jarhead#42

Did you know that mercury fillings (aka Silver Amalgam fillings) can cause cancer?

If you were Swedish, you’d know that. Your insurance plan would pay whatever it costs to remove the fillings. If you refused, you’d be denied any health insurance because your cancer and disease risk would be considered too high.

webist

Heard something along those lines at one time. Don't have any and am not aware of any in the family. So, I don't much worry about it.

jarhead#42

I keep posting this info at a place called www.godlikeproductions.com and it keeps getting deleted must be the truth

nick burns

Not too sure about the carcinogenic effects of Hg, but here's info from New Jersey State Department of Health Division of Occupational and Environmental Health:

TYPES OF MERCURY

There are three important types of mercury:

1. The pure element,
2. Inorganic compounds (such as mercuric chloride) and
3. Organic mercury compounds (such as phenyl mercuric propionate).

Each type poses a different health hazard.

Elemental mercury is a liquid and gives off mercury vapor at room temperature. This vapor can be inhaled into the lungs and passed into the blood stream. Elemental mercury can also pass through the skin and into the blood stream. If swallowed, however, this form of mercury is not absorbed out of the stomach, and usually passes out of the body without harm.

Inorganic mercury compounds can also be inhaled and absorbed through the lungs, and may pass through the skin. But the compounds can also be absorbed through the stomach if swallowed. Many inorganic mercury compounds are irritating or corrosive to the skin, eyes and mucus membranes as well.

Organic mercury compounds can enter the body readily through all three routes-lungs, skin and stomach.

ACUTE HEALTH EFFECTS

Very high exposures to mercury vapor in the air can cause acute poisoning. Symptoms usually begin with cough, chest tightness, trouble breathing and upset stomach. This may go on to pneumonia, which can be fatal.

If the inorganic mercury compounds are swallowed, nausea, vomiting diarrhea and severe kidney damage can occur.

CHRONIC HEALTH EFFECTS

Exposure to any form of mercury on a repeated basis, or even from a single, very high exposure can lead to the disease of chronic mercury poisoning. There are three main symptoms:

1. Gum problems. The gums become soft and spongy, the teeth get loose, sores may develop, and there may be increased saliva.
2. Mood and mental changes. People with chronic mercury poisoning often have wide swings of mood, becoming irritable, frightened, depressed or excited very quickly for no apparent reason. Such people may become extremely upset at any criticism, lose all self-confidence, and become apathetic. Hallucinations, memory loss and inability to concentrate can occur.
3. Nervous system. The earliest and most frequent symptom is a fine tremor (shaking) of the hand. A tremor may also occur in the tongue and eyelids. Eventually this can progress to trouble balancing and walking.

OTHER HEALTH EFFECTS

There are a number of other symptoms that may be caused by exposure to mercury and mercury-containing compounds.

* A skin allergy may develop. If this happens, repeated exposure causes rash and itching.
* Exposure to mercury vapor can cause the lens of the eye to discolor.
* Some of the inorganic mercury compounds can cause burns or severe irritation of the skin and eyes on contact.

EFFECTS ON THE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM

Some organic mercury compounds (methylmercury) are known to cause birth defects in children born of exposed mothers. It is not known whether inorganic compounds or elemental mercury have this effect.

librarian

Man, if it is anyone my age (56) is really in trouble. Back when I was a kid the dentist used to mix his own amalgam using liquid mercury. Whatever he did not use he would give to us in a paper cup. We used to smear it on pennys at home to make dimes out of them.

PS
Don't even ask me how much time I spend wiggling my toes under the xray machine at the shoe store.

jarhead#42

Amalgam / Mercury Dental Filling Toxicity
Back to Holistic Healing Home Page

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An often overlooked, but extremely important source of toxic material is the mercury from silver [mercury] amalgam fillings. Some people who are aware of the situation are confused by the mixture of information available. Unfortunately, statements from dental trade organizations and on a few poorly-researched news reports have muddled the situation.

Here are a few facts about mercury amalgam fillings:


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." Also see: https://www.holistic-dentistry.com/artalzeimer.asp


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. Also, please see the article on the instability of dental amalgam fillings by Ulf Bengsston.


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. Also, please see the following short review related to increases in mercury exposure from dissimilar metals in the mouth, exposure to magnetic fields, chewing, etc.


Cumulative Poison and Builds Up in Organs
Mercury released from fillings builds up in the brain, pituitary, adrenals, and other parts of the body.


Mercury Amalgam Fillings Effect Porphyrins
Preliminary results from the first detailed biochemical analysis (scroll half-way down) 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. Also, see the Video of the preliminary results from the study.


Potential Contribuatory Factor in Other Diseases
Mercury from amalgam fillings has been implicated as a possible contribuatory 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 study published in the Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine related to the proper removal of mercury amalgam fillings from 118 subjects showed an elimination or reduction or 80% of the classic mercury poisoning symptoms. In many cases, it took 6 to 12 months after mercury amalgam removal for the symptoms to disappear.


World-reknowned 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
Canadians are in the process of beginning a major class action lawsuit based on the fact that the government knew of but did not warn the public about mercury dangers from amalgam fillings. Legal actions related to mercury exposure from mercury amalgam fillings and vaccines are beginning in the United States. For more information and a directory of Mercury-free dentists, please see the TalkInternation.com web site.


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.

Further scientific information can be found at Mercury Adverse Effects Web Page, 150 Year's of Russian Roulette Web Page, Alt Corp's Amalgam Page, and Bo Walhjalt's Mercury Articles Web 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

talyrath

This is totally uncorroborated, but I read that if you have more than 4 silver-amalgam fillings your saliva will have mercury levels high enough that it's actually illegal for you to spit on the ground.

FXjohn

Why would you believe that?

Machka 

OK, who here has NOT heard that mercury is bad for your health in some way???? Is this actually NEWS to anyone?? If it is .... you must have a nice cave built under that rock where you've been living!!

Safety issues regarding mercury and dental work have been around for almost 100 years, and this whole discussion really hit the news 10 years ago.
https://www.amalgam.org/
https://www.cda-adc.ca/english/your_o...qs/default.asp

FXjohn

grow a brain (too late for some)
and don't get on the scare bandwagon.
follow the money.
Do your own research, be skeptical

The last case I will mention is of an adult. I was referred to a web site called "The Mercury Connection" to show me the horrors of amalgam fillings. It certainly horrified me, but not for the reasons that the person recommending it to me thought. What horrified me was the report, in his own words, of a man with an incurable disease who had the last years of his life stolen from him by quacks and liars. Roy Smith had Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, also called "Lou Gehrig's Disease"), a quite rare complaint. He was deceived into thinking that this may have been caused by the mercury in the fillings in his teeth, so he had all his fillings removed and replaced. If the story had stopped there it would have been bad enough, but the vultures hanging around him wanted more. He was encouraged to spend his time (and his money, of course) on the useless quackeries of chelation and hyperbaric oxygen.

You would expect that these treatments would have some demonstrated benefit after some time, but fifteen months after Roy had had his fillings replaced, he was told that the amount of mercury in his body had increased! (He was eventually told that it had reached a level five times as high as when the treatment started.) At the same time he was being told that he needed more and more treatments in a compression chamber, although there was no evidence that his condition was improving. You might ask yourself why someone would tell him that he needed to sit in a compression chamber several times per day when it didn't seem to be doing him any good. The reason was that he and his family still had money left. You may wonder how the level of mercury in his body could increase alarmingly when the supposed source had been removed more than a year before. It was because the people selling him a "treatment" were taking the measurements. Think about it for a moment - if the reported levels never dropped, he would know that he was being scammed, but if they had actually dropped to nothing he might have wanted to stop paying. So they lied to him.

Roy Smith died on July 13, 1998. His death was a personal tragedy for his family and, like all needless deaths, diminishes us all. It would have been a tragedy for the chelationists and oxygen "therapists" as well, because a large part of their income would have gone. Unlike Donna, Ryan and Lori who lost a husband and father, however, the quacks would have just had to do a bit of advertising to get another Roy. The final chapter in this tragedy was when Roy realised that he had been conned and, with a system that let him type by moving his head and clicking a switch with his toe, he wrote the final words on his web site three months before he died: "PS. As of 4/16/1998, after taking 500mg. of DMSA daily for nearly three months, my mercury levels show even higher than last time".

The response I got when I wrote about Roy Smith was astounding. I was accused of damaging people by trying to stop them having their fillings out, I was "trashing" Roy and his memory, I was trying to gain benefit from his death. Someone even wrote to his widow about me. What nobody would address is that even if the ALS had been caused by the fillings in his teeth (it wasn't), what I was objecting to was not so much the removal of his fillings but the process of continuous lying that went on after that about how the level of mercury in his body went up and down. It could only go down unless the charlatans treating him were feeding him mercury, they were incompetent beyond belief, or they were lying to him. Again, no possible criticism of a form of "alternative medicine" was permissible or could even be contemplated.

I promised to talk about the implications of the responses I have received to comments about deaths. The common thread through these is that the opponents of medicine (I refuse to use the term "conventional medicine") accept no limits. Nothing is beyond the pale for them. No "alternative" to medicine goes too far, just as none appears too stupid for someone to believe. But just let a real doctor harm someone or fail to cure them

FXjohn

The mercury scare apparently began in 1985 with the publication of It's All in Your Head by Hal Huggins, a Colorado dentist who was convinced that just about everything that ails anybody is due to the mercury in amalgam fillings. "60 Minutes" gave the idea a big boost with a program segment in 1990 entitled "Poison in Your Mouth." The program was called Toxic Television by Dr. Stephen Barrett.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says "there is scant evidence that the health of a vast majority of people with amalgam is compromised." The American Dental Association (ADA) claims that "there currently appears to be no justification for discontinuing the use of dental amalgam." Of course, the amalgam opponents think the ADA is part of a conspiracy to hide the real dangers of the alloy. The ADA position is not based on economics but on science. According to my dentist, dentists in California are advised not to comply with a patient's request to have all his or her "mercury" fillings removed. Removing "mercury" fillings and using plastics to refill them would be a good way to make money, since there are many people who are convinced, as Watson is, that their fillings are causing all their health problems. Dentists are advised not to do the work because there is not sufficient scientific evidence to back up the fear that fillings are poisoning people. The fear truly is all in the patient's, or the U.S. Representative's, head.

However, Watson does claim there is scientific support for her position. HR 4163 states that

(7) According to certain scientific studies, Health Canada, and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry of the Public Health Service of the Department of Health and Human Services, children and pregnant women are at particular risk for exposure to mercury contained in dental amalgam.

(8) According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, the mercury from amalgam goes through the placenta of pregnant women and through the breast milk of lactating women, giving rise to health risks to an unborn child or a baby.

(9) The Environmental Protection Agency considers removed amalgam filling and extracted teeth containing amalgam material to be hazardous waste.

(10) The use of mercury in any product being put into the body is opposed by many health groups, such as the American Public Health Association, the California Medical Association, and Health Care Without Harm.

She does not specify the "certain studies" she refers to. (Maybe she is thinking of one of the studies mentioned at this site.) However, Health Canada specifically states "A total ban on amalgam is not considered justified," presumably because "current evidence does not indicate that dental amalgam is causing illness in the general population." Even so, this same group claims "there is a small percentage of the population which is hypersensitive to mercury and can suffer severe health effects from even a low exposure." It does not say where it got this information. And, it is true that Health Canada warns "Whenever possible, amalgam fillings should not be placed in or removed from the teeth of pregnant women." But it does not explain why it gives this warning while claiming that current evidence does not indicate that dental amalgam is causing illness in the general population.

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry of the Public Health Service of the Department of Health and Human Services says that one may be exposed to mercury by the "Release of mercury from dental work and medical treatments." But it does not say how much mercury is likely to be released from dental work or why the amount released should be considered dangerous.

Watson may be right about the groups she says oppose the use of mercury in products to be put in the body (such as thermometers), but I couldn't find direct evidence that any of these groups opposes dental amalgam.

further reading

The Mercury Amalgam Scam: How Anti-Amalgamists Swindle People Stephen Barrett, M.D.

"Holistic Dentistry": A Brief Overview Stephen Barrett, M.D. William T. Jarvis, Ph.D.

American Dental Association Sues Los Angeles Lawyer for Defamation; Cites Smear Campaign As Attempt To Promote Himself and Firm, May 14, 2002

Notes from the ADA lawsuit What some others say about amalgam safety by James Berry, May 15, 2002

[thanks to Joe Littrell]

recneps345

The Swedes sure are making their taxpayers spend alot of money on something that they shouldnt have to if they dont want to. If an individual, as yourself, wants an amalgam free mouth, they can fork out the extra dough. Hey, if everyone wants to replace amalgam, that is fine with me. I have one more year of dental school left, so I would love it everybody could use composites, but they cant. I put many more amalgams in than composites. Amalgams are more durable and way cheaper. I am around amalgam all of time, I guess I have a couple of years to live if im lucky.

supcom

I can't figure out what this sort of scaremongering has to do with bicycling. I guess if you get cancer or some other deadly disease from you silver amalgam fillings, you'll have to adjust your riding schedule?

Seriously, can we move this to the Foo forum?

531Aussie

The last time i looked into this I read that having all the fillings replaced at the one time exposes the patient to too much mercury to make it worth while.

I guess you could do it one at a time....or half at a time..

skookum

Thanks FXjohn for posting something to counter the usual internet hoax nonsense.

nick burns

I suspect the truth lies somewhere in between.

Requesting plastic fillings in place of mercury amalgam is definitely worth consideration. Replacing existing amalgam fillings would not be worth the risk of the mercury exposure experienced during the process.

mrjon

If you put your head inside any respectably strong MRI magnet system (1.5 Tesla or stronger) and move from side to side, you will be able to taste the metal in your fillings. Of course this is probably not a very healthy thing to do...

Roody

The only ones who believed the mercury hoax were those whose brains were damaged by the fluoride in the water.

nick burns

My sarcasm filter's been on the fritz lately, so forgive me if I missed it this time, but...

People shouldn't disregard the very real dangers of mercury exposure because of the words of a few extremists. It is a highly toxic substance and every effort should be made to avoid contact with it.

redlemondrsx

i hope theres not something that yall know that i dont, but what does mercury have to do with cycling? just curious...

Roody

Huh? I thought this was the crazy conspiracy theories forum.

skookum

Quackwatch has this to say about mercury in amalgam fillings.

Blackberry

Boy, there's just so daggone much to be afraid of out there. Fortunately, I'm not paying the least bit of attention to most of it. And life is good.

Patriot

Being afraid of cancer is not the issue. What is wrong with you people. There are much more important issues that must be dealt with concerning these horrible fillings which fill my mouth. AAAUUUGGGHHHH!!!!!!!

I am very concerned about the enormous amount of weight from these mercury fillings in my mouth. For my next long ride, I will make sure I drill them all out. I figure, I can shave off at least another 20grams or more.

They need to create Titanium fillings for cyclists. I know they are probably softer and don't last as long, but they would be much lighter for us weight weenies, and poseurs.

Yes, getting rid of these mercury fillings to save some weight, is much more important than the concern of cancer.

(can y'all smell the sarcasm?)

forum*rider

Really? I have been in an MRI machine numerous times and I have never tasted any metal.(I have one small filling in the very last molar in the back of my mouth)

I wasn't in the machine for any health problems. My uncle works at UCSD at the MRI research center and I am frequently used as a test subject. Callibrating the machine, new experiments, etc.