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Seeing a Biological Dentist - Mercury Fillings Removal and Hygiene Treatment
- Sep 6, 2020
- 10 min read
Updated: Jul 2, 2023
For many many years I had absolute NO idea how dental hygiene (think mercury amalgams fillings, metal braces, root canals, infected teeth, wisdom teeth extractions, hygiene treatment) could effect OVERALL health. It's safe to say I was completely oblivious to what was going on inside my mouth and how that was affecting the rest of my body. I guess I naively believed in my local dentist where I would go for regular check-ups but now I know that the procedures they recommend might help our dental issues in the short term but can have a devastating effect on our overall health in the long term. I hope this provides you with the information so you can educate yourself on dental hygiene and what you can do about it. Thanks to the NDU clinic in London for opening up my eyes to the world of dental hygiene. I wish I had known about this sooner!
Why is seeing a biological dentist / holistic dentist so important?
Your 'regular' most common dentist looks at your teeth and dental issues in isolation and treats them as if it is a singular issue where one size fits all whereas a biological dentist otherwise known as a holistic dentist looks at the wider picture and OVERALL body health, tailoring treatments and procedures to the individual. They are looking at how your dental issues may be impacting the rest of your body, trying to identify explanations for deeper health issues and how they can not just address the dental issues but also how they can help your entire body heal. It's a win win situation! They also provide treatments that are SAFE but still effective with no long term impacts on your health. This is one of the biggest differences when compared to a non-biological dentist whose practices can often have negative long term side effects. I'm shocked to discover since posting about dental hygiene on my Instagram page how many people contacted me saying they became unwell after having procedures at their local dentist. Now lets get into the ins and outs of the different procedures, how they can effect your health, how you can overcome them and make the best decisions for your health in the future.
Mercury Amalgam Fillings
One of the most well known and highly discussed topics associated with dental hygiene is mercury amalgam fillings due to how commonplace they have become. These are the silver fillings you can get at your local dentist to fill the cavities in decaying teeth. Silver fillings are actually made of around 50% mercury - a known toxic substance. They also contain other metals such as zinc, tin, copper and silver. Research has found that mercury and it's byproducts continuously emit vapour which means the mercury leaks through the areas around your cheeks and under your tongue into the lymphatic system and directly into the bloodstream where it can travel anywhere in the body entering cells and destroying tissues. Mercury toxicity can cause significant problems over long periods of time as it builds up in your system. Once in the system, mercury can cross the blood-brain barrier into the brain and the central nervous system where psychological, neurological and immunological problems can occur. It can also lead to the development of autoimmune conditions.
You are probably wondering why do mercury fillings exist if they are so dangerous?
They have been used since the 19th century but have faced controversy since the beginning. Not long after they were invented, numerous harmful effects were widely reported. Unfortunately, many dentists continued to use mercury amalgams because they were much cheaper, easier and faster to use than gold fillings which were previously used. This takes us to today where mercury fillings are commonplace and appear to be regular safe practice but countries such as Sweden, Norway and Denmark have banned the use of mercury fillings due to the nature of the toxicity and their poisonous effects.
Once I became aware of this information I immediately wanted to have my own 2 mercury amalgam fillings removed. I had them placed when I was 11 and 13 and by this point in time I was 24 years of age. My functional medicine doctor who was treating me for chronic health conditions recommended I book an appointment with the NDU Clinic in London (a biological dentist) for an assessment. I'm always pretty nervous to go to new clinics and meet new doctors or healthcare practitioners because of bad experiences in the past so meeting the team at NDU clinic was a pleasant surprise! Nathaly the clinic manager greeted me with warmth and kindness, Lucy the nurse is the sweetest soul and Dr Goran the biological dentist and practice owner was so interested in what was going on with my chronic health issues so he could try his best to help! I immediately felt at ease and could relax and by the time I left my initial consultation I had booked in for my amalgam fillings removal.
Why is it important to have mercury fillings removed with a biological / holistic dentist?
Scientific research has found that during the removal of amalgams fillings, mercury vapour is emitted at an alarmingly higher rate exposing the dental patients and the dental staff who are involved in the removal. The NDU clinic have developed extensive protective measures which they use during the mercury amalgam filling removal to ensure minimal exposure to the patient and staff. During my mercury amalgam removal procedure the followings techniques were in place:
- NDU clinic uses a state of the art air filtering system and a negative ion generator to remove any mercury vapour in the air ensuring the quality of the air is ideal.
- NDU clinic uses high speed suction and a lot of water during the removal to make sure the mercury fillings are kept cool to reduce the emissions of vapour.
- NDU clinic uses a rubber dam in the patients mouth to isolate the tooth from the rest of the mouth so no mercury vapour is able to leak into the body.
- NDU clinic patients wear goggles and have their faces covered to protect the eyes and skin from being exposed to mercury vapour.
A 'regular' or non-biological dentist does not use any of these procedures to remove mercury fillings so it can be extremely hazardous which is why it's essential to have them removed with a holistic dentist such as the NDU Clinic. It's very sad the number of people who have contacted me to say they had their mercury fillings removed without the proper protection and their health declined after. 'The NDU clinic ensures every care is taken to make sure the patient is protected as much as possible during the removal process and all fumes are removed as quickly as possible.'
I'll be honest... I was terrified to have the mercury amalgams removed due to the invasive nature of the procedure and having a hyper-sensitive nervous system where my body can feel pain when it's NOT supposed to feel pain. With the regular amount of anaesthetic I could still feel pain so we upped the dose until my mouth was totally numb and I couldn't feel anything. They won't begin the procedure until you are totally comfortable. They also have adrenaline free anaesthetic which is recommended if you have chronic health conditions because adrenaline can trigger your body into 'fight or flight' mode and make your health situation worse. The mercury fillings were replaced with white resin fillings and the procedure was pretty quick and over with before I knew it. I was surprised how 'okay' I felt both mentally and physically about the entire thing! Afterwards they give you charcoal to swirl around your mouth which acts as a binder mopping up any mercury vapour. There is an optional offer for a Myers cocktail infusion as well which is made up of magnesium, calcium, B vitamins and Vitamin C to help flush any mercury out of the body and encourage the body to heal and regain vitality following the procedure. Who doesn't feel better after an infusion boost!
What difference did the mercury removal make to my overall health?
After the procedure it was pretty crazy how quickly I noticed improvements in my health, within days my doctor noticed the slight Bell's Palsy (facial paralysis) I had experienced for years since contracting Lyme Disease almost completely disappeared and the trigeminal neuralgia in my face disappeared by around 90% as well. I also saw HUGE improvements in cognitive function - prior to the removal I wasn't able to watch films or TV for more than 10-15 minutes at a time or read books at all. After the removal I began to be able to process information again like I hadn't been able to do for years prior. The brain fog lifted, concentration improved, memory loss lessened and I even started to think about returning to university and what I was going to do as a career whereas previously the possibility of returning to education or work had never been an option due to such limited brain functioning and ability.
(It's important to note I also did chelation therapy to detox the mercury out of my body alongside other detox methods for heavy metals with Dr Margareta Greisz-Brisson at The Neurology and Pain Clinic in London alongside the mercury removal so I'm unsure how much improvement was from the mercury removal itself and how much was from the detoxing.)
My family also notice a big difference in social situations where I was able to participate in group conversations and follow along much easier compared to before the procedure where conversation always felt like people were speaking in a different languages to me, I simply couldn't keep up or participate most of the time which left me very isolated on many occasions. My brain felt like it was gradually returning to how it was before I ever got sick! The final improvements I saw were a reduction in nerve pain throughout the body and a massive increase in energy levels. Before the procedure I was only able to walk a few minutes at a time and often turning up to my doctors practice in a wheelchair whereas after I was able to walk around 10-15 minutes regularly (with breaks) and it drastically reduced my need for a wheelchair. Life was changing for sure and I was over the moon!
I encourage anyone with mercury amalgam fillings to have them removed and make sure you do it as SAFELY as possible. I couldn't recommend the NDU clinic highly enough, I've gone onto having further treatments with them since and will continue to do so in the future. With everything I've learnt about biological and holistic dentistry I will never look back! I feel so grateful that I'm aware of these issues now and can continue on a path of holistic health which ultimately helps me recover and heal from long term health conditions and chronic illness.
Laser Hygiene Treatment
Why is laser hygiene treatment important?
During your initial consultation at the NDU clinic, they thoroughly assess your teeth and gums to see if there are any issues that need addressing. This could include gingivitis which is inflammation of the gums, a sign is that they become very red, swollen and bleed during brushing or flossing. It can also indicate periodontitis which is when untreated gingivitis begins to effect the ligaments and bones surrounding the gum which can eventually lead to the loss of teeth. Inflammation in the teeth and mouth area is generally caused by high bacterial load which can then go on to effect the rest of your body causing widespread inflammation and leading to chronic health conditions. I had no idea that inflammation of the gums could effect the body so much! I wish I had become aware of this sooner!
During my first appointment with the NDU clinic they informed me that my gums were extremely inflamed (gingivitis), likely due to the chronic infections in my body at the time (EBV, Lyme, co-infections etc). Also infections like Lyme Disease LOVE to hide in the teeth and gums so if you already have a Lyme diagnosis it's crucial to get this addressed. After my mercury amalgam fillings had been safely removed I had a session of hygiene treatment to reduce the bacterial load, the inflammation and to ultimately help alleviate symptoms I was experiencing from chronic illness. I've had basic hygiene treatment previously at my regular dentist which was literally excruciating pain (no-one would choose to put themselves through that especially if they have a hyper-sensitive nervous system!) and always dreaded having it ever since! The hygienist at the biological dentist at the NDU Clinic in London use the latest hygiene equipment and are pioneering the newest techniques which ensured all of the treatments are as effective as possible and are also PAIN FREE! I was soooo sooo relieved by this!
Why is it necessary to get laser hygiene at a biological / holistic dentist?
Some of the other benefits of the special equipment they use at the NDU clinic are that they use Guided Biofilm Therapy (GBT) which uses Airflow technology to remove all the bacteria in the mouth which contributes to inflammation, tooth decay and gum disease and widespread inflammation in the rest of the body which can lead to chronic health conditions. One of the bonuses of this specialist equipment is that the treatment removes stains from coffee and tea so my teeth have been naturally whitened as well! The hygienist then goes onto use state of the art technology called Perio-Flow which removes any remaining bacteria or biofilm between the teeth. The hygiene treatment with the hygienist at the NDU clinic is also able to reach areas that regular hygienists cannot get to with 'normal' scalers, it ensures full cleaning of the soft tissues surrounding the teeth including the gums and pockets below the gums which normal polishers CANNOT get to. They also use warm water which prevents pain and sensitivity whereas none holistic or biological dentists use cold water which only heightens sensitivity and pain in the area and the rest of the body and in the past has left me feeling extremely unwell afterwards. It's a very complex treatment because so many different tools and procedures are involved but it definitely makes me feel well looked after and in great hands. Since then I have been back twice for further hygiene treatment which are around 45 minutes per session. They usually somewhere between 30 minutes and 60 minutes depending on what the hygienist feels is needed and is best for you. The best part about it is that I only have to go every 6 months! Each time I've been back they have been very impressed with the reduction in inflammation in my gums since the first time they saw me and also how much my overall health has improved. It makes me so happy when doctors and health care practitioners can not only see my progress during their examinations but also say I seem to be much better in person! I hope that this blog post has been informative and encourages anyone with chronic illness to book an appointment to get assessed. It's been truly incredible to learn about how much our dental health impacts our overall health and experience the benefits myself!
Here is the contact information you will need for the NDU Clinic in Marylebone, London. If you have any questions they are always more than happy to help.
+44 (0) 20 7935 5281
If you need dental treatment beyond mercury fillings and hygiene treatment such as root canals or cavitation surgery and you have complex chronic illness then I recommend Dr Helena Esteves and The Elite Dental Practice in Marlow who has more experience with complex chronic illness so she will be able to guide you more with whether certain dental procedures are right for you in relation to your illness. I have linked their website below:
