Safe Amalgam Removal

When done with proper precautions (the SMART protocol), amalgam removal is considered safe. The concern is that grinding old amalgam releases mercury vapor, so technique matters. Leaving a stable, non-cracked amalgam filling in place is also a reasonable choice. A biologic dentist can help you weigh the options for your specific situation without pressure.

No. We recommend waiting. Removing amalgam can release small amounts of mercury, and pregnancy is not the time to risk any exposure, even a little. If you have amalgam fillings and you're pregnant or planning to be, the safest choice is to leave stable fillings in place for now and revisit removal afterward.

People differ in how their bodies respond to environmental exposures, including metals in the mouth, and everyone's threshold for illness is different. Metals corrode over time, releasing ions through chewing, brushing, and acid exposure, and the rate depends on the alloy. Most people tolerate this without issue, but in sensitive individuals that ongoing ion release can trigger local irritation or an immune response. There's also galvanism: two different metals sitting close together in a wet environment like saliva can generate a small electrical current, the same principle as the potato battery from grade-school science. Amalgam fillings, titanium implants, metal retainers, alloy crowns, hip replacements, and orthopedic screws can all interact this way. Standard dental materials are considered safe for most people, but for those with clear signs of metal sensitivity, or in a higher-risk group, it's reasonable to look at reducing certain metal exposures on a case-by-case basis.

Possibly, but with guidance. Removing the metal from your mouth does not remove heavy metals already stored in your body. For that, we advise working with a naturopathic or functional-medicine doctor to detox or chelate properly. One important sequence: don't start that process before the metals are removed from your mouth.