Looking beyond the obvious in mercury removal

Reviewing the patient’s health history and asking pointed questions can tip off a good listener as to what might be behind the request for the mercury filling removal.

by Dr. Nicholas Meyer — 

I want to share an observation I call “beyond the obvious.” As a holistic biological general dentist, I am often called upon to remove mercury fillings. People usually seek me out for this service after reading an anecdotal story about how someone had his mercury fillings removed and his overall health improved.

While this is frequently true, what is more telling is learning what else is going on with the person seeking the filling removal that he or she has not shared.

The issues I often encounter are hypercharged sympathetic nervous systems, resulting from clenching or grinding the teeth, which is often related to having experienced some type of trauma, such as a fall, car accident or fight. I then identify problems with occlusion (the bite) and the related structures of the throat and jaw joints.

Reviewing the patient’s health history and asking pointed questions can tip off a good listener as to what might be behind the request for the mercury filling removal. After the consultation, I make a written note of my impressions. During the course of the examination, I can look at the structures and see if the structural problems are in line with my clinical impression(s).

Sometimes the desire to change out the fillings is just what the doctor ordered. However, a good dentist will first seek to understand the patient’s expectations for outcome and determine whether or not removing the mercury fillings will meet his or her specific health objectives.

Nicholas Meyer, D.D.S., D.N.M., is a general dentist in Scottsdale, Ariz., who has a special interest in developmental disturbances of the facial complex that contribute to such maladies as TMJ, snoring and sleep apnea. www.milldental.com, DrMeyer@milldental.com or 480-948-0560.

Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 31, Number 3, June/July 2012.