Synopsis:
Silver fillings contain mercury, a toxic metal that can release vapor over time and impact your health. Origin Dental Wellness in Tulsa, OK, uses SMART-certified protocols for safe silver filling removal, protecting you and the environment. Our biological approach replaces mercury with biocompatible materials that support total wellness.
Key Takeaways:
- Silver fillings contain 45–55% mercury.
- Unsafe removal increases mercury exposure.
- SMART-certified methods are safer.
- Biocompatible restorations protect long-term health.
- Nutrition aids post-removal healing.
- Holistic dentistry promotes whole-body wellness.
What if the “silver” fillings in your mouth aren’t as harmless as their name suggests? However, these restorations are actually mercury amalgam fillings. Mercury serves as a binding agent, but it also poses unique health and environmental concerns that have been documented for decades. Even though the amount released from a single filling may be small, long-term exposure can contribute to elevated mercury levels.
If you’re among the health-oriented individuals who carefully consider what goes into your body, it’s time to examine what’s already there. Origin Dental Wellness helps Tulsa-area patients understand their dental materials and provides SMART-certified mercury amalgam removal for those seeking to minimize toxic exposure.
What’s Really Inside Silver Fillings?
The dental profession’s use of “silver filling” creates misleading impressions. These restorations actually consist of 45-55% elemental mercury combined with silver, copper, tin, and occasionally zinc.
Mercury carries significant health concerns. The World Health Organization classifies it among the top ten chemicals of major public health concern. The challenge with dental mercury isn’t just its presence. It’s its activity within your mouth.
Scientific evidence demonstrates that mercury doesn’t stay put once placed. These fillings continuously emit vapor that your body absorbs and stores in critical organs: brain, kidneys, liver, lungs, and gastrointestinal system. Common daily activities intensify this release. Chewing food, nighttime teeth grinding, or sipping hot beverages all increase vapor output.
Research data on mercury exposure from dental amalgam:
| Mercury Measurement | Scientific Finding |
| Amalgam mercury content | 45-55% elemental mercury |
| Average daily vapor release | 1-12.5 micrograms per person |
| Vapor increase during mastication | Up to 50% higher emission |
| Primary body accumulation sites | Brain, kidneys, liver, lungs, GI tract |
Research sources: World Health Organization 2003, Health Canada 1996, Richardson 2003
More Tulsa residents are questioning whether maintaining mercury-based dental work aligns with their health values and lifestyle choices.
Why People Choose Mercury Amalgam Removal
Health-Focused Considerations
Many patients pursue silver filling removal due to concerns about decades of cumulative mercury exposure. Scientific literature confirms mercury’s neurotoxic properties and documents effects on neurological, digestive, respiratory, and immune systems.
Many people have natural differences in how their bodies handle mercury, meaning what is considered a “safe” exposure level may not be suitable for everyone. Some individuals notice improvements in issues like chronic fatigue, recurring headaches, or immune-related concerns after having amalgam fillings safely removed.
Biological dentistry recognizes the fundamental connection between oral health and total body wellness. Removing potential toxin sources allows your body’s natural healing systems to function more effectively.
Practical and Cosmetic Advantages
Contemporary dental materials deliver benefits extending beyond health considerations. Modern biocompatible composites and ceramics create genuine chemical bonds with your natural tooth. Mercury amalgam does not do this.
This adhesive bonding technology preserves significantly more healthy tooth structure. Traditional amalgam placement required removing sound tooth material to create mechanical retention, but today’s materials eliminate this destructive necessity.
Tooth-colored restorations integrate seamlessly into your natural smile. No more conspicuous dark spots every time you laugh or speak. Metal fillings expand and contract dramatically with temperature changes. However, biocompatible materials flex naturally with your teeth, substantially reducing long-term fracture risk.
Why Improper Removal Creates Serious Risks
Mercury Vapor Generation During Drilling
Here’s critical information many conventional dentists omit: improperly executed amalgam safe removal can expose you to more mercury than leaving the fillings untouched.
Standard high-speed drilling releases enormous quantities of mercury vapor and ultra-fine particles into the treatment room air. These particles become airborne and remain suspended, available for inhalation by everyone present: patient, dentist, hygienist, and assistants. Research measuring blood mercury levels during removal documents dramatic concentration spikes when proper safety protocols aren’t implemented.
Dental drill heat instantly vaporizes mercury. This vapor form presents the greatest danger because lung tissue absorbs it with frightening efficiency. Without specialized protective equipment and techniques, patients breathe mercury-contaminated air throughout conventional removal procedures.
Broader Environmental Impact
Dental practices using amalgam contribute mercury to the environment through multiple pathways, including the release of mercury vapor, wastewater discharge, and disposal of amalgam-contaminated waste. While the exact amount varies depending on practice size and waste management protocols, dental offices are recognized as a significant source of mercury entering sewage treatment plants.
Released mercury contaminates municipal water systems, accumulates in soil, and pollutes air quality. The International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology developed comprehensive safety standards addressing both human health protection and environmental preservation.
Environmental stewardship matters deeply to our practice philosophy. We utilize specialized amalgam separator systems that intercept mercury-contaminated waste before it enters Tulsa’s water infrastructure, actively protecting our local environment and ecosystem.
SMART Protocol: Evidence-Based Safety Standard
Core SMART Components
The IAOMT’s Safe Mercury Amalgam Removal Technique establishes scientifically validated standards protecting everyone during the removal of mercury fillings. This comprehensive protocol addresses each stage from preparation through final decontamination.
Pre-Treatment Protection: Before beginning, you receive a charcoal or chlorella slurry to rinse and swallow. This binds any mercury particles that might enter your digestive system.
Complete Isolation: A non-latex nitrile rubber dam seals around the treated tooth, completely separating it from your mouth. A saliva ejector beneath the dam provides extra protection. Protective coverings shield your body, face, and clothing. Everyone present, including the dentist and team, wears protective gowns and face shields.
Clean Oxygen Supply: A nasal mask delivers pure oxygen throughout the procedure. You breathe only clean oxygen, never inhaling air from the treatment area.
Strategic Removal: The “chunking” technique sections are amalgamated into large pieces using a small-diameter carbide drill rather than grinding it into fine particles. This dramatically reduces heat and vapor generation. Copious water irrigation keeps temperatures low throughout removal.
Advanced Capture Systems: High-speed evacuation with specialized tips captures mercury at the source. An at-source oral aerosol vacuum positioned near your mouth provides additional vapor capture. High-volume air filtration continuously purifies treatment room air. When possible, we open windows for supplemental ventilation.
Waste Containment: Our properly maintained amalgam separators trap all mercury-contaminated material, preventing entry into Tulsa’s water system. Licensed hazardous waste services handle disposal according to regulations.
Post-Treatment Care: After removal, we flush your mouth thoroughly with water, then provide a charcoal or chlorella rinse to bind residual mercury particles.
Important Note: Following IAOMT guidance, at Origin Dental Wellness, we don’t recommend amalgam removal for pregnant or breastfeeding women to protect both mother and child.
Our Enhanced Safety Approach
Dr. Shannon Toler’s dedication to biological principles surpasses the minimum SMART certification requirements. We’ve incorporated supplementary protective measures reflecting our holistic wellness philosophy.
We use ozonated water in our ultrasonic scaler during removal of dental amalgam. Ozone delivers potent antimicrobial benefits, eliminating bacteria potentially released during amalgam extraction while supporting natural tissue healing. This exemplifies our biocompatible, nature-aligned treatment approach.
Our advanced air purification system operates continuously in treatment spaces, delivering additional protection for patients and team members. This system maintains optimal air quality during procedures and throughout your visit.
What genuinely distinguishes our practice is Dr. Toler’s exceptional dual expertise. Her Board Certification in Holistic Nutrition through the National Association of Nutrition Professionals means support extending considerably beyond dental procedures. We address mercury removal itself and guide your body’s recovery through science-based nutritional strategies.
Dr. Toler maintains multiple distinguished credentials. She incorporates her training and scientific understanding of safe mercury removal techniques to preserve a balanced oral-systemic health relationship.
Post-Procedure
Our mercury removal dentist provides personalized aftercare guidance specifically tailored to your individual situation, helping you understand what to expect during recovery.
Your body’s natural detoxification systems begin eliminating stored mercury following removal. This healing phase particularly benefits from Dr. Toler’s holistic nutritionist expertise. She provides targeted nutritional strategies supporting your body’s mercury elimination pathways, helping optimize your recovery process.
Contemporary Biocompatible Materials
Available Restoration Options
Modern dentistry provides outstanding mercury-free alternatives. We select materials through rigorous evaluation of biocompatibility, durability, and aesthetic integration.
- Composite Resin Restorations: These tooth-matching materials combine polymer resin with reinforcing glass or ceramic particles. We work exclusively with BPA-free composite formulations that chemically bond to tooth structure, producing strong, enduring restorations. Current-generation composite resins exhibit excellent biocompatibility when placed and cured according to proper protocols.
Color-matching precision is exceptional. Skillfully placed composite restorations blend imperceptibly with natural tooth structure. Chemical bonding also enables us to preserve substantially more healthy tooth material during preparation procedures.
- Ceramic Restorations: Larger restorations benefit from ceramic materials delivering superior strength and extended longevity. We create same-day ceramic restorations using our CEREC technology, eliminating temporary fillings and multiple appointments. These materials demonstrate outstanding biocompatibility with essentially zero allergic reaction incidence. Porcelain ranks among the most biocompatible, hypoallergenic, metal-free restorative materials in contemporary dentistry.
Every material we employ undergoes a stringent biocompatibility assessment. We exclude all metals and recognized allergens, concentrating on materials that support rather than compromise your body’s natural functions. Consistent with our fluoride-free philosophy, we select materials that align with biological dentistry principles.
Lasting Wellness Advantages
Choosing biocompatible restorations represents an investment in lasting health. These materials deliver benefits beyond aesthetics. They work harmoniously within your oral environment.
Eliminating metal fillings removes galvanic currents that occur when different metals contact in your mouth. These electrical currents can cause sensitivity and accelerate material breakdown.
Mercury-free dentistry eliminates ongoing mercury exposure from amalgam fillings. Removing unnecessary mercury sources allows your body’s natural detoxification systems to function more efficiently.
The oral-systemic connection means oral health improvements often translate to overall health improvements. This relationship forms the foundation of biological dentistry, addressing oral health as an integral component of total wellness.
Selecting SMART-Certified Biological Dentistry
Biological dentistry diverges from conventional practice in underlying philosophy as much as clinical technique. We view your mouth as an interconnected component of your complete body system rather than an isolated treatment zone.
Dr. Shannon Toler’s credentials reflect a profound commitment to this holistic care philosophy:
- DDS: University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry (1998)
- AIAOMT: Accredited member, International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology
- FAAOSH: Fellow, American Academy of Oral Systemic Health
- BCHN: Board-Certified Holistic Nutritionist
- FMRII: Fellow, Functional Medicine Research Institute
This integration of traditional dental education with advanced biological and nutritional certifications produces a comprehensive care approach unavailable at conventional dental practices.
We welcome health-conscious patients from throughout the Tulsa metropolitan region: Broken Arrow, Jenks, Bixby, Owasso, and surrounding communities. Some patients travel from Oklahoma City and more distant locations, recognizing that SMART-certified biological dentists remain uncommon throughout Oklahoma.
Our downtown Tulsa practice environment emphasizes patient safety, comprehensive education, and compassionate care delivery. From air purification technology to nutritional guidance, every practice element reflects our commitment to your complete wellness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is silver filling removal safe?
Yes, when performed using SMART-certified protocols by properly trained biological dentists. Our comprehensive protocols minimize mercury exposure during removal to levels well below those from degrading amalgam over time.
Do all my amalgam fillings require replacement?
Not necessarily. We evaluate each filling individually, examining size, condition, location, and deterioration signs. Fillings displaying leakage, fractures, or marginal decay warrant attention. Many patients choose to replace all amalgam fillings for complete mercury elimination, though this decision remains personal. We provide thorough information enabling decisions aligned with your wellness priorities.
What materials replace mercury fillings?
We utilize BPA-free biocompatible composite resins for direct restorations and ceramic materials for larger restorations. For same-day ceramic restorations, we use our CEREC technology. Both options are completely mercury-free, metal-free, and selected for proven biocompatibility. Material selection depends on restoration size, location, bite forces, and aesthetic preferences.
Experience Mercury-Safe Dentistry with Origin Dental Wellness
Choosing silver filling removal is more than an aesthetic decision. It’s a commitment to your long-term health. Origin Dental Wellness combines SMART-certified protocols with advanced biological dentistry to protect you during every stage of mercury amalgam removal. Our approach restores your smile using biocompatible materials that work in harmony with your body and values. By safely eliminating mercury sources and supporting your body’s natural healing, we help you achieve a healthier, more radiant smile that lasts. For a healthier smile and a healthier you, schedule your consultation with us now.
