Mike on the Bike VE3BUP > > I would say that a person who >>chewed gum for 5 hours a day would >>likely break down their teeth before >>any mercury in the amalgams ever got >>a chance to be released. I would like >>to see relative levels. If the mercury >>were to break down from the fillings >>at a "dangerous" level I would say the >>fillings would fall apart ....
> Mike: Whenever you find yourself off >your bike could you please provide >some supporting evidence to your >statement, "I would say that a person >who chewed gum for 5 hours a day >would likely break down their teeth >before any mercury in the amalgams >ever got a chance to be released." >Thanks, Roger Sadly I am off the bike, I fell some 40 km short of my 2000 km in 2000 goal :) But off to cross country ski and the canal in Ottawa is opening for skating tomorrow...since you mentioned the bike. As to supporting evidence...after some 31 years as a wet fingered dentist....I would off the following. a) If it is sugar free gum then there would likely be no increase in caries ( Decay) , but the trauma of the grinding ( lateral excursion for those who want tech terms) would contribute to the fracturing of amalgam filled teeth. If the study was done on patients with large enough amalgams to show an increase in mercury/urine levels ( That is how I presume it was measured) then the cusps would be vulnerable to fracture. B) If it was sugar containing gum there would likely be an increase in decay. I recall a nurse in the Forces who had great oral hygiene but a lot of redecay around her fillings, I tried to figure it out...coffee, medications, then she said she chews gum all the time. I redid the fillings ( restorations) then had her try sugarless gum.... C) Chewing gum for 5 hours a day can cause some muscle cramps and TMJ problems, have you ever chewed it for a long time ? I have as a kid and found my jaws were sore.... I would have to wonder about chewing patterns, would it alter them and increase grinding..which leads to cusp fractures ? These are three anecdotal stories but in my experience I would say that 5 hours of gum chewing would lead to tooth breakdown. Or at least could. It is an unnatural chewing action ... Just for the record , I use little amalgam I use the white fillings because they bond to the teeth and strengthen them as opposed to the amalgams, crowns or inlays are preferred...but I do not avoid amalgam due to health concerns. I have yet to see any valid study that would make me feel this way. In the study that was quoted what were the levels of mercury, were they organic, inorganic, elemental mercury, what were the levels after the gum chewing ? What was the status of the teeth, that is lost fillings, broken teeth etc... As presented it is misleading and incomplete... Now off for a ski :) Cross country, no gum but I will bring a walkman :) -- The silver-list is a moderated forum for discussion of colloidal silver. To join or quit silver-list or silver-digest send an e-mail message to: [email protected] -or- [email protected] with the word subscribe or unsubscribe in the SUBJECT line. To post, address your message to: [email protected] Silver-list archive: http://escribe.com/health/thesilverlist/index.html List maintainer: Mike Devour <[email protected]>
