ABOUT OUR MERCURY SAFE PRACTICE
Dr. Glenn MacFarlane is a holistic, Occupationally Mercury Safe, Mercury Free (amalgam/silver filling-free) dentist dedicated to practicing safe and healthy dentistry. His mission is to treat his patients in the most healthy, caring, holistic way possible and to share information about holistic dental wellness with his patients so that they may make educated decisions about their oral health. He also fully understands the important relationship of oral to overall health and realizes, “You cannot be truly healthy without good oral health!”
Safe Mercury Amalgam/Silver Filling Removal Protocols
As your Oral Health Doctor, Dr. MacFarlane is aware that mercury vapor, dental infections, and TMJ (bite) problems can have a negative impact on oral and overall health. Because of this concern, our office focuses on patient education and strives to remove mercury amalgam (silver) fillings in the safest way possible. We believe it is important to protect the patient, the environment, and our staff from excessive and unnecessary exposure to mercury during the amalgam removal process. Making the dental office Occupationally Mercury Safe is also supported by the American Dental Association (ADA) and other prominent dental organizations. For information about why it’s important to use a mercury-safe dentist, Click Here.
To accomplish this, we utilize safe amalgam removal protocols based on recommendations of the International Association of Mercury Safe Dentists (IAMSD), the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT), and other prominent biological and holistic dental organizations.
WHY MY PRACTICE IS MERCURY SAFE
To Our Valued Patients:
Dental schools still teach dentists to use mercury amalgam (silver) fillings and the American Dental Association (ADA) continues to tell the public they are safe. But recently, more and more questions have been raised about the safety of the mercury vapor released from amalgam fillings while they are in a person’s mouth. This has resulted in a controversy and an ongoing debate about them – with some dentists saying they are safe and more and more saying they aren’t. This has now evolved to the point where over 60% of practicing dentists are no longer putting mercury amalgam/silver fillings in their patients’ teeth. Also of interest is that three countries, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, have banned the use of mercury fillings in dental practice.
This controversy has made me rethink what I was taught in dental school. After extensive research (including reading Dr. Tom McGuire’s book; The Poison in Your Teeth: Mercury Amalgam (Silver) Fillings . . . Hazardous to Your Health), articles on his website www.mercurysafeandmercuryfree.com, and information provided by the ADA, I concluded it would be in the best interests of my patients, myself and my staff, and the environment, to no longer offer mercury amalgam/silver fillings as a dental filling material and become a Mercury Free (amalgam filling free) dental practice. Of note is the fact that the ADA also supports occupationally mercury-safe dentistry.
One Step Further: Becoming Mercury Safe and Mercury Free
In addition, because it has been scientifically proven that high levels of poisonous mercury vapor are released when amalgam fillings are unsafely removed, I have made my office as Occupationally Mercury Safe as possible. To that end, I use state-of-the-art technology, equipment, and safe removal protocols, to protect my patients, my staff, myself, and the environment from excessive and unnecessary occupational exposure to occupational mercury at my office. Thus, I have now made my practice both Occupationally Mercury Safe and Mercury Free (amalgam filling free). Click Here to review our amalgam removal protocols.
Becoming both a Mercury Safe and Mercury Amalgam Free dental practice was my decision to make. However, I believe that deciding whether or not to have your existing amalgam fillings removed and replaced must be your choice. Because I place great importance on Patient Education, I feel it is my responsibility to educate my patients about the important relationship between oral and overall health and to provide them with the information required for them to make educated decisions about their oral health. That is why we recommend Dr. McGuire’s book, which will teach you more about the pros and cons of removing or keeping these fillings. But again I want to make it clear that the decision to remove and replace these fillings can only be made by you. My staff and I would happily answer any questions you may have.