Re: Dental Fillings Unlikely to Cause Mercury Poisoning

[Guest guest]

Very interesting, a, but I wish they would have studied a larger number of

people. I think all of my amalgam fillings are gone now anyway.

[ ] Dental Fillings Unlikely to Cause Mercury Poisoning

> Dental Fillings Unlikely to Cause Mercury Poisoning

> Tue Aug 6,10:46 AM ET

>

> By Pincock

>

> LONDON (Reuters Health) - A range of ailments that some people attribute to

> the mercury in " silver " dental fillings are more likely to be caused by

> other factors, German researchers report.

>

>

> Dr. Birgit Gottwald, from the University of Giessen, said that some patient

> groups in Germany attribute hundreds of different physical complaints to

> dental amalgam, including fatigue, dizziness, lack of concentration,

> headache, burning sensations in the mouth and back pain.

>

> " When you talk to groups of patients in Germany they link all sorts of

> disease to amalgam. I heard of a group of patients who listed 1,000

> disorders that can be linked to amalgam, " Gottwald told Reuters Health.

>

> She and colleagues studied 40 patients with amalgam fillings and health

> problems they attributed to amalgam, and 40 similar " controls " with the same

> number of fillings but no complaints. Their findings are published in the

> August issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics.

>

> Participants were given a dental examination to measure the quantity,

> surface area and quality of their amalgam fillings, then the researchers

> measured the amount of mercury in their blood and urine and assessed their

> allergy to amalgam.

>

> They also gave the study participants a series of questionnaires to assess

> coping strategies, interpersonal problems, self-consciousness, depression

> and other problems.

>

> Patients and controls had similar levels of mercury in their blood and

> urine, Gottwald said. Only one patient tested positive for allergy to

> amalgam, while 28% were found to be allergic to other things, such as house

> dust, pollen or animal hair.

>

> " These patients, some of them knew they had allergies not due to amalgam,

> but they [heard] reports in the media that something like an amalgam allergy

> might exist. We found that there were more likely explanations for their

> allergy than amalgam. "

>

> More of the patients than controls had " psychic disorders, " or " unfavorable

> styles of coping with stress, " according to the report. The researchers

> suggest that some of the physical symptoms may be physical manifestations or

> " somatizations " of those illnesses.

>

> " These patients are ill, but we don't think that they suffer from amalgam

> poisoning, we think they suffer from psychic disorders and allergies, "

> Gottwald said.

>

> Mercury is poisonous in high enough concentrations, and the symptoms of

> mercury poisoning can be the same as those reported by the patients in the

> study, including an inability to concentrate, dizziness, mental symptoms and

> depression, she said.

>

> " But you must have a certain concentration [of mercury], and this

> concentration cannot be reached by inorganic mercury from amalgam. "

>

> Mercury has been used in dentistry for about 150 years but some believe the

> fillings can give off harmful vapors that can be dangerous for dentists and

> patients. But dental associations say it is safe when mixed with other

> metals and there is no scientific evidence for a link between the material

> and health problems.

>

> SOURCE: Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics 2002;71:223-232.

[Guest guest]

I¹m still not convinced . I¹m glad yours are gone. The tests show that

mercury IS in the blood, and I¹m sorry but I don¹t believe that those that

are ill are all psychotic. Maybe these people are experiencing intolerance

rather than a full blown allergic reaction. You¹re so right about the study

being small.

a

> Very interesting, a, but I wish they would have studied a larger number of

> people. I think all of my amalgam fillings are gone now anyway.

>

>

>

>

>

> [ ] Dental Fillings Unlikely to Cause Mercury Poisoning

>

>

>> > Dental Fillings Unlikely to Cause Mercury Poisoning

>> > Tue Aug 6,10:46 AM ET

>> >

>> > By Pincock

>> >

>> > LONDON (Reuters Health) - A range of ailments that some people attribute to

>> > the mercury in " silver " dental fillings are more likely to be caused by

>> > other factors, German researchers report.

>> >

>> >

>> > Dr. Birgit Gottwald, from the University of Giessen, said that some patient

>> > groups in Germany attribute hundreds of different physical complaints to

>> > dental amalgam, including fatigue, dizziness, lack of concentration,

>> > headache, burning sensations in the mouth and back pain.

>> >

>> > " When you talk to groups of patients in Germany they link all sorts of

>> > disease to amalgam. I heard of a group of patients who listed 1,000

>> > disorders that can be linked to amalgam, " Gottwald told Reuters Health.

>> >

>> > She and colleagues studied 40 patients with amalgam fillings and health

>> > problems they attributed to amalgam, and 40 similar " controls " with the

>> same

>> > number of fillings but no complaints. Their findings are published in the

>> > August issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics.

>> >

>> > Participants were given a dental examination to measure the quantity,

>> > surface area and quality of their amalgam fillings, then the researchers

>> > measured the amount of mercury in their blood and urine and assessed their

>> > allergy to amalgam.

>> >

>> > They also gave the study participants a series of questionnaires to assess

>> > coping strategies, interpersonal problems, self-consciousness, depression

>> > and other problems.

>> >

>> > Patients and controls had similar levels of mercury in their blood and

>> > urine, Gottwald said. Only one patient tested positive for allergy to

>> > amalgam, while 28% were found to be allergic to other things, such as house

>> > dust, pollen or animal hair.

>> >

>> > " These patients, some of them knew they had allergies not due to amalgam,

>> > but they [heard] reports in the media that something like an amalgam

>> allergy

>> > might exist. We found that there were more likely explanations for their

>> > allergy than amalgam. "

>> >

>> > More of the patients than controls had " psychic disorders, " or " unfavorable

>> > styles of coping with stress, " according to the report. The researchers

>> > suggest that some of the physical symptoms may be physical manifestations

>> or

>> > " somatizations " of those illnesses.

>> >

>> > " These patients are ill, but we don't think that they suffer from amalgam

>> > poisoning, we think they suffer from psychic disorders and allergies, "

>> > Gottwald said.

>> >

>> > Mercury is poisonous in high enough concentrations, and the symptoms of

>> > mercury poisoning can be the same as those reported by the patients in the

>> > study, including an inability to concentrate, dizziness, mental symptoms >>

and

>> > depression, she said.

>> >

>> > " But you must have a certain concentration [of mercury], and this

>> > concentration cannot be reached by inorganic mercury from amalgam. "

>> >

>> > Mercury has been used in dentistry for about 150 years but some believe the

>> > fillings can give off harmful vapors that can be dangerous for dentists and

>> > patients. But dental associations say it is safe when mixed with other

>> > metals and there is no scientific evidence for a link between the material

>> > and health problems.

>> >

>> > SOURCE: Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics 2002;71:223-232.

>

>

>