dose frequent chelation is the safest method of removing mercury.
Hi Kate,
Great article. Thanks for sharing your experience.
I’m currently researching as much as I can for my wife who has Hashimotos and other autoimmune disorders. She gets very dizzy to several degrees from multiple things. She experiences brain fog that one Dr. said is from pressure on her brain. Left untreated it could cause her more permanent damage. The same Dr. did a Muscle Test on her and found that her body reacts to heavy metals. Suggesting to remove any amalgam fillings. She also is experiencing major energy and fatigue problems.
Lucky for us there is a holistic dentist just down the street from us. So I made the call. Thanks to you I was armed with the right questions to ask. Here is what I found:
Original consultation: $250 that includes a vapor test that tells us how exposed she is on a daily bases. An electrical test that helps us determine which ones are worse so we take them out 1st.
Then $200 for x-rays
Optional $300 for a bio-compatibility test to make sure her body doesn’t have a reaction to the new fillings. They have a few to choose from.
If we decide to have the removals done it will range from $300(simple filling) to $1,500(crown). This is per filling removal.
The original consultation fee of $250 will be deducted from the total.
They also offer a cash discount of 5%
I’m located just north of Los Angeles.
I hope this can answer anyone’s financial questions.
Hello can you please tell me the name of the place
Dear Kate,
Sigh. won’tbotherwithmystory…. I understand constraints that may limit giving answers that may be construed as prescriptive, and I respect and appreciate all of your replies to posts here. I was wondering if you could comment about if you have legal or other cause to be reluctant to comment, for example, on the specifics of your positive, health restored experiences and improvements that you yourself have personally benefited from. I appreciate your transparency here, too! I find success stories in unusually short supply, but plenty of widely studied warnings on a variety of health issues. Having pursued many avenues of hopeful, trusted, and competent treatments/advice/supplements I have yet to realize significant health improvements in any number of areas. Troubles and complications, some in great detail, clog the Internet, some of which I’ve been banned from for having asked about hope. Watched Dr. Mercola’s hour long video this morning, and again, lots of misery, but little actual testimony about the positive effects of having had amalgam fillings removed, for example. Good news seems to be in short supply!
Blessings!
Hi Kate, thanks for sharing your story! Did you work with a doctor to have your Mercury levels tested? I was wondering if you could tell me what clinic you went to. I also live in MN.
Thanks!
Hi Kimberly, I actually had them teste by a hair mineral analysis practitioner. I did a podcast interview with her: https://realfoodrn.com/episode-1-pam-killeen-toxicity-fertility-detoxification/. I see a Functional Med doc in Excelsior, I believe that he tests metals too: https://mymcfm.com/
Hello,
Did you test for mercury before or after you removed amalgams? Also, my biological dentist recommended taking vitamin C, multivitamins with zinc, and chlorella at least one week before the removal. Is there anything else I could add? She is the only biological dentist in my area so I cannot get a second opinion. Also I reas that ivf detox should be done the same day of the procedure.. have you done that? Also what type of test did you do to find out about the mercury levels? Thank you!
I did not do IVF detox the day of procedure because no one offers it here, but I would have! I was tested for mercury afterwards via hair mineral analysis. Here is a podcast I did with my practitioner who guided my heavy metal detox: https://realfoodrn.com/episode-1-pam-killeen-toxicity-fertility-detoxification/