There is a LOT of disagreement in this area. Since I had a lot of mercury filings AND health problems, I have always wondered if there might be a connection. Does the writer of the article you posted, lobby for the dental association, and is his opinion completely UN-biased?
A few more articles (from scientists or doctors): Fredin B. Studies on the Mercury Release from Dental Amalgam Fillings. Swed J Biol Med no 3, 1988 pp 8-15. ABSTRACT: "Several aspects of Hg release from dental amalgam tooth fillings were examined both in vivo and in vitro. By light microscopy Hg globules (diameter = 1-2 um) were observed on amalgam surfaces. Hg vapor was measured in exhaled air before and after 5 minutes of gum chewing in 3 groups of subjects with varying numbers of dental amalgams (Group 1: having symptoms similar to chronic low dose Hg exposure, N=22; Group 3: having no apparent symptoms and considered healthy, N=20; Group 3: controls having no amalgam fillings; N=10). Groups 1 and 2 both demonstrated a significant 3-fold increase in Hg vapor levels after chewing, while levels in controls remained undetectable. A mouth rinse of hot water (55¡C) in Group 2 resulted in a further increase in Hg vapor levels. Saliva samples (1 ml) from 17 subjects in group 2, collected before and after chewing, showed a significant 8-fold increase in Hg concentrations after chewing. In a fourth group Hg absorption by the oral mucosa was studied, Group 4, N=10, A notably high absorption was found after 3 minutes. It is concluded that dental amalgam should be considered an unstable alloy constituting a long term Hg exposure and toxicologically unsuitable as a dental filling material." Bo Walhjalt 95-09-11 <A HREF="mailto:[email protected]";>e-mail: [email protected] </A> (Abstracts from a database maintained by <A HREF="mailto:[email protected]";>Leif Hedegård </A> ) Echeverria D, Heyer NJ, Martin MD, Naleway CA, Woods JS & Bittner AC jr Behavioral Effects of Low-Level Exposure to Hg0 Among Dentists. Neurotoxicol Teratol 17(2):161-168 (1995) ABSTRACT: "Exposure thresholds for health effects associated with elemental mercury (Hg0) exposure were examined by comparing behavioral test scores of 19 exposed (mean urinary Hg = 36 micrograms/l) with those of 20 unexposed dentists. Thirty-six micrograms Hg/l is 7 times greater than the 5 micrograms Hg/l mean level measured in a national sample of dentists. To improve the distinction between recent and cumulative effects, the study also evaluated porphyrin concentrations in urine, which are correlated with renal Hg content (a measure of cumulative body burden). Subjects provided an on-site spot urine sample, were administered a l-h assessment consisting of a consent form, the Profile of Mood Scales, a symptom and medical questionnaire, and 6 behavioral tests: digit-span, symbol-digit substituion, simple reaction time, the ability to switch between tasks, vocabulary, and the One Hole Test. Multivariate regression techniques were used to evaluate dose-effects controlling for the effects of age, race, gender and alcohol consumption. A dose-effect was considered statistically significant below a p value of 0.05. Significant urinary Hg dose-effects were found for poor mental concentration, emotional lability, somatosensory irritation, and mood scores. Individual tests evaluating cognitive and motor function changed in the expected directions but were not significantly associated with urinary Hg. However, the pooled sum of rank scores for combinations of tests within domains were significantly associated with urinary Hg, providing evidence of subtle preclinical changes in behavior associated with Hg exposure. Coproporphyrin, one of three urinary porphyrins altered by mercury exposure, was significantly associated with deficits in digit span and simple reaction time. The prophyrin pooled sums of rank scores were as sensitive as the urinary Hg analyses within the cognitive and motor domains but were less sensitive for the overall battery of tests. The reported effects were detected among dentists with a mean urinary Hg level of 36 micrograms/l, which lies between the proposed biologic thresholds of 25 and 50 micrograms Hg/creatinine, suggesting the need for a more comprehensive study to determine the threshold of adverse biologic effects." Bo Walhjalt 95-09-11 e-mail: [email protected]) (Abstracts from a database maintained by <A HREF="mailto:[email protected]";>Leif Hedegård </A> ) Mercury Dental "Silver" Fillings: The Debate Over Risk, Need For Replacement, and Detoxification by Ronald R. Parks, M.D. > A review of studies on mercury toxicity and dental amalgam concludes that > the animal and human experiments to date, demonstrate that the uptake, > tissue distribution and excretion of amalgam mercury is significant and > that dental amalgam is the major contributing source to the mercury body > burden in humans. > > Several scientific reports have suggested a possible relationship between certain chronic or unexplained illnesses and the presence of mercury in the body. It appears that toxic substances, such as mercury, may accumulate in the body and have the potential to damage the brain, heart, lungs, liver, kidney, blood cells, hormones and suppress the body's immune system. Some researchers are looking at the possibility that mercury toxicity may play a role in the development of multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. A human autopsy study comparing the brain tissue of people with Alzheimer's disease, with an aged matched group of brains from people without Alzheimer's Disease, showed the Alzheimer's group to have a significant higher concentration of mercury in all the areas of the brains involved in memory function (Wenstrup, D. Ehmann, W.D., & Markesbery, W.R., Brain Res. 1990, 533, 125-31). Mercury poisoning in people exposed to large amounts of industrial or environmental mercury has been studied. Its relationship to severe symptoms and illness has been well documented. Now there is accumulative evidence that long term exposure and absorption of smaller amounts of mercury can result in some of the same symptoms and problems seen in individuals that have had significant exposure to mercury. Possible symptoms related to mercury are vast and include: neurologic and psychological problems, fine tremors (as in handwriting), depression, chronic fatigue, increased irritability, moodiness, nervousness, excitability, difficulties with concentrating, loss of memory, sleep difficulties, nausea, diarrhea, loss of appetite, birth defects in offspring, kidney disease, lung disease, swollen glands, tongue ulcerations, dark pigmentation in the gum, headaches, paralysis, numbness in arms, legs, hands and feet, poor resistance to infection, pain (especially facial pain), vertigo, ringing in the ears and many other symptoms. Improvement has occurred in some individuals after the removal of mercury and mercury detoxification. Improvements have been reported in kidney function, reversal of some mental and neurologic symptoms, thought and memory disturbances, chronic fatigue and the reversal of other symptoms as mentioned above, which have been thought to be due to chronic and untreatable illness. The Source of Toxic Mercury The sources of mercury contamination have been very controversial. However, a growing number of research scientists feel that a major source is the mercury found in dental amalgams, with lesser amounts from fish, seafood, other foods, contaminated water and air pollutants. For more than 150 years, dentistry has used silver mercury amalgam (commonly referred to as "silver" fillings), which contains approximately 50% mercury metal as the preferred tooth filling material. Medical research has demonstrated that this mercury can be released as a vapor into the mouth. It is then inhaled and absorbed into the body tissues where it eventually becomes tightly bound to cell protein. A review of studies on mercury toxicity and dental amalgam, by Lorscheider, Vimy and Summers, concludes that the animal and human experiments to date, demonstrate that the uptake, tissue distribution and excretion of amalgam mercury is significant and that dental amalgam is the major contributing source to the mercury body burden in humans (article: Lorscheider, et. al., "Mercury exposure from 'silver' tooth fillings: emerging evidence questions a traditional dental paradigm" FASEB J. 9, 504-508 1995). It has been felt that mercury in dental amalgam is safely bound. However, growing evidence again suggests that mercury can enter the body through the vapors. Chewing, grinding the teeth, hot food or drink and even the corrosive action by our saliva may cause these vapors to be released. Sheep exposed to mercury dental fillings, after 30 days of chewing, showed significant loss of kidney function (Boyd, N.D., et al. Am. J. Physiol.1991, 261, R1010-R1014). A 1992 study in Sweden showed a fecal excretion of total mercury to be a 100 times greater than the mean intake of total mercury from a normal diet in individuals with a large number of amalgam fillings (Skare I. and Engvist A. Amalgam restorationp;an important source to human exposure of mercury and silver. Lakartidningen 15:1299-1301, 1992). A recent study released in the Journal of the American Dental Association, failed to show any significant relationship between the number and surface area of occlusal dental amalgams and cognitive performance. It, however, did suggest that mercury from dental amalgam surfaces may be absorbed and related to levels of urinary mercury. This study didn't answer the question of the potential toxicity of absorbed mercury to other organ systems or even to the brain when the special predisposing factors are present, whatever they might be, in those that develop Alzheimer's disease or other progressive degenerative diseases ("Dental Amalgam and Cognitive Functions in Older Women: Findings From the Nun Study," Saxe, Stanley, R., D.M.D., Journal of the American Dental Association, Nov. 1995;126:1495-1501). Environmental protection agencies now recognize mercury as a hazardous substance and are trying to regulate the amount of airborne mercury in the workplace. Dentists aware of the toxic nature of mercury often use special procedures in disposing of mercury to avoid touching or breathing its vapors. Use of dental amalgam containing mercury is now being phased out or limited in several European countries such as Sweden and Germany. Also there is an effort by a growing number of dentists to develop and use non mercury containing materials for dental work and to use alternatives to mercury fillings. The Testing and Removal of Mercury With new methods of testing it is possible to get a better idea of the amount of mercury accumulated in your body. Although this is a controversial area, I feel that it is a consideration for individuals with chronic unexplained illnesses, diseases or symptoms, to be checked for toxic heavy metal and mercury levels. If there is evidence of high mercury levels and symptoms suggestive of possible mercury toxicity, the next consideration would be whether or not to have existing mercury in the mouth removed or for dental revision to be done. If this is considered, you would need to consult a dentist who has had experience in mercury removal and in the use of non mercury containing fillings and replacement materials. Many conventional dentists and the American Dental Association feel that dental amalgam with mercury is safe and it is of no value to have them removed or replaced. Mercury Removal and Chelation with DMPS If mercury removal is carried out from the mouth and oral cavity, the next important step is to effectively detoxify the body and remove the mercury which has accumulated there. For the past 25 years, a chelating agent has been effectively researched and safely used to remove the mercury from the body, in countries such as Japan, Germany and the former Soviet Union. A chelating agent is a compound which complexes and combines with the mercury, pulling it from the tissue where it is tightly bound and can be excreted from the body, through the kidneys, urine and stool. The agent used most commonly has been DMPS (sodium 2 3 Dimercaptopropane-1-sulfate). DMPS has proven itself to be effective and safe and generally is administered by a simple intravenous (IV) infusion into an arm vein. This procedure is periodically repeated, with careful monitoring and checking of urine mercury levels, until an acceptable level is reached. The DMPS chelating agent will also remove other toxic metals from the body such as cadmium, arsenic and lead. The magnitude of the effect of mercury may vary according to the number, size of mercury amalgam fillings, sensitivity of the individual and the total amount of accumulated mercury in body tissue. A number of physicians and dentists who are concerned about potential mercury risk have decided to participate in the Great Lakes Association of Clinical Medicine investigational review board (IRB) for a large multi-investigator research protocol in the United States on the use of DMPS for mercury testing and detoxification. If you consider going through mercury removal and detoxification, it is important to understand that, although there can be substantial benefit in select situations, there is no guarantee this will bring any definite benefits to you in your particular case or situation. It is important that research continue in this area and that the safest possible materials be used for dental filling and restorations and that procedure for the testing and removal of toxic mercury be readily available to people in need of it now and in the future. Ronald R. Parks, M.P.H., M.D. is a consultant and specialist in nutritional, preventive, holistic medicine and psychiatry. He received his M.P.H. in Health Services Research from U.C.L.A. and his M.D. from the University of Maryland. He completed his residency training in internal medicine at George Washington University, preventive medicine at U.C.L.A. and psychiatry at the University of Maryland and is currently board certified in psychiatry. He has been an assistant professor at the University of Miami Medical Center and at Albany Medical College. He has also been a practicing physician interested in holistic, preventive and nutritional medicine for over 20 years. He was an associate of Alan Gaby M.D., a noted physician and author in the nutritional medicine field, before Gaby left practice on a sabbatical writing a new book on nutritional medicine. Dr. Parks office and The Center for Preventive and Nutritional Health Care that he directs are located in the Pikesville area of Baltimore, MD. Dr. Parks can be reached at (410) 486-5656. Wholistic Dentists offering Mercury-free fillings: > <A HREF="http://www.doubleclickd.com/baldwin.html";>Dr. Thomas Baldwin </A> > (410) 321-0558 > > <A HREF="http://www.doubleclickd.com/baylin.html";>Dr. Michael A. Baylin & > Dr. Ian E. Shuman </A> > (410) 484-5266 > > <A HREF="http://www.doubleclickd.com/delong.html";>Dr. Bill DeLong</A> > (410) 740-2884 > > Dr. Michael Goldman > (301) 656-6171 > > Dr. Ivan Rosengarden > (410) 484-2722 > > > To learn more about mercury toxicity diagnosis and treatment: > > <A HREF="http://www.doubleclickd.com/parks.html";>Dr. Ron Parks </A> >
