OT Dangers of Mercury fillings and Root Canals!

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http://www.life.ca/nl/53/mercury.html

Mercury Fillings: A Time Bomb In Your Head

by W.

Sweden has banned mercury amalgam dental fillings, effective January,

1997, after determining that at least 250,000 Swedes have immune and

other health disorders directly related to the mercury in their

teeth. Denmark will ban amalgams beginning in January 1999.

In 1991, Germany's Health Ministry recommended to the German Dental

Association that no further amalgam fillings be placed in children,

pregnant women, or people with kidney disease, and in 1993 this was

extended to include all women of child-bearing age, pregnant or not.

Austria is also phasing out mercury fillings.

By contrast, the American Dental Association (ADA) says replacing

amalgam fillings from non-allergic patients for the purpose of

removing toxic substances from the body is " improper and unethical. "

The Canadian Dental Association (CDA) insists that there is no

scientific evidence linking medical illness symptoms to mercury

fillings, except relatively rare allergic sensitivity to mercury.

(The number of persons with a specific and detectable sensitivity to

mercury may not be so small. According to a Health Canada report, as

many as 15 percent of people with amalgam fillings show signs of

sensitivity to mercury. Some American researchers claim that at least

20 percent of people with amalgam fillings are " mercury toxic. " )

What gives? Are the Europeans and Scandinavians hysterical

Cassandras, in a sweat about nothing, or are the North American

dental associations concerned about things other than patient health?

Are mercury amalgam tooth fillings dangerous or not?

Amalgam tooth fillings are an alloy of 50 percent mercury, 35 percent

silver, 13 percent tin, 2 percent copper, and a bit of zinc. Mercury

toxicity was known in the 19th century, but amalgam's cheapness, ease

of placement, and durability kept it popular. Dentists argue that

mercury fillings last longer than resin composites, and are more

gentle to tooth pulp. Composites also require more skill and time to

place.

Unfortunately, mercury is a poison that penetrates all living cells

of the human body. It is more toxic than lead, cadmium and arsenic.

The smallest amount of mercury that won't damage human cells is

unknown. Autopsy studies show a correlation between the number of

mercury fillings and mercury levels in the brain and kidneys.

Research also indicates that amalgams have an adverse effect on the

immune system's T-lymphocyte count.

Scrap dental amalgam is classified hazardous waste by the American

Environmental Protection Agency, and by law must be stored in

unbreakable, sealed containers, and handled without touching. Dr.

Denton, M.D., who specializes in treating chronic mercury

toxicity, asks: " What is it about the mouth that makes this same

stuff non-toxic? " Referring to American Dental Association (ADA)

claims that amalgams have been proved safe in studies, Dr. Denton

challenges them to produce such studies. They have not. " On the other

hand, " says Denton, " research documenting mercury toxicity is

voluminous. " She has collected some 3,000 articles and several books

on the topic.

A Danish study found that Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients had eight

times higher levels of mercury in their cerebrospinal fluid than

healthy controls. An article in the Journal of Forensic Medicine &

Pathology states: " Slow retrograde seepage of mercury from root canal

or Class V amalgam fillings...may lead to multiple sclerosis in

middle age. " Dr. Hal Huggins of Colorado Springs, Colorado, a dentist

who has MS himself, treats MS victims and people with other chronic

health problems by removing mercury amalgam fillings as well as with

detoxification and nutritional supplementation. He claims that 80 to

85 percent of his patients improve significantly.

Despite Huggin's successes, the U.S. Multiple Sclerosis Society

opposes mercury amalgam removal, stating that they have found no

scientific correlation between amalgams and MS. Dr. Huggins counters

that if his results are to be written off as " anecdotal " or " placebo

effect " , then he has the largest collection of sustained recurring

anecdotal placebo responses in the world.

Antibiotic resistant bacterial disease has become a significant and

growing public health problem over the past decade. Studies show that

genes protecting bacteria against mercury poisoning often bundle

together with other genes that give bacteria antibiotic resistant

qualities. If amalgam fillings stimulate and maintain populations of

mercury-resistant bacteria, it's no major stretch to suggest that

they might also be an agent in developing antibiotic-resistant

bacteria. Research by Dr. Anne O. Summers, et al., at the University

of Georgia shows such a relationship in monkeys. Dr. Summers put

mercury fillings into the molars of monkeys. Within five weeks

bacteria in the animals' intestines became resistant not only to

mercury, but also to common antibiotics like penicillin,

streptomycin, and tetracycline.

Another monkey study by Dr. Stuart B. Levy at Tufts University found

that before having mercury fillings, an average of one percent of the

monkeys' oral, and nine percent of their intestinal Enterobacteriacae

were antibiotic-resistant. After receiving mercury fillings, 13

percent of oral and up to 70 percent of intestinal bugs became

antibiotic resistant. The ADA responds by reiterating its stand that

mercury fillings are safe, and arguing that animal studies " cannot be

viewed as affecting humans. "

It is well-established that elemental mercury vapour emits from

amalgam tooth fillings during chewing, brushing, and eating hot

and/or acidic foods. Most of this vapour is inhaled. allowing

efficient absorption across the alveolar membrane in the lungs.

Mercury easily crosses the blood/brain barrier – the brain and

nervous system's main natural defense against many toxic substances.

It can bind strongly to sulfur-containing proteins in nerve tissue

(which may explain the association with MS – a disease of the nerve

sheaths), and deposits in virtually all body tissues and organs. In

experiments on mercury fillings in sheep, Dr. Murray Vimy, a dentist

at the University of Calgary, proved that mercury migrates from the

teeth into nearly all body tissues, especially the brain, kidneys,

and liver.

The average dentist handles two or three pounds of mercury annually.

According to Consumer Reports, up to 10 percent of dental offices

have mercury vapour levels exceeding 50 micrograms per cubic metre of

air – the upper limit considered safe for eight-hour workplace

exposures. Dr. Denton cites a study at the University of North

Texas that found neuropsychological dysfunction in 90 percent of

dentists tested. Female dental personnel have a higher spontaneous

abortion rate, higher incidence of premature labour, and elevated

perinatal mortality, which has been substantiated by the EPA to be

characteristic of women chronically exposed to mercury vapour.

Stillbirths are significantly correlated with maternal blood mercury

levels. Methyl mercury, the organic form of mercury that forms after

oral ingestion of mercury, is 100 times more toxic than elemental

mercury. Methyl mercury easily crosses the placental barrier and

builds up 30 percent higher red blood cell levels in the unborn

child than the mother.

The CDA counters that with billions of mercury amalgam fillings

placed, there is no apparent epidemic of ill health effects. However,

others argue that so many people have mercury fillings that no

effective control group exists. Former Health Canada biologist Mark

, who researched the scientific literature on mercury

toxicity in preparing a risk assessment, notes that it is people

wanting to maintain the status quo who conclude that there is no

evidence that mercury toxicity is a health problem. He refers to the

tobacco industry's stalwart insistence that studies linking smoking

to lung cancer are unscientific. 's report, under

consideration by Health Canada, recommends limiting the number of

mercury fillings per person.

Stubborn reluctance of dental associations to acknowledge the health

risk of mercury toxicity from amalgam fillings may indeed have much

in common with tobacco company tactics. If diseases like Multiple

Sclerosis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Multiple Chemical

Sensitivity are linked to mercury exposure from tooth fillings,

significant potential exists for individual or class action lawsuits

against dentists. Indeed, the German Dental Association has stated

that if the government recommends further limitations on amalgam use,

it will advise its members to stop using amalgams completely due to

increasing risk of legal liability. The truth will eventually out,

and if mercury fillings are indeed eventually proved harmful, a

history of foot-dragging will not bolster the dental community's case

in court.

Dr. Murray Vimy is certain that every time you chew, brush, or grind

your teeth you absorb mercury. However, he councils against panic and

suggests that mercury fillings be replaced with non-mercury materials

like resin composites, porcelain, or gold, as needed. There is some

risk that mass replacements could expose the patient to more mercury

than if old fillings were left alone.

is a freelance writer living in rural Nova Scotia who

specializes in health issues.