Read Our Dental Blog From Samford

The silver colored fillings in your mouth are about 50% Mercury. Dental amalgam is an alloy of silver, Tin, Zinc and Copper combined with an equal amount of Elemental Mercury. Owing to its volatility there is constant release of Mercury vapour from the filling for the life of it being in the mouth and this amount increases during chewing and when brushing as well as when eating hot or acidic foods. Once released the vapour is absorbed 80-100 % into the body. There has been an ongoing debate between those opposed to and those in support of dental amalgam within dental and scientific circles as to the impact that Mercury might have on a person’s health. But given that this is a well-known toxin to humans it would be hard to justify its continued use particularly as there are now better and safer alternatives available. Some of the ailments attributed to Mercury exposure include: Headaches, reduced kidney function, reduced blood flow, elevated cholesterol, chronic fatigue, reduced concentration, increased irritability, insomnia, reduced immunity, reduced enzyme function, developmental impacts on the growing fetus including possible neurological defects to mention a few. Removal of dental amalgam is best performed following precautionary holistic dentistry methods. Protocols exist to avoid leakage of more Mercury into the body during removal procedures as well as helping mobilise and remove “trapped” harmful heavy metal from body tissues.

Our bodies need fresh air as a source of Oxygen. However, excessive breathing actually prevents Oxygen availability and its absorption by body cells and organs. That is because of another key ingredient of air which is Carbon dioxide. We also need sufficient CO2 in our blood before red blood cells will release Oxygen to be used by the body. Fast and frequent deep breathing leads to excessive exhalation and loss of CO2 and therefore Oxygen gets bound up to hemoglobin molecules in red blood cells and becomes unavailable. The other function of CO2 is to help widen the diameter of blood vessels. Lack of CO2, causes veins to reduce in size and blood can stagnate or “pool” in some areas leading for example to dark shadows under the eyes. In addition, breathing through the nose allows for Nitric Oxide to be added to the air. Nitric Oxide kills harmful germs, increases Oxygen absorption in the lungs and also improves blood flow. The dental ramifications of habitually breathing through the mouth instead of the nose include: 1. dehydration leading to dry mouth and demineralization of tooth enamel. This can lead to cavities and gum disease, 2. low mandible and tongue position because of an open mouth. This leads to crowded teeth and sinus problems. When the lips are together the tongue usually rests in the roof of the mouth. Here it shapes the palate into a wide and spacious form with more room for the teeth. Also, the upper parts of the face and the sinuses develop better. Treatments include: 1. Treat any breathing obstructions like tonsils, polyps or adenoids. your GP/Dentist and an ENT specialist can help. 2. Consider a breathing training program (Myobrace) at participating dentists to establish correct breathing habits.