Listers:
I had my mercury fillings taken out almost 20 years ago, after reading a book
by a San Diego County dentist who was one of the first to expose the dangers of
mercury in dental fillings. He wanted $175 for removal of each filling, so I
went to Tijuana and had it done for $25 a tooth.
Two most interesting things I learned during this period was (1) that dentists
and dental technicians are taught in school to be very wary of dental mercury,
and all dental mercury is stored in a deep container of water, and (2) that any
dentist who informs his patients of the dangers of dental mercury use will be
barred from practice by the American Dental Association.
Mercury was first introduced into dentistry in the 1840s, and was an immediate
boon to the dental profession, for up until then, dentistry was very costly,
since all fillings were silver or gold. There was an immediate uproar from a
small segment of the dental population, who knew the dangers of mercury ("Mad
as a hatter" comes to mind) but they were shouted down by the majority who
wanted to make big bucks off the cheaper mercury amalgam fillings -- and formed
the ADA. So the ADA has known for 160 years that mercury in your mouth is a
potential health hazard.
Today, the ADA is quashing the "dental mercury" alarmists because it is afraid
that if the general public learns what we know, there will be class action
lawsuits out its wazoo.
My dentist was blackballed by the ADA, and eventually went out of business.
