Amalgam
Amalgam literally means mixed with mercury, and in the
dental sense that is true. Powdered metals and metal compounds consisting of silver,
copper, tin and zinc are mixed with about an equal weight of liquid mercury.
Health Dental Risk -
Amalgam Replacement
- Disclaimer See also: Amalgam Detoxification
program
Symptoms and signals of amalgam poisoning :
gastrointestinal problems, sleep disturbances, concentration
problems, memory disturbances, lack of initiative, restlessness, numbness of arms and legs
, bleeding gums, burning tongue, metallic taste, leg pain , arm pain, ( thanks to thallium
polluted amalgam filings), headaches , low immunity, Alzheimer's Disease, Chronic
Fatigue Syndrome and many other correlated symptoms. Nobody really knows how big is list
of these symptoms.
Before you go to dentist to replace your amalgam, read
this:
Amalgam Replacement
Protocol
 Cancer cause :
Polluted teeth - teeth that are causing cancer?
Support groups:
Dental health Forums:
Does dental metal cause cancer? Heart attack?
Hodkin's disease?
If you have some of these symptoms, consider visiting a good
dentist and changing your amalgam filings into metal free plastic (composite) filings.
Dentist must follow: Amalgam Replacement Protocol !!!
Not everyone experiences acute toxicity effects from the mercury
in amalgam fillings. But everyone does have mercury build up in their bodies from
implantation of such fillings. The large increase in mercury exposure from the newer
non-gamma-2 mercury fillings means that only time will tell how much damage has been
caused by daily exposure to mercury to such fillings.
What is AMALGAM ?
Amalgam is the generic term applied to a variety of very similar products
used in dentistry to fill teeth. Amalgam is also known as the "silver
filling" (due to its shiny appearance), or the silver-mercury filling. Amalgam
literally means mixed with mercury, and in the dental sense that is true. Powdered
metals and metal compounds consisting of silver, copper, tin and zinc are mixed with about
an equal weight of liquid mercury. Three different types of chemical reactions take
place within this mixture, and the resultant amalgam will set at room temperature,
and, most importantly, within a few minutes.
Amalgam has been used as a filling material for 160 years and has enjoyed
the reputation of being an inexpensive, long lasting filling. The materials alone only
cost about one dollar.
Amalgam/symptom link found
The results from the second part of the Tübingen research shows that people
with high saliva mercury levels have more health problems, particularly in the mouth,
central nervous system and gastrointestinal tract.
Overview and critical
discussion
Press release from the
environmental organization BUND
“Anti- amalgam” epidemiological evidence
Studies that have found a statistical association between amalgam/mercury
exposure and various health problems.
“Anti-amalgam”
epidemiological evidence
Dental Care & Amalgam
Recommended Books
Previous German research on amalgam, mercury exposure and
fertility
Results from two of research groups in Germany show high levels of ingested
mercury from amalgam, and links between mercury, hormonal disturbances and other health
problems. The results were presented at a press conference on May 15, 1996. These
documents are based on the press conference materials.
WHO mercury limit exceeded
Critical discussion
German scientists say amalgam
reduces fertility
Critical discussion
Read also: 150 years of Russian roulette http://home.online.no/reiersol/amalgam.htm
AMALGAM FACTS
Causes Damage to Brain in Children
In February, 1998, a group of the world's top mercury researchers announced that mercury
from amalgam fillings can permanently damage the brain, kidneys, and immune system of
children.
Amalgam Fillings Linked to Neurological Problems, Gastrointestinal Problems
The first large-scale epidemiological study of mercury and
adverse reactions was recently completed and showed that of the symptoms looked at, there
was a link seen to gastrointestinal problems, sleep disturbances, concentration problems,
memory disturbances, lack of initiative, restlessness, bleeding gums and other mouth
disorders.
Mercury / Alzheimer's Disease Connection Found
A study
related to mercury and Alzheimer's Disease was recently completed by a team of scientists
led by well-respected researcher Dr. Boyd Haley. They exposed rats to levels of mercury
vapor diluted to account for size differences between humans and rats. The rats developed
tissue damage "indistinguishable" from that of Alzheimer's Disease. Repeating
the experiment showed the same results. Dr. Haley is quoted as saying "I'm getting
the rest of my fillings taken out right now, and I've asked my wife to have hers replaced
too."
Amalgam Fillings Since 1970s Unstable
The type of mercury fillings that began to be used during the last couple of decades,
non-gamma-2 (high copper), releases many times more mercury than the older style of
amalgam fillings.
Amalgam Fillings Release Highly Toxic Elemental Mercury
Mercury is one of the most toxic substances known. The mercury release from fillings is
absorbed primarily as highly toxic elemental mercury vapor.
Amalgam Fillings Largest Source of Mercury By Far
Based on a number of studies in Sweden, the World Health Organization review of inorganic
mercury in 1991 determined that mercury absorption is estimated to be approximately four
times higher from amalgam fillings than from fish consumption. Recent studies have
confirmed this estimate. The amount absorbed can vary considerably from person to person.
Gold Crowns, Gum, Bruxism, Computer Monitors Increase Release of Mercury
Significantly
Gum chewing, grinding of teeth/bruxism, computer terminal exposure,
presence of gold fillings or
gold crowns (even if covering mercury fillings), teeth brushing, braces, and chewing cause the release of
significantly increased amounts of mercury from the fillings.
Cumulative Poison and Builds Up in Organs
Mercury released from fillings builds up in the brain,
kidneys, liver, pituitary, adrenals, and other parts of the body.
Mercury Amalgam Fillings Effect Porphyrins
Preliminary results from the first detailed
biochemical analysis of patients who removed mercury amalgam fillings showed a
significant drop in the excretion of porphyrins (important to heme synthesis -- heme
carries oxygen to red blood cells), as well as a number of other key biochemical changes.
Potential Contribuatory Factor in Other Diseases
Mercury from amalgam fillings has been implicated as a possible contributory factor in some cases of Multiple
Sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease, IBS, reproductive disorders, allergies, and a variety of
other illnesses.
Mercury Build Up in Brain, Organs and Breast Milk of Fetuses of Mothers With
Amalgam Fillings
Mercury from fillings in pregnant women has been shown to cause mercury accumulation in
brain, kidneys and liver of human fetuses (all of the areas tested). Studies have shown
that mercury can be passed to infants from breast milk.
Proper Removal of Fillings Produces Eventual Health Improvement
A recent survey in
Sweden showed that of 268 patients who removed amalgam fillings, 80% showed permanent
health improvement. Three-fourths of those that improved did so within 6 months while
one-fourth of those who improved did not show improvement until after 6 months. There were
no signs of the positive effects disappearing as might be expected with a placebo effect.
World-renowned Experts Agree About Potential Danger
In contrast to statements from dental trade organizations, toxicologists and medical researchers
are often quite concerned about the use of mercury. Lars Friberg, the lead toxicologist on
the World Health Organization team looking at inorganic mercury and health effects
recently stated that he believes that mercury is unsuitable for dental materials because
of safety concerns.
Canadian Class Action Lawsuit Begins
Canadians For Mercury Relief has now
started a class action lawsuit based on the fact that the government knew of but did not
warn the public about mercury dangers from amalgam fillings. If you are Canadian, please
read the press release
to find out how to register to be part of the class action suit as so many Canadians are
doing.
Obviously, not everyone experiences acute toxicity effects from the mercury in amalgam
fillings. However, virtually everyone does have mercury build up in their bodies from
implantation of such fillings. The large increase in mercury exposure from the newer
non-gamma-2 mercury fillings means that only time will tell how much damage has been
caused by daily exposure to mercury to such fillings.
I do not recommend that people assume automatically that they will be healed by the
removal of amalgam fillings. Many people are helped tremendously and some are healed. The
80% figure for people showing improvement within a year likely refers to people who had
good reason to suspect that they were being significantly effected by the fillings. The
percentage of people in the general population who might experience health improvement
within one year after removal is probably much lower than 80%. I recommend going into the
mercury amalgam removal procedure knowing that, at the very least, you will have removed
yourself from a regular exposure to an extremely toxic material such that it will not
build up in your organs and possibly cause significant health problems at a later date.
Mercury amalgam fillings should be removed only by dentists with
experience using the IOAMT mercury
amalgam removal protocol (presented with the permission of the excellent . Preventive Dental Association
web page). Such dentists are often experienced with proper evaluation and placement of
composite fillings, both of which can be crucial for the success of the treatment.
Biocompatability tests are often important in determining which composite materials can be
safely used. I believe that composite (plastic) fillings are a better replacement than
metal (e.g., gold) fillings even in chemically-sensitive individuals. They are, however,
not without safety questions, but are still likely to be much less toxic than mercury
amalgam fillings. Proper placement of composites should be left to experienced amalgam
removal dentists as the average well-meaning dentist may not be aware of the newer
placement techniques.
Amalgam Can Cause Brain Damage in Children
Courtesy of Monica Kaupi "Heavy Metal Bulletin"
From the Press conference of the Swedish Council for Planning and Coordinating Research.
Stockholm, 19 February 1998 "Amalgam can cause brain damage in children." -Move
over amalgam - at last!
Mercury from amalgam may damage the brain, kidneys and the immune system of a great number
of people. The effects in fetus and children are of most concern. Those are the
conclusions of a report soon to handed to the Government. "There is no conflict any
more," says Gunnar Goude from the board of the Swedish Council for Planning and
Coordinating Research (FRN), after reviewing the comprehensive documentation from the four
seminars. "There is total agreement among the Board members that it is time to move
forward and leave amalgam behind." The Board will, in their coming report to the
Government, recommend discontinuing the use of amalgam as a dental material.
The reason why the first report, prepared by Prof. Jerelov, was not presented at the press
conference as planned was that it was unanimously rejected by the Board (18 members). Its
message - that old conflicts have now been settled - was not clear enough.
At the press conference, the printed documentation from the seminars was presented. Prof.
Jernelov held a speech, telling that there is hope for an end of the conflict. He also
presented a few examples from the documentation. Genetic difference in individual
sensitivity and varying absorption were emphasized in the report.
Commissioned by the Council to make an additional literature search of all studies on
amalgam published after 1993, Prof. em. Maths Berlin reported that Hg vapor (the form of
mercury emitted from amalgam) affects the CNS and the kidneys (which may lead to the need
for dialysis). His major concern is, however, that Hg may affect the development of the
brain of the fetus. The exposure in some individuals is as high as that in industrial
workers, levels which cause CNS effects. Since the symptoms are similar to those of many
other disorders, there may be many patients who do not know that they are affected by
amalgam. "If you remove amalgam from an adult, he/she will get healthy, provided the
cause was mercury, but the effects in a fetus are irreversible...the risk is serious
enough to be unacceptable. Therefore exposure to amalgam should be avoided in children and
women in fertile age."
In his opinion it is unlikely that all people who claim to be ill from amalgam are right
about the cause of their problems (some may be victims of suggestion). About 1 % of the
population may be affected. His estimate was contradicted by other participants who
claimed that from 5,000 to 5000,000 Swedes could be affected.
In the debate that followed, he also said that previously doctors and dentists tried to
protect patients from unnecessary worries by not always tell what they knew or suspected,
but "nowadays we tell the truth." He also said that pregnant women should be
examined for the presence of mercury and that special clinics should be established to
help patients.
According to Dr. Magnus Nylander, Hg exposure from amalgam fillings could be as high as
100 mc/day. brain autopsies support these figures. Prof. em. Lars Friberg, expressed his
satisfaction with the investigation and a hope that in the future research funds will be
granted by committees with medical competence and not mainly by odontologists.
Prof. Ingvar Skare said that it is surprising how amalgam, of all mercury applications,
has been gave this particularly heavy burden of proof. Prof. Richardson's re-evaluation of
his own method which was made at the request of FRN, was published in the book. Some of
the conclusions are:
- Exposures and reference doses for Hg vapor may be more suitably standardized on the
basis of body surface area than on body weight.
- Average Hg exposures from amalgam exceeded the proposed reference dose in all age groups
as follows: toddlers by 1.4 times, children by 2.09 times, teens by 3.3 times, adults by
5.0 times, seniors by 3.6 times.
- Data suggest that approximately 19 to 20% of the general population may experience
sub-clinical CNS and/or kidney function impairment as a result of the presence of amalgam
fillings.
- It is impossible to determine from presently available data and information, what if any
threshold might exist for sub-clinical impacts of Hg vapor exposure on CNS and/or kidney
function.
- Significant data gaps exist in the published literature which should be addressed to
resolve a potential link between amalgam use and subclinical CNS and/or kidney function
impairment.
Dental Amalgam: Is It Safe?
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Den/2046/amalg.htm
The World Health Organizationthe (WHO) figures
There are both individual, group and national differences in the number of amalgam
fillings people have. There is also variation in how much mercury people get from diet.
Therefore, the question “what is the largest source of mercury exposure, diet or
amalgam?” does not have one single answer that applies to all individuals and
populations. However, it seems clear that in industrialized countries, amalgam is usually
the largest source.
Estimated average daily intake and retention (mg/day) of total mercury and mercury
compounds in the general population not occupationally exposed to mercurya
| Exposure |
Elemental mercury vapour |
Inorganic mercury compounds |
Methylmercury |
| Air |
0.030 (0.024) |
0.002 (0.001) |
0.008 (0.0064) |
| Food: fish |
0 |
0.600 (0.042) |
2.4 (2.3) |
| Food: non-fish |
0 |
3.6 (0.25) |
0 |
| Drinking-water |
0 |
0.050 (0.0035) |
0 |
| Dental amalgams |
3.8-21 (3- 17) |
0 |
0 |
| Total |
3.9-21 (3.1-17) |
4.3 (0.3) |
2.41 (2.31) |
| |
a From: Environmental Health Criteria 101: Methylmercury (WHO, 1990).
Values given are the estimated average daily intake; the figures in parentheses
represent the estimated amount retained in the body of an adult.
Values are quoted to 2 significant figures.
Other research that supports the WHO figures
The table shows a number of estimates of total mercury exposure from diet. Most of the
estimates lie in the 1.5-4 microgram range. There are two notable exceptions, both of
which are fish-eating indigenous peoples.
| Source |
Year |
Population |
Exposure |
| Tsuda et al. |
1995 |
Japan |
Four estimates: 3.5, 4.3, 4.3, 9.9 |
| Cuadrado et al. |
1995 |
Spain |
4- 7 |
| Richardson |
1995 |
Canada |
3.93 |
| Chan et al. |
1995 |
Canada (Inuit) |
65, 97 |
| Abe et al. |
1995 |
Papua New Guinea |
73 |
| Cuadrado et al. |
1992 |
Spain |
4 |
| Becker & Kumplainen. |
1991 |
Sweden |
1.8 |
| Ellen et al. |
1990 |
Netherlands |
2 |
References:
IPCS, Environmental health criteria 118. Inorganic mercury. Geneve: World Health
Organization, 1992: 112.
Abe T, Ohtsuka R, Hongo T, Suzuki T, Tohyama C, Nakano A, Akagi H, Akimichi T: High
hair and urinary mercury levels of fish eaters in the nonpolluted environment of Papua New
Guinea. Archives of Environmental Health 1995; 50 (5): 367-73.
Becker W, Kumpulainen J: Contents of essential and toxic mineral elements in Swedish
market-basket diets in 1987. British Journal of Nutrition 1991; 66 (2): 151-60.
Chan HM, Kim C, Khoday K, Receveur O, Kuhnlein HV: Assessment of dietary exposure to
trace metals in Baffin Inuit food. Environmental Health Perspectives 1995; 103 (7-8):
740-6.
Cuadrado C, Kumpulainen J, Moreiras O. Lead, cadmium and mercury contents in average
Spanish market basket diets from Galicia, Valencia, Andalucia and Madrid. Food Additives
& Contaminants 1995;12: 107-18.
Richardson GM, Mitchell M, Coad S et al: Exposure to mercury in Canada: a multimedia
analysis. Water, Air and Soil Pollution Journal 1995; 80: 21-30.
Further scientific information can be found at Dr.
Murray Vimy's Web Page, 150 Year's
of Russian Roulette Web Page, and Bosse's Mercury
Page. More information about removal, detoxification, and placement of composite
fillings can be found at Bioprobe, Inc. and at the Preventive Dental Association.
Information about finding a dentist practicing non-toxic dentistry can be found on the Resources For Related to Non-Toxic
Dentistry web page. Also, the AMALGAM mailing list can be
a good source of accurate, up-to-date information.
Important Links
Other Pages On This Site:
HOME
Dental Health Risks
"Mercury from Amalgam fillings contributes 3 to 4 times
more mercury to our bodies than all the environmental sources combined."
Dental health Forums:
Dental Care & Amalgam
Recommended Books
Other Recommended books:
- The Mercury In Your Mouth---Quicksilver Associates, 10 East 87 Street, New
York, NY 10128. Tel: 212 423 3074 Fax - 289 3046
- The End of Cancer by Charlotte Dubois & John Lubecki, D.C.
- Root Canal Cover Up by George Meinig
- Toxic Metal Syndrome by Casdorph & Walker
- Dental Mercury Detox by Ziff
Dentists have the highest suicide and divorce rates among professional. Female
dental personnel have a higher spontaneous abortion rate, a raised incidence of premature
labour, and an elevated perinatal mortality.
Research has demonstrated that 100% of all root canals result in residual
infection due to the imperfect seal that allows bacteria to penetrate. The toxins given
off by these bacteria are more toxic than mercury. These toxins can cause systemic
diseases of the heart, kidney, uterus, and nervous and endocrine systems.
"Electrogalvanism is frequently the cause of lack of concentration and
memory, insomnia, psychological problems, tinnitus, vertigo, epilepsy. To name a
few."---Edward Arana, D.D.S.
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