If you have old silver fillings, you may have wondered what is actually in them and what it would take to remove them carefully. Mercury filling removal is one of the most common questions new patients bring to our Denville office, and the honest answers are calmer than much of what you will read online. Here is what mainstream dentistry says about amalgam safety, and what a SMART-certified dentist does differently when a filling does come out.
Are Amalgam Fillings Safe?
The short answer from the FDA and the American Dental Association is that amalgam fillings are generally safe for most adults. Dental amalgam, the material in traditional silver fillings, is a blend of metals that is roughly half mercury by weight. Dentists have used it for more than a century because it is durable and affordable, which is why so many adults still have it in their molars.
The nuance is in the vapor. Amalgam releases tiny amounts of mercury vapor, and the release is highest when a filling is drilled, placed, or removed. A filling sitting quietly in your tooth is not the risky moment. The removal appointment is, and that is the moment the SMART protocol was written for.
Two things follow from that. We do not recommend removing intact fillings as a treatment for illness, and any removal decision should involve both your dentist and your physician. When an amalgam filling is cracked, leaking, or hiding decay underneath and must come out anyway, careful technique becomes the whole conversation.
What Is a SMART Certified Dentist?
A SMART certified dentist has completed training from the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology, the IAOMT, in the Safe Mercury Amalgam Removal Technique. SMART is a step-by-step protocol for keeping mercury exposure as low as possible during amalgam filling removal. It is not a treatment for any disease. It is a set of precautions for one specific procedure.
The protocol works on three fronts. Isolation keeps particles away from your mouth and airway while the filling is sectioned and removed in large pieces instead of being ground away. Constant water spray with high-volume suction keeps the filling cool, because heat is what drives mercury vapor out of the metal. Air filtration and ventilation handle whatever vapor escapes anyway, which protects you, the dental team, and the next patient in the room. The captured amalgam waste then goes into a separator rather than down the drain and into the water supply.
Pros and Cons of Removing Mercury Fillings
The pros and cons of removing mercury fillings are more practical than dramatic. On the pro side, a worn or fractured amalgam gets replaced with a tooth-colored, mercury-free restoration, you stop watching a failing filling, and many patients like knowing exactly what is in their mouth. On the con side, every replacement takes a little healthy tooth structure with it, the removal itself briefly raises vapor exposure, and you are paying to replace a filling that may still be doing its job.
Silver filling removal with a tooth-colored replacement generally costs a few hundred dollars per tooth, commonly in the range of $250 to $800, depending on the filling’s size and the replacement material. A tooth that needs a crown afterward will cost more. Does insurance cover mercury filling removal? Plans that pay to replace a broken or decayed filling usually handle this the same way, while removal purely by preference is often not covered, so check your plan documents before you book.
Your Denville Dental Team for Safe Mercury Amalgam Removal
If you have been searching for SMART amalgam removal near me in Morris County, you do not have to travel far. Aesthetic Family Dentistry in Denville, NJ is a SMART-certified, mercury-free practice serving patients from Rockaway, Parsippany, Mountain Lakes, and the surrounding towns. Dr. Fine, Dr. Kwiatkowski, and Dr. Steiner practice biological dentistry, so replacement materials are chosen for biocompatibility as well as durability.
Removal is also not a standalone event here. It fits a holistic approach to dental care that includes metal-free ceramic implants and adjunctive ozone therapy, with digital radiographs used to check what is happening under an old filling before anyone touches it.
Bring us your questions first. A virtual consultation is available if you would like to talk through whether a specific filling needs attention, and nobody here will push you to remove a filling that is doing fine. Call 973-627-3617 or visit aestheticfamilydentistry.com to request your appointment.
