How a Mercury Filling Almost Took Our Son’s Life
This post may contain affiliate links from which I will earn a commission. Learn more in our disclosure.
A Mercury Filling almost took my son’s life.
Here’s what happened with the filling and how my advocating for our son likely saved his life.
There are some stories about our family’s health that I tell on occasion to share about what we’ve been learning.
Recently I thought that I should share some of these “stories” with all of you so that you can learn more about what we’ve been through.
Before I start, keep in mind that I used to be someone who never thought twice about
- drinking non-filtered water
- eating lots of sugar
- using a microwave
- getting immunizations
Like all those things I mentioned above, I never thought twice about getting mercury fillings either. I mean, why would I have thought that my friendly family dentist put something into my body that would actually hurt me?
Ahem. Think again.
Our Mercury Fillings
Since I completely trusted our dentists, and since the mercury fillings were a lot cheaper than the alternative (and we were not raking in the dough at the time when our oldest needed fillings, and he needed a lot of them), we always got the silver ones.
One particular time, after he got not just one mercury filling, but two mercury fillings, he kept complaining that one hurt. I kept reassuring him that nothing was wrong, but he kept complaining and complaining.
After a while, I started worrying.
I then remembered stepping into the room when he was getting the fillings put in and seeing quite a bit of blood. I wasn’t sure, but I didn’t recall ever seeing a whole lot of blood from fillings before, but then my fillings were always quite superficial and I only had two in my whole life until after I got Lyme disease. But the blood thing continued to bother me.
So I took him in to have the dentist look at it, but the dentist found nothing wrong. I think we even went in twice for reassurance.
The Nightmare Begins
A few weeks later, our son woke up saying that his tooth hurt a lot and his cheek was swollen. That afternoon he laid down for a nap around 2 pm and slept ’til 5, which was very odd for him.
When I woke him up (so he’d actually sleep that night), the nightmare began.
Half of his face was swollen down to his jawbone and up around his eye. His eye was almost swollen shut.
I called the doctor and they sent me right over to the hospital.
Now I knew something was wrong.
Our son was admitted immediately. His swelling was cellulitis, a potentially life-threatening infection of the soft tissues. Since it was around his eye it was dangerously close to his brain.
Not words a mama wants to hear.
The doctor started IV antibiotics, but our son got worse. When I saw my son the next day (Dad stayed in the hospital with him because his younger brother was just a baby and I was home with him), half of his face looked like the Elephant Man’s.
24 hours after being admitted there was talk about him being sent to Infectious Disease because the infection wasn’t responding.
“No!” I screamed silently.
I drove back and forth from the hospital, getting whole foods and clothing for my son. Crying, praying, and singing Psalm 23 from the Psalter…
“Yea, though I walk through death’s dark vale…yet will I fear no ill….”
Finally, just before they were ready to send him on to the next set of specialists, things started turning around a lot. And we went home with a lot of antibiotics and my son finished them.
Nightmare Round 2
Then, about a week later, my son told me that his mouth felt funny.
I looked in his mouth, and there it was. A small swollen spot just above the filling.
I was VERY scared and made an appointment with our doctor.
The Doctor Who Wouldn’t Listen to Me
Doctor thinks mom is crazy and that the swelling will go away on its own.
MD: “It’s not just above the filling” he said.
Me: “Yes, it is.”
MD: “No, it isn’t.”
Me: “Yes, it is.” At this point, I was getting angry and frustrated that he wasn’t listening to my mother’s instincts. Couldn’t he see it? Didn’t he know what we’d just been through?
MD: “What’s it going to take to make you happy, Adrienne?”
Me: “A referral to an oral surgeon.”
And finally, I got the referral and went to see not one, but THREE oral surgeons.
Their recommendations were each different, including:
- Outpatient surgery
- Biopsy
- The third, most experienced doctor said, “I’m just going to pull the tooth.”
I went with the third, since it was the least invasive and least expensive.
The tooth was pulled and the most well-respected oral surgeon in our city said,
“Yes, it (the problem) was just above the filling and I’ve never seen anything like it in my life.”
The “it” was a granuloma.
What’s a granuloma?
Well, I didn’t know either, but here’s what it is. According to Wikipedia:
Granuloma is a medical term for a tiny collection of immune cells known as macrophages. Granulomas form when the immune system attempts to wall off substances that it perceives as foreign but is unable to eliminate.
Initially, I thought that my son’s body appeared to be attempting to wall off the mercury filling. However, after sharing this post, two readers commented that the dentist might have created the problem by perforating the root canal and exposing it to bacteria that then wasn’t addressed.
Either way, this was a complete disaster and the dentist did nothing to alert me to anything that had gone wrong, and the doctor wasn’t willing to listen to me.
Regardless, stay aware and vigilant about your and your family’s health.
Tooth removed. Granuloma gone.
No more swelling.
Takeaways
1. Don’t assume that others’ stories of “invisible health issues” or sensitivities are invalid or “all in their head.” I used to think so. Now that a number of them have come to roost in my own household, I know otherwise.
2. Mercury is a poison. I recommend not putting mercury fillings in your mouth as a permanent structure. I’m not saying this is for sure what caused the cellulitis, but I don’t want it in my body or in the body of those in my family.
3. You are the parent. You are in charge of your child’s health. I knew something was wrong with my son and though I was ridiculed by his physician, I pressed on. He might have died otherwise. Guess who isn’t our physician any longer? I sent the resulting medical results to him and didn’t even get a reply. Not good.
4. Don’t take the lives of your loved ones for granted. Things could have turned for us on a dime that day. For now, we are all still together. Thank God.
More “Natural Health” Posts
– Natural Autism Healing and the Best Therapy of All
– Natural Autism Healing – Monster Included
– Help! I Can’t Get to Sleep – Natural Help for Children (& Adults)
– Do You Have Adrenal Fatigue? Take This Quick Test
– How we avoided antibiotics – the pink stuff
– Why I’m Thankful for – Autism
Do you or your children still get mercury fillings?
Wow, I’m so glad I said no to mercury when asked a year ago for my children. Thanks, girl. I’m so grateful for your posts. Thank God your son is okay.
Hugs,
Jasmine
If you see the comments, there is quite a stir going on about what is really the cause of all of this. Very interesting, regardless. Thanks, Jasmine!
I’m so glad things turned out well for your son – very scary indeed.
As I read your story I was getting very frustrated and was ready to write you a very lengthy reply. I’ve worked in the dental field for more than 20 years – first as a certified dental assistant (4 yrs) and then as a licensed dental hygienist (17 yrs).
I have 3 kids, we are very health conscious (life-long vegetarians avoiding all alcohol, tobacco and caffeine). My kids don’t have any dental decay requiring fillings, but if they required fillings in their back teeth I’d not hesitate to have silver amalgam (mercury) fillings put in their teeth (not composites – they leak, have a tendency to re-decay and don’t last as long.) I have no plans to have my own silver amalgam fillings removed.
I’ve read all of Alan’s words and he’s said everything I was thinking- especially about the blood in the filling – that’s not a normal occurrence at all. Any DDS worth his salt would have at the least used a sedative filling rather than a permanent one.
Blessings to you and yours.
I’m just
Hi Sara. I am taking all of this into account. Again, I have heard too much on the other end about mercury to push it aside as a non issue. Those of us who are sensitive to things have “unexplainable reactions” to things that others think are fine. That doesn’t mean that the injury in the dentist’s office wasn’t real. I had a bad feeling about the dentist (though he comes highly “decorated”), the filling, the doctor, the whole thing. Too many pieces just weren’t right.
Maybe I can look into this more, but hopefully others have learned from my post and all the dialogue that has followed. I sure hope that you are not frustrated with me. If so, I’d like to dialogue more. As I said, I am not here to say what I think and leave it at that. Open to debate – open to conversation. That’s how we all learn best. Blessings – (did your comment get cut off there??)
A mother is always right!
I worked for a dentist for 10 years. I just started having my filling changed.
I’m glad to hear your son is going to be alright. 🙂 Scary STUFF!!!!!!!
Hmmm…Interesting to have yet another dental office connection chime in. Thanks for sharing!
What a terrifying experience! You have made me very glad we chose to have our old fillings replaced! I’m so glad your little one recovered so well in the end! Thank you for sharing your experience with the Hearth and Soul hop.
Hi April. Boy oh boy this has been an interesting discussion! I think right now I am glad about having ours out as well. Nice seeing you again!
Thanks for telling me about BPA in composite. I had no idea. That’s something I should definitely know about, so I’ll look into it. I agree with you on science not always being the most reliable and money has way too much influence. Also, I’m not sure a definitive study could be designed that would prove silver fillings are harmful or not harmful. -Which, by the way, the fact that bacteria and virus cause sickness is not even a scientific fact. It is a well established theory (germ theory of disease) – So if that can’t be proved, maybe mercury toxicity from silver fillings can’t be proved either. So, we might just all have to go with our gut. Can’t always wait for science to make a decision where health is concerned.
I felt a responsibility to explain the science as it currently is in my previous comments. My personal plan for when I practice is to mostly do composite fillings. However, there just are times when I don’t see how silver fillings can be avoided since they are the best we have for certain situations. I also don’t condemn dentists that do a lot of silver fillings, because the science does back them up.
I’ve really appreciated your thoughtful comments. It is really important to look into this stuff as much as we can. I think “science” is quite the misnomer in a lot of discussions. For example (I am really showing my “colors” here), to call the Theory of Evolution “fact” instead of a theory, which it certainly is (and a very flawed one at that) shows just how murky the science industry can be. A lot of people hear the word “science” and think that it must be fact. In truth, a lot of science is just theory and we need to remember that. And if anyone is reading this and feels offended by my opinion, I would love to dialogue with you about this. I do not write things in order to stifle conversation, but to encourage it. All needs to be talked about with thoughtfulness and intelligence. Take care and again, I really appreciate your thoughts!
I don’t know if I would call the dentist because I don’t know what it would accomplish.
As for composite fillings, there are three drawbacks that I usually refer to. One, is that they are not nearly as strong as silver fillings. So if a tooth needs a large filling, composites are not very good options. Second, composites shrink when they cure. That can open tiny gaps between the tooth and the filling, which are impossible to clean and can result in a cavity right underneath the filling that can be hard to catch. Finally, they are much more technique sensitive than other materials. They absolutely have to be perfectly dry, so they don’t work very well near the gum line and require extra caution.
Some composites are better than others. Also, if the dentist is very careful and thorough, those microgaps can be avoided and everything can be kept totally dry until it is cured. Silver fillings don’t have any of those problems, but some people don’t like the mercury and they obviously don’t look as good. Bottom line is this: find a dentist that you like, that seems to be careful and thorough, and listens to your concerns. Then you’ll usually get good results with either filling material.
One last point I’ll make is that having silver fillings removed releases more mercury into the air (and possibly your system) than keeping the silver fillings for the rest of your life. So, I don’t personally recommend having silver fillings removed unless they are broken, have a new cavity forming, or you just can’t stand how it looks.
Sorry, this is getting long. But I don’t know about BPA in any dental products. I also don’t know people that have had issues after having mercury fillings. All I know is that there isn’t a scientific study showing silver fillings are harmful. That doesn’t mean they aren’t harmful. But as a dentist, I can only go by the science, since other variables could be involved in stories that people tell – as honest as those people may be. Hope this helps!
Well – this is all certainly giving us all a lot to think about. I know that I am skeptical about “science” since there is so much evidence of the “scientific evidence” today being swayed by profit and power motives (think Global Warming). All that being said, I am very scientific minded. I was pre-med in college and am a “math science” type. So facts mean a lot to me. That being said, the medical community (and dental) has failed me in some pretty big ways so that I feel I must be really skeptical about both sides of the aisle.
I did have 2 small fillings removed and my husband had a few out as well, but I think his were problematic. My son’s we have left in as they are in primary teeth and should come out soon.
I think I have very good dentists now, but it sure is hard to find one. I wish we didn’t have the issues that we have had.
I have personally called 2 of my dentists so far and one confirmed that there is BPA in his composite material. The other said that there is none in his.
I am going to have to think and pray about this one going forward.
I will end with one more question. It seems odd to me that fillings with mercury wouldn’t be harmful seeing as how you chew on them regularly. For me, that seems counter-intuitive. But I can be wrong.
And you are not going on too long. This is all good. Thanks again and hope to see you around again!
Hello, I am in my 4th year of dental school and my wife had me read this story. That is very scary and I am very glad that things turned out okay. I wasn’t there, so I don’t know what happened 100%, but I thought I’d add my opinion based on the training that I’ve had.
If there was blood during the process of placing the filling, then the blood had to come from somewhere. It can come from two places. Either the gums (was the filling near the gum line?) or from the inner blood supply (called the pulp) of the tooth. My bet would be the second one. If that’s the case, then what should happen is a root canal is done if it is a mature permanent tooth, or the tooth is extracted if it is a baby tooth. If the dentist just slapped a filling on top of the pulp, then he/she made a bad decision. That could potentially cause the problem that you described.
Even though it may seem counter intuitive, the amount of mercury in a silver filling has never been shown to be harmful. There is more mercury in a couple cans of tuna fish than a silver filling. If that still makes people uncomfortable with silver filling, that is fine. They can choose to have tooth colored (composite) fillings most of the time, though they have their drawbacks too.
I guess what I’m saying overall is that the terrible experience you had would most likely have happened exactly the same if the dentist had done everything the same except use a composite filling instead. Mercury poisoning is usually seen in problems mostly in the brain itself. Swelling, cellulitis, and granulomas are the result of bacteria in the tooth that the immune system can’t get to.
Again, I’m very glad that things turned out well for you family in the end.
Thanks for the information, Alan. I never cared for that dentist, so this makes me feelings seem validated. I don’t know if there is any reason to call him and tell him what we ended up going through. What a disaster!
I am very concerned about mercury in fish as well. We never eat tuna. What are your concerns about the composite fillings? Another reader mentioned BPA. Do you have other concerns? I’d really like to know and I am sure that my readers would as well.
I do wonder, however, about all of the people whom I have talked to who have had issues regarding mercury fillings. One man I know was almost crippled by the after effects and is now doing great after a lot of toxic work.
I hope you’ll take the time to respond. Thanks again!
In your opinion, what is important to do after filling removal? Zeolite right away? Anything else to help with detox? Clay baths?
Adrienne,
Thanks for sharing this story. I am glad to hear that your son is doing better.
God Bless.
Thank you, Hinna. Blessings on you as well.
What a terrible experience for you and your son. We do not get metal fillings anymore after I did research about the residual amounts in the brain in alzheimers deaths. Scary stuff! Praise God for your son’s healing and good for you for being such a strong advocate for his health to the doctors involved!
Danelle Ice / Home Ever After
Thanks for sharing this, Danelle. My father in law is a chemist and he says that fluoride combines with aluminum really easily. He thinks it then easily migrates to the brain. We now filter fluoride out of our water with an RO filter and are “on the fence” about fluoride in our toothpaste. Thanks for your encouragement!
I found out about mercury fillings the hard way as well. I have finally (and at great expense) replaced all my mercury fillings, and I take my whole family to a mercury-free dentist.
Hi Angie. I had a dentist tell me yesterday that mercury isn’t such a big deal in its solid form, but I just can’t make that “jive” with other things I am hearing and reading. I’d love to keep hearing what others know. Thanks for stopping by and sharing!