DENTAL AMALGAMS
Amalgams are mixtures of metals placed into cavities by dentists. The standard “silver” filling material is actually 50% mercury, 35% silver, 9 % tin and 6% copper. This type of material actually began to be used in this country in the 1850’s. The earliest organized group of dentists prohibited use of mercury due to its known toxicity. However, by 1856, the American Dental Association’s view that mercury was safe and nontoxic prevailed. The advantage of amalgam fillings was ease of installation and cheapness.
Today, the U.S. government’s own Environmental Protection Agency has classified mercury as hazardous waste. Mercury has been removed as a preservative in contact lens solution and vaccines. Mercury thermometers are banned. The Food and Drug Administration has not approved mercury for use as a dental material. A large volume of scientific research has demonstrated that mercury is toxic in minute quantities. The ADA claims that based on 150 years of use, mercury amalgams must be safe. They claim that mercury in amalgams is bound to the other metals and not released into the body. Currently about 90% of dentists continue to use and prefer amalgam fillings. Over 100 million fillings are placed yearly and over 150,000 pounds of mercury are used. However, the research demonstrates that each amalgam in a tooth releases approximately 10 micrograms of mercury daily. Studies show that every time an amalgam is exposed to hot liquids or pressure from chewing, mercury vapor is released into the mouth and then enters the body.
A wide variety of illness has been linked to mercury. Malfunction of kidney tissue in sheep given mercury has been documented. Tissue samples of heart muscle cells from people with dilated cardiomyopathy (a severe and fatal form of heart failure) of unknown cause had 10,000 times the concentration of mercury compared to normal hearts. Neuropsychological testing of dental workers exposed to mercury showed a correlation between higher mercury levels and lower performance on tests of brain function. Links between high mercury levels and Alzheimer’s disease have been demonstrated. Evidence suggests that autoimmune diseases such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis may occur more often in those exposed to mercury. For those interested in researching more about mercury’s effect on health, I have listed a number of websites.
www.iaomt.org - A professional organization for dentists and physicians seeking to improve the safety of oral dentistry.
www.bioprobe.com - A site devoted to toxic effects of mercury released from dental amalgams.
www.amalgam.org - More information about this issue.
The evidence is clear that mercury amalgams are potentially toxic. I advise everyone to avoid having new amalgams placed in their mouth. If an amalgam needs to be replaced or fixed, have your dentist use a different material. Removing an amalgam filling without special precautions causes a significant exposure to high mercury levels. The International Association for Oral Medicine and Toxicology (www.iaomt.org) has a protocol proven in studies to minimize exposure to mercury during removal of amalgams.
If you have a chronic health problem that may be caused or aggravated by mercury toxicity, it is possible to test for this. Since most mercury is stored in tissues, blood and urine levels are not useful except after acute poisoning. An oral chelating agent DMPS or DMSA can bind and remove mercury through the kidneys. Your physician can have you collect a pre-challenge urine sample and then repeat the urine collection immediately after taking the DMPS or DMSA. A large increase in the amount of mercury in the urine indicates a large body burden of mercury. The mercury can be removed gradually through use of various chelating agents.
Daniel Blodgett MD