The Science Archives

Based on up-to-date scientific research, the IAOMT has developed rigorous recommendations for removing existing dental mercury amalgam fillings to assist in reducing the potential negative health outcomes of mercury exposure to patients, dental professionals, dental students, office staff, and others. The IAOMT’s recommendations are known as the Safe Mercury Amalgam Removal Technique (SMART). To learn more about the science behind SMART, choose from one of these two options.

To access scientific research related to the specific engineering controls used at the dental office to mitigate mercury exposures during amalgam removal, click on the button below:

INSERT BUTTON READING: Selected Research Relevant to SMART

To read the Safe Mercury Amalgam Removal Technique with scientific citations, click on the button below:

INSERT BUTTON READING: SMART Recommendations with Citations

Changed clinical chemistry pattern in blood after removal of dental amalgam and other metal alloys supported by antioxidant therapy

This study aimed to investigate a possible connection between removal of dental amalgam restorations supported by antioxidant therapy and indicative changes of clinical chemistry parameters. A group of 24 patients, referred for complaints related to amalgam restorations, underwent a removal of their amalgams. All patients were treated with antioxidants (vitamin B-complex, vitamin C, vitamin E, and sodium selenite).

theSMARTchoice2018-03-11T23:59:28+00:00December 1st, 2007|Categories: The Science|Tags: 2007, Biological Trace Element Research, selected-research|

Mercury toxicity presenting as chronic fatigue, memory impairment and depression

Wojcik DP, Godfrey ME, Christie D, Haley BE. Mercury toxicity presenting as chronic fatigue, memory impairment and depression: diagnosis, treatment, susceptibility, and outcomes in a New Zealand general practice setting (1994-2006). Neuro Endocrinology Letters. 2006 Aug;27(4):415-23. In a group of 465 patients diagnosed as having chronic mercury toxicity (CMT), 32.3% had severe fatigue, [...]

theSMARTchoice2018-03-11T23:57:27+00:00August 1st, 2006|Categories: The Science|Tags: 2006, Neuro Endocrinology Letters, selected-research|

Mercury recovery in situ of four different dental amalgam separators

Abolishing the use of dental amalgam and cleaning the tubing systems is the most efficient long-term solution to reduce Hg emissions from dental clinics. Until then, Hg emissions originating from placing, polishing or removing existing amalgam fillings, should be counteracted by the use of low-emission amalgam separators, already on the market or presently being developed for use alone or together with sedimentary type amalgam separators.

theSMARTchoice2018-03-11T23:54:27+00:00July 1st, 2006|Categories: The Science|

Evaluating amalgam separators using an international standard

This laboratory evaluation shows that amalgam separators and the filtration devices removed at least 97.05 percent of the amalgam in samples with particle-size distribution as specified in ISO Standard 11143.

theSMARTchoice2018-03-11T23:51:56+00:00July 1st, 2006|Categories: The Science|Tags: 2006, Journal of the American Dental Association, selected-research|

An assessment of mercury in the form of amalgam in dental wastewater in the United States

The annual use of mercury in the form of amalgam in the U.S. is approximately 35.2 tons (31.9 metric tons). It was estimated that 29.7 tons (26.9 metric tons) of mercury in the form of amalgam are annually discharged to the internal wastewater systems of dental facilities during amalgam placements and removals. Based on the partial capture of this amalgam in conventional chair-side traps and vacuum filters, the discharge of mercury in the form of amalgam from dental facilities to POTWs was estimated to be 6.5 tons (5.9 metric tons). The discharge of mercury to surface water via POTW effluents and SSI emissions was estimated to total approximately 0.4 tons (0.4 metric tons).

theSMARTchoice2018-03-11T23:32:18+00:00June 1st, 2005|Categories: The Science|Tags: 2005, selected-research, Water Air and Soil Pollution|

The Weight of Wastes Generated by Removal of Dental Amalgam Restorations and the Concentration of Mercury in Dental Wastewater

The ISO-compliant separator reduced the concentration of mercury in the instantaneous flow-through discharge by 99.4%, from 31.2973 mg/L to 0.1800 mg/L. CONCLUSIONS: About 60% of the waste generated during the removal of amalgams escaped the primary and secondary solids collectors and was released into the wastewater. An ISO-certified amalgam particle separator was effective in removing the amalgam from the wastewater.

theSMARTchoice2018-03-11T23:29:24+00:00October 1st, 2002|Categories: The Science|Tags: 2002, Journal-Canadian Dental Association, selected-research|

The mercury burden in waste water released from dental clinics

Installation of an approved amalgam-separating apparatus in dental clinics is recommended so as to reduce considerably the discharge of mercury into waste water.

theSMARTchoice2018-03-11T23:11:36+00:00June 1st, 2002|Categories: The Science|Tags: 2002, Journal of the South African Dental Association, selected-research|

Laboratory evaluation of amalgam separators

This laboratory evaluation shows that amalgam separators removed at least 96.09 percent of the amalgam in samples with particle-size distribution as specified in ISO 11143. Total mercury concentration and total dissolved mercury concentration in the effluent varied widely for each amalgam separator. Additional research is needed to develop test methods to evaluate the efficiency of amalgam separators in removing small amalgam particles, colloidal amalgam particles and ionic mercury in solution.

theSMARTchoice2018-03-11T23:22:17+00:00May 1st, 2002|Categories: The Science|Tags: 2002, Journal of the American Dental Association, selected-research|

Mercury and selenium concentrations in maternal and neonatal scalp hair

The data from this preliminary study suggest that amalgam-based dental treatment during pregnancy is associated with higher prenatal exposure to mercury, particularly in cases of amalgam removal and replacement. The ability of a peripheral biological tissue, such as hair, to elicit such marked differences in neonatal mercury concentrations provides supporting evidence of high fetal susceptibility to this form of mercury exposure.

theSMARTchoice2018-03-11T23:10:35+00:00July 1st, 2001|Categories: The Science|Tags: 2001, Biological Trace Element Research, selected-research|

Results of dental amalgam removal and mercury detoxification using DMPS and neural therapy

Sixty consecutive patients who had undergone replacement of dental amalgam fillings and a protocol of nutritional support and heavy metal detoxification using dimercapto-propanyl-sulfate and neural therapy were surveyed… The most common complaints were problems with memory and/or concentration; muscle and/or joint pain; anxiety and insomnia; stomach, bowel, and bladder complaints; depression; food or chemical sensitivities; numbness or tingling; and eye symptoms, in descending order of frequency. …Of the respondents, 78% reported that they were either satisfied or very satisfied with the results of treatment, and 9.5% reported that they were disappointed.

theSMARTchoice2018-03-11T23:08:16+00:00July 1st, 2000|Categories: The Science|Tags: 2000, Alternative therapies in health and medicine, selected-research|

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