Scientific
Facts about Mercury and Dental Amalgams
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In
the June 2000 issue of the newsletter of the Dental Board of California,
president Roger Simonian, D.D.S., writes that the Board voted to approve the
following recommendations by the petitioner Consumers for Dental Choice:
(1)
rid the Fact Sheet of misleading language on amalgams;
(2)
include in the Fact Sheet all statutory requirements regarding the dentist's responsibility to fully inform the patient of the available options of dental
restorative materials.
The
Fact Sheet should also encourage dentists to discuss with their patients the
advantages and disadvantages of the various dental filling materials;
(3)
the Fact Sheet update should cover the past six years of research documenting
hazards of all dental filling materials and;
(4)
the Fact Sheet should provide dentists with guidance on properly warning
patients about the reproductive toxicity of the mercury contained in amalgam.
The Fact Sheet should also address ways in which practitioners may determine
patient sensitivity to mercury, i.e. a comprehensive health questionnaire.
In
addition, the Board also voted to approve the petitioner's request that (1) the
dentist advise patients of the different types of filling material and; (2) the
dentist advise patients and staff that an amalgam contains mercury, a substance
designated under Proposition 65 and found to be "hazardous", in the
informed consent.
Finally, the
Board agreed to publicly clarify that it has no position, either pro, or con, on
the various dental restorative materials.
The
dentist is free to "decide", Dr. Simonian writes. This change in
thinking by the members of California dental board is based on the scientific
facts about mercury and dental amalgams gathered over the past few decades.
These facts clearly show:
1)
Dental amalgams are NOT a true alloy. They are made up of 50% mercury, which is
NOT locked into the filling, but escapes continuously during the entire life of
the filling in the form of vapor, ions and abraded particles. Chewing, brushing
and drinking hot fluids stimulate this release. The level of mercury vapor
measured in the mouth after chewing could be 54 times higher in the mouth of an
individual with amalgams than in the mouth of an individual without amalgams.
2)
The absorption rate of mercury vapor is extremely high; about 80% of the inhaled
dose reaches the brain tissue within one blood circulation cycle. The toxic
threshold for mercury vapor has never been found. Even the EPA has affirmed this
fact. Statements by the dental profession that the amount of mercury exposure
encountered by patients from dental amalgams is too small to be harmful are
contradicted by the scientific literature and are totally indefensible.
3)
Mercury from amalgams is primarily stored in the kidneys, liver and nervous
system. This mercury has also been shown to cross the placenta and collect in
fetal tissue. One study even concludes that "the elevated concentrations of inorganic mercury found in tissues of people
with amalgam fillings, derive mainly from these fillings and not from other
theoretically possible sources."
4)
Mercury from dental amalgams will also be transported across the breast milk of
lactating women. In fact, breast milk increases the bio-availability of mercury
to the newborn.
5)
The half time for the elimination of a single dose of mercury is very long, at
least 30 days for the whole body, and perhaps as long as 10,000 days for the
brain. Multiple small doses will therefore result in body accumulation. Human
autopsy studies have shown the concentration
of mercury in the brain is directly linked to the number, size and age of
amalgam fillings in the mouth.
6)
Both Canada and WHO consider dental amalgam to be the single largest source of
mercury exposure for the general public.
7)
Amalgam fillings have been associated with periodontal problems, allergic
reactions, oral lichen planus, immune suppression, multiple sclerosis, fatigue,
cardiovascular problems, skin rashes, endocrine disorders and eye problems
according to the literature.
8)
Claims by the American Dental Association that the incidence of mercury allergy
is less than 1% have never cited any references. Such claims have been totally
refuted by the scientific literature. Peer-reviewed studies show mercury-induced
allergic reactions range from 5-8% up to 39%.
9)
Some recent studies show that at least 50% of dentists with elevated mercury
levels had peripheral nervous disorders, and dentists have twice the rate of
glioblastoma, a deadly brain cancer, than non-dentists.
10)
Research shows that female dental personnel have twice the rate of infertility,
miscarriage and spontaneous abortion than the rest of the population.
Physiological effects and health changes can be demonstrated by placement and removal of dental amalgams.
11)
The linkage of dental amalgam and mercury toxicity has been apparent in study
after study. In 1983 Wolf et al., stated in the journal, Neurotoxicology,
"It is generally agreed that if amalgam was introduced today as a
restorative material, it would never pass FDA approval." For further
inquiry into the scientific facts about mercury and dental amalgams, readers are
encouraged to check the following resources:
*
Foundation for Toxic-Free Dentistry, 800-331-2303 From CAROLINA HEALTH & HEALING, December 2000, page 14 Dr. Li-Chuan Chen holds a doctoral degree in toxicology from the University of Kentucky and has received five years of post-doctoral training at the National Cancer Institute. He is the editor of Carolina Health & Healing. Facts about Mercury and Dental Amalgam with Medical Study References
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