That is our society. What a sad truth. I have come to find out this week, that many of my fillings were done wrong, and probably some of them were unneeded (or they didn't need to be as BIG as they are). The dentist that filled my mouth with amalgam was a QUACK as far as I'm concerned. He has taken my life away from me. Somehow, someway, I intend to get it back. It will never make up for what I've lost, though. It's all about money. I was young and naive, and he saw me coming. I was on medical assistance at the time I had them done, and he made money off of the state, by taking my life away. They only pay for composite on your front teeth, everything else is metal. I thought I was doing something good for myself, I did know how your teeth can affect your health and I thought by getting them done, I was improving myself.

When you turn 21 here, you automatically lose your dental assistance, and I had all of these done in the two weeks before my 21st birthday. It was when they were all finished, that I started getting VERY sick. I was in terrible pain, my whole mouth was swollen, I couldn't eat, sleep or breathe. I cried constantly with some of the worst pain, swelling and infection I have ever had in my life. By then, I was no longer covered. I called the dentist's office and he told me to take some Tylenol. I told him that I took a bottle of 100 in a week, just so I could function. (I was taking 8 at a time, just so I could eat a meal, before the pain came back.) He told me to give it some time, and hung up on me. He knew I no longer had coverage, so he was done with me. I ended up going to another dentist (and BTW I was BROKE and had to tell them at the end of my appointment, that I was sorry and I had no money, so I couldn't pay them at the time of service. They were very pissed, but there was nothing else I could do. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> ) and he told me that I had a terrible "reaction" to the metal fillings, and he thought that I was allergic to them. I of course, was never told they contained mercury, and was just led to assume that it was because I was allergic to metal, period, because I've always had problems with jewelry. He gave me an antibiotic script and told me if that didn't work, that they would have to ALL be taken out and refilled with "medicated" fillings, whatever that meant. That really scared me, because I had no money, no insurance and just had $10,000 worth of dental work done. The antibiotic helped, but I have never been the same since. The old man is probably dead by now, or I would go knock his head off.

By all rights you SHOULD be able to pay the difference out of your pocket for composite or something else. That is what I've always heard, but I don't know. My 13 yr old daughter has a couple of metal fillings, and now that she knows what they are, she wants hers out. I told her that mom has got to get fixed first, because I can't do everything that I need to do for everyone, until I am functional, so she kinda understands. I feel so bad. I guess at the time, I kinda thought that they would CONSULT me in the waiting room before filling her teeth, but they went ahead and filled them. I also THOUGHT that they were composite, and she didn't tell me until not too long ago, that a couple of them were actually metal. My oldest daughter hasn't been to a dentist since she was small. She has always had good teeth, but she has one bothering her. There are no mercury-free dentists that are not a long drive from me, but I guess I will have to find a way to do it. I have been putting her dental needs off too long, because I've been afraid they would want to put amalgam in her mouth, too.

I hope you are able to find another dentist!!!! I would NEVER go back there.

Russ, I DO want to do what you're talking about. There are PLENTY of dentists around here that I am familiar with, and they need a good dose of reality about amalgam!!!! I would LOVE to stuff envelopes and mail letters to them! I just went to the biological dentist this week and picked up some anti-amalgam papers in the office that said to "copy and distribute". I intend on making as many copies as possible and post them on bulletin boards, and leave them anywhere that I can.