Amalgam fillings and pregnancy

[twinmom]

Hello everyone!

I am 20 weeks and 5 days pregnant. I went to the dental clinic yesterday to have some cleaning. I have not had a chance to visit the dentist since I learned that I am pregnant. When I got home, I realized that I have three 10-year old amalgam fillings on my molars. I failed to inform the hygienist about this. I am now worried that she
may have scratched the amalgams while she was scraping around my teeth and gums and that I may have swallowed some of the amalgam particles. I also remember that when she was dabbing in between my teeth with a cotton, I saw some gray particles in the cotton bud. Could this be tiny parts of the fillings?

I have read that amalgam may be harmful for brain/central nervous system development of a fetus and that blindness and autism can result if the baby is exposed.

Is it possible that scraping the teeth can remove the amalgam or is the metal too hard to be disrupted during dental cleaning? Can you suggest of any remedies to counteract any effects if I indeed swallowed some mercury? I want this pregnancy to be as safe as possible.

P.S I've also read just recently that women with amalgam fillings should have them removed at least one year in advance of when they intend to become pregnant. Should I be worried about this? Thanks a lot for your answers!

[nonpop]

 Hello twinmom,

Amalgam is a very highly controversial topic. Many claim of its devastating effects of brain and the central nervous system, BUT it is dose specific. Did you know that the Mercury contained in amalgam is nowhere near the amount of Mercury contained in fish? The world wide web is a great source of information, however when you are searching for reliable scientific answers, I recommend using google scholar and reading studies published in reliable scientific journals. Less and less people opt for amalgam fillings because of aesthetic reasons, however amalgam fillings are more durable and long lasting than composite fillings. The reason why amalgam is controversial and many dentists stopped using them is because of environmental waste. The Government monitors closely the amalgam levels in the environment and we, as dentists accumulate a lot of amalgam waste from extra unused amalgams or removed amalgam fillings. This becomes a burden and that is why many practices are going metal free.
-Once again I would like to assure you that there are hundreds of studies on this topic and none have definitely linked amalgam dental fillings with developmental problems in pregnant women. It is also very difficult to scrape off amalgam once it sets and you had them for 10 years. The gray may have been from the polishing/mint tasting volcanic ash used after cleanings to remove stains from teeth. It is great that you are taking care of your oral health while pregnant, since pregnant women are at risk of developing gingivitis if they do not maintain proper oral hygiene.

[nonpop]

I am glad I was able to help. Pregnancy changes our world completely and you are doing great by making sure to avoid and external hazards. You are worried for your baby's safety and that wonderful . Best of luck. Have a healthy and happy pregnancy.

[melvin]

Twinmom, almagams are a danger to all including your bady as the toxins will affect your developing baby and not allow the baby to be all he/she can be. Almagams effect some moreso than others but they do effect all. There are numerous stories and accounts of this. It is a hard thing to show though as the symptoms will be different for every single person as dengeration of the body shows up where you're genetically weakest at. The effect of the fillings as well as other poisons to the body such as bad cooked or proccessed food, vaccines etc are depenedent on how well you move your lymph system. The better one moves it the healthier one will be. And yes the toxins from the fillings do effect your baby's development. Watch out for stuff like bad food,toxins, vacciness, almagam fillings, birth control pill which is really bad for development of the baby, drugs of any kid etc. Good for you for looking out for your baby. That's what a real mother does. Make it a great day