posted
I'm trying to budget for my medical expenses for the rest of the year. For those of you who have had your mercury amalgam fillings removed, can you give me a ballpark figure for how much it cost?
Thanks!
Posts: 17 | From Minnesota | Registered: Jan 2012
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posted
I had a molar(a huge filling) and a bottom tooth done. Not covered by insurance through a biodentist. 1200.00
Posts: 109 | From PA | Registered: Feb 2012
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seekhelp
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posted
OMG $1,200 for two teeth? That's a hefty bill. Doesn't seem right to me.
Posts: 7545 | From The 5th Dimension - The Twilight Zone | Registered: Mar 2008
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posted
well, it was actually two molars that he fused together with one metal filling and then one lower tooth. he also had to work with my llmd in order to do it correctly. i'd like to know how much others cost. price seemed steep, did i get taken? it was worth it no doubt.
Posts: 109 | From PA | Registered: Feb 2012
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posted
That actually seemed pretty reasonable to me.
I have three filling that need to be replaced. If I budget $2000, would that be safe?
Posts: 17 | From Minnesota | Registered: Jan 2012
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RZR
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posted
I had 11 amalgams replaced recently. The charge was around $2500 total. Metlife insurance paid pretty well, and my out-of-pocket cost was around $800.
-------------------- Tick bite May 2009 Diagnosed June 2009 Posts: 2329 | From SouthEast | Registered: Jun 2009
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Unfortunately, I don't have any kind of dental insurance.
Posts: 17 | From Minnesota | Registered: Jan 2012
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sparkle7
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posted
There's a couple of considerations. If you go to a dentist that is not familiar with the mercury removal protocols - it's much cheaper. But you can be exposed to mercury... The quote I got from a "regular" dentist was about $100 a side. Some fillings have 1 to several sides, so they bill per side.
If you go to a dentist who does the correct protocols for removal it can cost alot more money. I got a quote at about $220-$450 per filling. One place quoted that there's an extra $150 fee for "proper mercury removal"...
I don't know. It's a hard decision. I've been to some OK regular dentists & some really screwed up "holistic" ones.
At minimum, you can ask that the regular dentist do some simple procedures to prevent you from inhaling or swallowing mercury - one is to use a dental dam. The other might be to see if you can get alot of suction & cover your nose with some kind of cloth or mask to prevent breathing the vaporized mercury. Some take alot of chlorella prior.
There are also dental plans that you can get which give you better rates. I think I got one called DentalSave or something. Not all dentsist take these cards but I did save alot on regular dental stuff. Most of the "holistic" ones don't take the plans, though.
Mercury is toxic stuff so you don't want to be exposed to it - but I understand about the costs for removal. Some people are more sensitive to it than others. It takes some thought...
Posts: 7772 | From Northeast, again... | Registered: Oct 2006
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posted
I am DEFINITELY going to a dentist that knows how to remove mercury. I have a good detox doctor who can refer me to a dentist who knows what he/she is doing, and I'd rather spend a few extra bucks to have it done right. I just had no idea what kind of costs to expect, so this info is really helpful to me.
Posts: 17 | From Minnesota | Registered: Jan 2012
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sparkle7
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Well, I have a couple of considerations...
1. some of the holistic doctors I have seen were absolutely out of their minds (a long story)
2. I've had the mercury in my head for many years... so, how is it going to be alot worse if I save some bucks & have it removed by a regular dentist using some of the proper protocol...?
There's more but I have to go do something else now.
Posts: 7772 | From Northeast, again... | Registered: Oct 2006
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Catgirl
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I would suggest getting a heavy metal test done (doctors data) prior to removing your amalgams.
I asked my Llmd if I should remove them and he said absolutely not. He said that some mercury still gets into your body even if you have it removed by an environmental dentist who knows what they are doing.
He said in my case (after looking at my heavy metals test), not to do it. He told me that I have been exposed to enough metals, that it wasn't worth the risk.
-------------------- --Keep an open mind about everything. Also, remember to visit ACTIVISM (we can change things together). Posts: 5418 | From earth | Registered: Mar 2011
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seekhelp
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posted
There is never a straight answer from any type of doctor, dentist, etc. Very frustrating. It always seems like Sparkle7 does enormous research (way more than any doctor) and even she never can come up with solid suggestions. Therefore, how is it ever safe to move forward. I know none of my doctors do the due diligence she most likely does!
It seems like the only real option is going to very expensive expert docs like Dr K in WA to have any chance...not an option for most of us. Posts: 7545 | From The 5th Dimension - The Twilight Zone | Registered: Mar 2008
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Catgirl
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Which is why my doc based his decision for me on my specific heavy metal test. I think it's different for everybody. I have a lot of metals in me already, so in my case, I believe him. P.S. My doc is a very expensive, highly regarded, well known doc.
-------------------- --Keep an open mind about everything. Also, remember to visit ACTIVISM (we can change things together). Posts: 5418 | From earth | Registered: Mar 2011
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sparkle7
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posted
re: P.S. My doc is a very expensive, highly regarded, well known doc.
---
Yeah, I've seen some of those... They don't always know what's best for you either. Just my opinion.
The tests for mercury are not always relaible. It's a very difficult decision. I put off the mercury question for a long time since there is so much controvercy.
BTW - thank you seekhelp!
I don't think it's a good idea to try to chelate while mercury amalgam fillings are still present in the body. One way is to remove the fillings very gradually - like one every few months or longer.
This is a long, slow process & it shouldn't be rushed. In my case, I do not want this stuff in my head. Luckily, I only have 2 fillings left. It's not always mercury, either. It could be other heavy metals.
I would like to gradually move the metals but I'm being very cautious about it. You can really screw yourself up with or without a doctor.
My plan was to do one soon & the other later but the dentist I was going to - to make a long story short - screwed up. So, I have to change my plan... I'm going to get a free consultation from another dentist - when I get a chance & see what he says.
I've done alot of the work on parasites, yeast, etc. so I do want to do something about the metals. I have had multiple tests & they were always low but it's something I would like to work on anyway. I have been exposed to other types of metal so I'd like to do a general heavy metal detox. In order to do that - I have to get rid of the amalgam fillings... No other way about it.
Yes, it does expose your body to more mercury getting them out but every day we chew with those same teeth - exposing us to more vaporised mercury. There's mercury in the air & in some foods we eat.
All of these are different types of mercury. They need to be measured with different types of testing. So, it's hard to know what is exactly going on unless you do alot of specialized testing.
We have to do something on a regular basis to detox the metals. It can't be done if we still have fillings. From what I read they are 50% mercury & 50% silver... That's a big chunk of mercury.
I've had that crap in my head for 40 years. It's long enough already! Also, if we have specific genetics - the metals can be sequestered in the body. That's why the tests aren't relaible. From what I understand, we have to correct the genetics to move the metals & detox properly...
So many steps... Good luck with this everyone! It's a long process...
Posts: 7772 | From Northeast, again... | Registered: Oct 2006
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posted
I just had one done today by a mercury free dentist that took all the precautions and it was a very pleasant experience to say the least. The dentist even called tonight to check on me.
I had one tooth amalgam taken out and it was $158.00. Now if it had been more than one side etc, the cost would have been higher. He even had a rinse with micronized chlorella for before and after ... I was extremely impressed. So I would say, shop around...
Posts: 859 | From Southeast | Registered: Mar 2011
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nefferdun
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posted
Another option is to take chlorella before you eat, every mea,l to bind with the mercury that is being released as you chew. Dr. OZ, believe it or not, suggested this.
I have so many fillings I do not believe they can all be removed. The dentist I have now said the really big ones are really hard to replace with composits. The composits will shrink and they can fall out.
Wish I had not eaten so much sugar as a child!
-------------------- old joke: idiopathic means the patient is pathological and the the doctor is an idiot Posts: 4676 | From western Montana | Registered: Apr 2009
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posted
RZR- I also have met life, didn't know they would pay this at all, was that at a regular dentist, or a bio dentist, I have four I don't know at at this point if it's even worth it or not.
Posts: 229 | From Forty Fort, PA | Registered: Feb 2012
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sparkle7
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Wow, good deal willbeatthis. NJ is expensive but I will look around. It's a hard decision but little by little, over time, we can work on it.
Posts: 7772 | From Northeast, again... | Registered: Oct 2006
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t9im
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posted
Check out Dr. Carey O'Rielly DDS on youtube with a video interview on filling replacement.
He is not a Lyme MD so hopefully posting his name is not an issue.
-------------------- Tim Posts: 1111 | From Glastonbury, CT | Registered: Apr 2010
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sparkle7
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posted
I got an estimate from a local biological dentist... $2150 for 2 teeth. I think it's a bit outrageous. The regular dentist quoted me about $480.
I try to keep an open mind but the "holistic" dentists are excessive. I would like to do it the "right way" but I can't really trust a dentist who quotes me rates that are about 5 times higher than a regular dentist.
I've been to about 3 "holistic" dentists & it's always been the same - they want me to pay outrageous rates for procedures I don't always need. I don't know if it's a regional thing but it makes me angry.
I don't like the idea that a regular dentist would think it's odd to not want mercury in my head but I'm not sure which is worse.
Posts: 7772 | From Northeast, again... | Registered: Oct 2006
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seekhelp
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That price to me seems insane. I too hate when I feel taken advantage of by holistic doctors. I understand expense may be higher, but 500% more seems awfully unfair to me. Of course they make zero promises of better health, right? No warranties?
Posts: 7545 | From The 5th Dimension - The Twilight Zone | Registered: Mar 2008
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lymie_in_md
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Whar are the normal DDS's costs versus a biological dentist working with the most dangerous substance outside of plutonium. And not all biological dentists are going to charge the same either. So shopping is very important. I believe you need to educate the normal dentist as best you can as to how to protect yourself during the drilling. In my mind it is still better to have them removed then to keep them in your mouth.
Do some research on the procedure for removal and try to find a dentist which will follow as safe a protocol as possible.
-------------------- Bob Posts: 2150 | From Maryland | Registered: Dec 2007
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lymie_in_md
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This is a link which describes the process what you should be concerned with mercury filling removal
-------------------- Bob Posts: 2150 | From Maryland | Registered: Dec 2007
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sparkle7
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posted
I really wanted to go to a holistic dentist. Some regular dentists are open to doing some of the safe procedures for mercury removal. I ask for a dental dam & extra suction. I read that asking them to cut the fillings into chunks for removal as opposed to drilling helps, too.
It probably a good idea to take a bunch of chlorella prior. It was suggested to me by a PhD. doctor I was seeing for bio-feedback therapy to have them removed slowly - like one every few months. Seems like a good idea.
I know it's a really hazardous material. I was going to a young dentist & she was wondering why I would want it removed... She's a very bright young woman but they still condition the dentists at school that mercury is a good thing to put in people's heads. It really makes me wonder.
I think it's easier for the dentists to use. Doing composite fillings are a bit more complicated. It's good to try to find a dentist with experience with composites.
The holistic dentist also offered a bio-compatibility test. Seems like a good idea but it's not a test for life. I read on the website that you can develop sensitivities to the materials later on. They use about 14,000 different materials in the composite fillings or for other dental procedures. The test is about $200-300.
Posts: 7772 | From Northeast, again... | Registered: Oct 2006
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lymie_in_md
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Ask her if she really believes that putting mercury as an alloy is really safe. If she thinks it is, ask her for a phd study on its safety from any university in the country.
quote:By the mid-1850s, in areas with sufficient surface water, hydraulic mining was the most cost-effective method to recover large amounts of gold. Monitors (or water cannons, fig. 1) were used to break down placer ores, and the resulting slurry was directed through sluices (fig. 2). As mining progressed into deeper gravels, tunnels were constructed to facilitate drainage and to remove debris from the bottom of hydraulic mine pits. The tunnels also provided a protected environment for sluices and a way to discharge processed sediments (placer tailings) to adjacent waterways. Gold particles were recovered by mechanical settling in troughs (riffles) within the sluices and by chemical reaction with liquid mercury to form gold-mercury amalgam. Loss of mercury during gold processing was estimated to be 10 to 30 percent per season (Bowie, 1905), resulting in highly contaminated sediments at mine sites, especially in sluices and drainage tunnels (fig. 3). From the 1850s to the 1880s, more than 1.5 billion cubic yards of gold-bearing placer gravels were processed by hydraulic mining in California's northern Sierra Nevada region. The resulting debris caused property damage and flooding downstream. In 1884, the Sawyer Decision prohibited discharge of hydraulic mining debris to rivers and streams in the Sierra Nevada region, but not in the Klamath-Trinity Mountains (fig. 4), where such mining continued until the 1950s.
To release the mercury from above, just apply heat and the mercury is released from the gold. The same applies to mercury in the mouth. Just have some hot coffee or tea, voilla, you've just sent mercury vapors into you body.
The epa admits mercury vapor is released from the fillings while you chew, because when you chew you generate heat through friction. Despite this admission the epa feels its safe. There is no research on its safety by either the EPA, FDA, or ADA.
Now the real question: ask her if the EPA, FDA, or ADA are to be trusted. Where are their tests based on how much mercury is released from an amalgam in the process of chewing or drinking a hot drink. The damaging information is what they don't share or don't know.
The amount of mercury in a single large filling is the same amount of mercury as in an old style thermometer. It is enough mercury to require a hazmat operation.
According to the EPA:
Cleaning Up Spills after a thermometer breaks
What Never to Do After a Mercury Spill Never use a vacuum cleaner to clean up mercury. The vacuum will put mercury into the air and increase exposure. Never use a broom to clean up mercury. It will break the mercury into smaller droplets and spread them. Never pour mercury down a drain. It may lodge in the plumbing and cause future problems during plumbing repairs. If discharged, it can cause pollution of the septic tank or sewage treatment plant.
Never wash clothing or other items that have come in direct contact with mercury in a washing machine, because mercury may contaminate the machine and/or pollute sewage. Clothing that has come into direct contact with mercury should be discarded. By "direct contact," we mean that mercury was (or has been) spilled directly on the clothing, for example, if you break a mercury thermometer and some of elemental mercury beads came in contact with your clothing. Never walk around if your shoes might be contaminated with mercury. Contaminated clothing can also spread mercury around.
How dumb are we not to make the connection?
Getting my amalgams out was the first step to my health. I'm convinced I wouldn't be well if I still had them. That does not mean you will be well when they are removed. It means you may have more of a chance to get well. There is no guarantees as much as seek would like there to be. Besides it was on of many stressors to take account of, like EMF. So put bad metals like mercury with EMF, bad metals with frequecies which are biologically disturbing to normal function. The problems are additive.
If any one thinks I'm wrong, I challenge you to prove it.
One last note: you, the person trying to get well, ask your self the value of any treatment when mercury and EMF are still in play.
-------------------- Bob Posts: 2150 | From Maryland | Registered: Dec 2007
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posted
I speak from experience in selling dental products to both holistic and general dentists.
They buy the same products period.
They buy the products for the same prices period.
They 'advertise' their procedures as 'different'. This is what you are paying for.
I have had many many holistic offices buy dental products from me. It's ALL the same products and procedures. Vacuums, compressors, composites, rubber dam's... you name it. And they want the promotions/specials of buying and getting free. SO... when they want to charge you an arm, leg and body for their work... PLEASE question it!!
-------------------- Lyme, Babs, Fry Bug..... Whatever it is, may a treatment be discovered to make us all whole again! Posts: 941 | From AZ-MT | Registered: Oct 2004
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sparkle7
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posted
I agree...
Bob- I used to play with mercury in my hand when I was a kid. I'm sure alot of kids did that back then. Heck, they put it in our heads... I even had a toy with a plastic maze with mercury in it. You'd have to shake it & then get all the mercury together in the center.
The biological dentists probebly have a few more safeguards than the regular dentists but I think it's pretty much the same. I'm sure the dentists that are aware don't want to be exposed to the mercury, either.
Drilling the stuff out is going to release vapors in any case. I don't know what happens if it's removed by a laser - if that's posible.
I think Dr. Chris Shade has some interesting ideas about mercury detox & in general. It's worth watching the interviews on YouTube. I posted them here a few times.
He uses a silica product that his company makes to detox the mercury. I think Dr. K is using something similar.
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