Amalgam Allergy, Amalgam Intolerance

For many decades, amalgam was a popular filling material for dental defects. It is a mercury-containing dental filling material. When old fillings are removed, a great deal of toxic mercury is released – but even dormant fillings that have become porous over the years constantly release tiny amounts. Dentists themselves are particularly exposed.

It is a matter of debate to what extent amalgam fillings actually burden the body. Some problems of the oral mucosa do improve, however, when old fillings are replaced with better-tolerated materials.

With unexplained symptoms and amalgam fillings, it can make sense to consider an amalgam allergy or amalgam poisoning – the two are often confused. Symptoms of gradual poisoning include weakened immune defense, chronic fatigue, listlessness, depressed mood, and nonspecific skin problems. Health insurers do not recognize the diagnosis of amalgam poisoning; a verifiable amalgam allergy, on the other hand, can lead to coverage of the cost of amalgam replacement.

Amalgam Allergy

Amalgam allergy is a contact allergy, recognized as a disease both scientifically and by health insurers. It manifests primarily on the oral mucosa – through chronic inflammation, erosions, white discoloration, burning, and soreness – and more rarely through skin changes. If it is confirmed by a patch test, health insurance pays for the dental restoration. Other dental materials, metals, and filling materials should be tested at the same time with standardized test series.

Amalgam Poisoning

Whether mercury exposure from amalgam endangers health has not been scientifically settled. In alternative medicine, amalgam is considered highly problematic – something to be taken seriously. The assumption is that the immune system becomes overburdened; susceptibility to infections, allergies, lack of energy, chronic skin eczema, muscle pain, fatigue, depression, and headaches may be connected to it.

Tolerability of Other Dental Filling Materials

Other dental fillings can be unhealthy as well. High-quality, pure materials such as nearly pure gold or ceramic are recommended. Beware: low-grade gold fillings contain a lot of allergenic palladium, and composite fillings can also cause harm. Dentures and dental clasps constantly release metals such as molybdenum, nickel, vanadium, chromium, and cobalt into the body – more than 1,500 metal alloys are used in dentistry. Root canal fillings involve toxic formaldehyde (formalin). Allergies are possible in all of these cases.

If you have such a suspicion, or if you are planning major dental work, it can be helpful to test the tolerability of the materials beforehand. Also bear in mind: cigarette smoking, tuna consumption, and old lead water pipes are likewise significant sources of heavy metal exposure. Avoid these sources, relieve your liver, drink little alcohol, exercise, and eat healthily – then your liver and kidneys can actively detoxify.

Diagnostics for Suspected Mercury Poisoning, Mercury Allergy, or Dental Filling Intolerance

Patch Test

The patch test examines mercury and amalgam alloys as well as numerous other components of dental fillings, metals, and dental implants. On the first day, the patches are applied to the back; on the third day they are removed and the skin reaction is assessed. Eczema formation in the test area leads to health insurance coverage of dental restoration; private insurers generally cover the test.

Lymphocyte Transformation Test

This elaborate blood test, also recognized by conventional medicine, detects an allergic reaction of white immune blood cells to mercury. For you, it means just a small needle prick. According to the laboratory fee schedule (GOÄ, factor 1.15), the test costs €149.94.

Prices

The laboratory price for the lymphocyte transformation test is around €155.00; private health insurers may cover it. Allergy diagnostics are generally covered by private (and also statutory) health insurance. An allergy test kit costs between roughly €60 and €190 depending on the test series. The medical services are billed according to the German medical fee schedule; after an initial consultation, self-paying patients receive an individual cost estimate.

Blood and Urine Analysis

Depending on your symptoms, a complete blood and urine analysis may be useful to rule out other diseases and detect toxins; private health insurers generally cover it. If needed, you will additionally receive a written biodiagnostic report with a naturopathic treatment proposal and psychological guidance (€25 according to GOÄ).

Elimination, Detoxification

If amalgam has been identified as making you ill, it should be removed and replaced with healthy filling materials. Removing it without flooding the body with mercury is a special art and belongs in the hands of experienced dentists.