The Controversy
Since its first use, there has been controversy surrounding dental
amalgam, or "silver" fillings. Amalgam is a dental filling
mixture of metals with more than 50% mercury. This filling material
is used widely today to restore cavities caused by tooth decay.
Silver mercury fillings have been used in dentistry for nearly
160 years, with very little change in composition. As late as 1991
the theory supported by the American Dental Association (ADA) has
been that mercury is stable or "bound-up" with the other
metals and will not "leak" into the body. Interestingly,
however, the ADA Council on Dental Materials recommends that dentists
store scrap mercury in an airtight container under glycerin or x-ray
fixer and dispose of it as a toxic waste.
The ADA has also declared amalgam safe by virtue of what they term
its "historically safe" usage since the 1830's. The official
policy since 1985 has stated, “It is important to note that
mercury forms a biologically inactive substance when it combines
with the other materials used to produce amalgam." In 1991,
the Council agreed that mercury release from fillings does occur,
but it also claimed, “there is no scientific evidence that
this miniscule amount of mercury has any adverse health effects."
The FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) wholly supports
this position and has allowed the safety of this material to go
unchallenged. However there are documented studies in the toxicology,
physiology and medical literature that show this assertion is untrue.
Mercury amalgam in fillings is continually released into the body
in the form of mercury vapor and corroded particles. This mercury
is poison.
How Mercury is Released into the Body
Mercury is very volatile. Vapors are released when the compound
is agitated, compressed, exposed to an acidic environment or increased
temperatures. The mouth is a perfect place to create these vapors,
with the chewing of foods, grinding of teeth and the introduction
of acidic or hot food and beverages. In fact, mercury release increases
approximately 15 times when you chew, brush, or ingest hot or acidic
foods or beverages.
Mercury is also released in the ongoing corrosion caused by saliva.
Saliva is the electrolytic (it conducts charged particles) and when
it comes in contact with dissimilar metals in the amalgam, it corrodes.
Mercury is then released into the body, by either inhaled vapor
or ingested particles. As vapor, it may pass into the bloodstream
for quick absorption and distribution to body tissues or travel
to the brain and central nervous system. When mercury particles
are ingested, mercury chloride can be formed in the stomach; many
of the bacteria there can transform it into methyl mercury, an even
more poisonous form of mercury.
The Health Effects of Mercury Poisoning
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that the daily intake
of mercury from amalgam fillings exceeds the bodies intake of mercury
from air, water and food combined. Published research verifies that
mercury is a powerful poison and toxicologists agree that no amount
(even miniscule amounts) of exposure to mercury vapor can be considered
totally harmless. Scientific research has demonstrated that mercury
in small amounts can damage the brain, heart, lungs, liver, kidneys,
blood cells, hormones and suppress the body's immune system. Studies
also show that mercury passes through the placental membrane in
pregnant women and into the brain of the developing child. Human
and animal studies have found a direct relationship between the
level of mercury in the brain and the number of fillings in the
mouth.
A History of Mercury Amalgam Development and Use
In 1819 an English chemist named Bell combined silver coin shavings
and enough mercury to form a sloppy paste. Always eager for filling
alternatives, dentists who discovered the new amalgam began using
it for filling teeth. This was a momentous turn of events since
patients with cavities were previously given two choices: an expensive
gold filling or the cheaper option of extracting the tooth.
Now with mercury fillings, anyone could inexpensively save their
teeth. This propelled dentistry from an exclusive service for the
wealthy to a mighty industry capable of treating millions worldwide.
Amalgam's ease of placement and long life span created a filling
loved by dentists and their patients.
This discovery was seized by a pair of unscrupulous brothers named
Crawcour. In 1832, they arrived in America from France with dreams
of riches. These men were notorious for filling teeth with their
mercury based paste, leaving decay in teeth and moving swiftly from
town to town. The word quack originated from the actions of people
like the Crawcours, who used mercury in the human body. In Europe,
mercury is known as quacksilber (quicksilver). Any dentist who would
place mercury fillings would be called a quacksilber or quack for
short.
Six years afer the introduction of amalgam the first organized
U.S. dental group, the American Association of Dental Surgeons (AADS),
expressed grave concerns about the health of dental patients receiving
the amalgam fillings. In 1843, the AADS declared the use of amalgam
fillings to be malpractice. The topic became so strongly debated,
that members were expelled from the group for using mercury fillings
in their dental practices. Several New York dentists even lost their
licenses for violating the ban.
Medical Dentists vs. Craftsman (Mechanical) Dentists
In the early 1800's there were two types of dentists, medical dentists
and craftsman dentists. The AADS was made up of medical dentists,
who held a degree in medicine and were concerned with the overall
health of their patients. Another group, the craftsman dentists,
had no medical training but were mechanically gifted people capable
of extracting and filling teeth. These craftsman dentists used amalgam
as their filling of choice because it was easy to use. But they
ignored the inherent dangers of mercury. The medical dentists felt
that mercury of any kind should not be used in the human body and
thus the first "amalgam war" was ignited.
In 1850 the AADS removed the ban on Amalgam to attract new members,
but membership greatly dropped and the organization folded. In 1859
the craftsmen dentists founded a new organization which still stands
behind its original members' devotion to amalgam. That group is
the American Dental Association (ADA).
Since that time, over 134 years ago, many changes have taken place
in the environment we inhabit. Hazardous materials and toxic wastes
are an unfortunate and all too common by-product of our way of life.
We are bombarded with over 70,000 foreign chemicals and materials
daily, challenging our bodies' ability to cope. In this uncertain
environment, we still willingly put approximately 50 tons of mercury
in our teeth each year.
Studies on Mercury Poisoning
We now know a great deal about the effects of mercury poisoning.
Studies have been performed on people who have absorbed significant
mercury through industrial and ecological exposures. Evidence is
now accumulating that long term exposure to smaller levels of mercury
poisoning (such as the exposure from mercury amalgam fillings) can
result in the same symptoms, diseases and disorders.
The most common symptoms of mercury poisoning are in the oral cavity:
bleeding gums, burning mouth, white patches, metallic taste, ulcers,
gum disease (periodontal disease) and black or purple discolorations
on the gums. Mercury also affects the brain, causing depression,
anxiety, hallucinations and even manic depression. In the digestive
system constipation, colitis, diarrhea and cramps can develop. The
immune, endocrine and cardiovascular systems have also been shown
to be compromised, leaving the immune system weakened and vulnerable
to secondary diseases and infections. Changes are also seen in the
central nervous system such as chronic migraine type headaches,
convulsions, dizziness, epilepsy, loss of fine motor coordination
(especially in the hands), muscle paralysis or twitching, arm and
leg numbness, tremors and tingling in the hands, feet and lips,
and multiple sclerosis (MS). There are obviously many potential
reasons for any of these problems, but the mercury in fillings should
be included as a possible contributing or even precipitating factor.
Detoxification and Removal of Mercury
The very first and more important thing that needs to be communicated
is that the process of detoxifying the body and removing amalgam
fillings can be dangerous if not medically supervised by a medical/dental
team highly skilled in heavy metal detoxification.
Mercury is stored long term in nearly every cell in the body. The
mercury can do harm from there, but it is much less dangerous than
mercury that is released from this "deep pool" too
rapidly.
A good steady detoxification process dislodges the particles slowly.
These particles are then "harvested" and discharged through
the urine and feces. A detoxification program performed too quickly
or unsteadily loosens up more mercury than the body’s excretion
system can safely handle at one time. This can cause extensive damage,
especially to the kidneys.
The removal of fillings also needs to be undertaken with great
care. In fact, even though strict protocol is followed to protect
the patient during mercury filling removal, some mercury is inevitably
absorbed by the body during the process. Because of this, anyone
undergoing amalgam filling removal must always undergo a thorough
and careful body detoxification afterwards. This sequence, practiced
with great care, is the only means through which you can protect
yourself from suffering more harm than good.
A body detoxification process can take up to one year, depending
upon the level of toxicity and health of the patient. The process
needs to be medically supervised and the patient may experience
some symptoms similar to their original problem.
The process of this detoxification is known as chelation therapy,
literally meaning the removal of something from your body. The choice
of what chelating chemicals to use depends upon many factors, including
the amount and variety of toxins currently in the body. Urine analysis
is a common way to judge when the process is complete.
Once mercury urine levels are established, the fillings are removed.
Filling removal must absolutely be performed in a controlled, well
ventilated area which prevents any mercury from being inhaled or
swallowed by either the patient or the dentist. A fairly accepted
process involves the use of a special suction tip which pulls mercury
particles and vapor out of the mouth.
The filling is removed in as close to one unbroken piece as possible.
Cool water is constantly sprayed to reduce mercury dust levels.
The doctor and assistant wear mercury screening masks which were
developed for industrial use and the patient is given their own
pure oxygen supply to breathe so that they don't inhale vapors or
dust. After removal, the patient needs to undergo body detoxification
to release both old mercury buildup and any mercury absorbed during
the removal process.
This protocol is pretty intense, but when the process is carefully
and knowledgably executed it can help restore a sick person to health.
What Filling Materials Are Used to Replace Mercury Amalgam Now?
At the Institute for Biological Dentistry, the use of plastics,
composite resins and ceramics have replaced the use of mercury
dental fillings for over ten years. As part of our commitment to
total health a comprehensive protocol that is safe, effective and
comfortable addresses the management of mercury removal from the
mouth. Please contact us or speak to a member of our staff if you
would like more information on this subject.
Read about The Institute's
position on Mercury Amalgam
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