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Dear Chris,
I am sorry to hear of your medical emergency last month , it sounds very scary. I am glad to hear you are on the road to recovery. My staff and I wish you a speedy recovery and a safe and happy Holidays.
Regarding your bleeding gums, it was the antibiotics. Bleeding gums are a symptom of gingivitis (mild form) to periodontal disease (more severe form) of gum disease. In all levels of gum disease, the control of plaque is paramount. Because plaque is mostly made of food debris, sloughing of the mucous membrane in the mouth, saliva proteins, AND bacteria, antibiotics can help temporarily, the control of gum disease. In many of our periodontally diseased patients, I will place them on a Chlorhexidine rinse to control the high levels of "bad" bacteria in their mouths. However, since you cannot keep taking antibiotics long term, manually removing the plaque(good oral hygiene practice)is always critical at all levels of gum disease.
Regarding the mercury in your amalgam fillings, I am not a fan of removing them without a just cause (such as a cavity or breakage, or in rare cases, a true allergy to silver fillings). The Ontario Dental Association, the Royal College of Dental Surgeons, and the research all agree that the mercury molecules are contained WITHIN the silver molecules and NEVER LEAK OUT. The amount of mercury in our bodies has nothing to do with the number of silver fillings. In fact, research shows that people without any amalgam fillings have the same levels as people with "wall-to-wall" fillings. Often the mercury levels in our bodies is more related to deep sea dwelling fish consumption since mercury settles at the bottom of our oceans.
Chris, you've had these fillings for over 30 years so you do not have a true allergy to the silver fillings. Your fillings are intact so it poses more of a risk to remove them; taking out the filling means anesthetic, possible root canal treatments, possible sensitivity, pain, etc... Please be wary of some naturopaths who point the finger at silver fillings because it is an easy target but trust me, I have silver fillings in my mouth, and I still consider them to be the second best choice of dental materials (gold is the gold standard!). Because of esthetics, a majority of the fillings I place are white fillings however, if I have to place a filling under bleeding gums, white fillings don't stick to the tooth and falls out. Here, the only choice is an amalgam filling.
I hope this answers some of your concerns, and we can definitely talk personally if you'ld like! Rest up and we'll see you in the new year.
Happy Holidays,
Dr Choo
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