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Are Your Teeth Toxic?
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| In November of this year, the ADA's annual convention, held this year, in
Philadelphia was RUINED for the ADA because of the demonstrators outside the
doors, and the media interviews focusing on the "mercury amalgam" issue -
and the ADA's misinformation campaign.
But now it gets worse - for now the media in the ADA's own home town has
seen through the ADA - and is thoroughly lambasting them for their "mercury
amalgam" position. About time...
The Chicago Tribune newspaper, last week, figuratively used a sledgehammer
on the ADA - and did everything but call for a Federal indictment over the
"mercury amalgam" issue. The article titled "Are Your Teeth Toxic?" "The
mercury in 'silver' fillings would be hazardous waste in a river----yet it's
sitting in your mouth," is a "must read."
http://www.chicagotribune.com/featu...=chi-health-hed
Are your teeth toxic?
The mercury in 'silver' fillings would be hazardous waste in a river----yet
it's sitting in your mouth
Published December 11, 2005
A professional musician from Arlington Heights suffers from mysterious
rashes and lip blisters. A dental hygienist in Hoffman Estates battles
migraines. And a social worker in Prospect Heights is diagnosed with
multiple sclerosis.
All three tried treating their ailments using a controversial method: by
having dentists remove and replace their so-called "silver" amalgam tooth
fillings, which contain about 50 percent mercury. And all three swear they
experienced life-changing health improvements.
Their personal testimonies are part of what makes dental amalgam, the silver
lining for hundreds of millions of American mouths, one of the most divisive
issues in dentistry. Though it's one of the oldest materials in oral health
care--used by people of all ages for the last 150 years--anti-mercury groups
are pushing the startling message that mercury residing in the mouth can
leach into the body and cause illness.
"I thought my career was over," said Arlington Heights' Matt Comerford, now
a trumpet player with the Lyric Opera who was suffering from painful sores
along his gums. He began investigating the metals in his mouth and
eventually had nine silver fillings replaced with a mercury-free
alter-native material.
"Within a week [of having the amalgams replaced], everything healed,"
Comerford said.
Amalgam, most dentists admit, is crude and ugly, but they say it's a
valuable option because it's strong, durable and relatively cheap.
And studies have shown that there is insufficient evidence to link it to
health problems (with the exception of allergic reactions), according to the
American Dental Association and several federal agencies, including the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Regardless, anti-mercury groups are appalled by the notion that the toxic
element, which is considered a hazardous waste by the Environmental
Protection Agency, is safe when it's packed inside a tooth. They argue that
although it was once thought to be inert inside the mouth, studies now show
that mercury can be emitted in minute amounts of vapor and absorbed by the
patient through inhalation and ingestion.
At Doctor's Data, a Chicago lab that specializes in trace-metals analysis,
clinicians have found that the amount of mercury in a person's stool is
highly correlated to the number of amalgams in the mouth.
"What stool testing drives home is that parts of the amalgams don't stay in
the teeth and we're swallowing mercury," said Dean Bass, a chemist at
Doctor's Data and a scientist at Argonne National Laboratories. "But it
doesn't necessarily tell you how much mercury the body absorbs."
A long-running controversy
The debate over silver amalgam dates at least to 1845, when the now-defunct
American Academy of Dental Surgeons asked its members to sign a pledge never
to use it. Though amalgam use has been declining since the 1970s because
more eye-pleasing options are available and cavities are smaller, federal
lawmakers have introduced a bipartisan bill to ban silver/mercury fillings
for children and pregnant and nursing women and to phase them out completely
in three years.
In California, dentists are required by state law to post a warning that
dental amalgams "cause exposure to mercury, a chemical known to the state of
California to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm."
"The ADA is wrong that the issue is `safety.' The issue is `risk,'" said
Charlie Brown, national counsel for Consumers for Dental Choice and
Coalition for Mercury-Free Dentistry. He has filed a petition asking the
Federal Trade Commission to investigate the ADA and the Connecticut State
Dental Association for what the groups claims is making false, deceptive and
unsubstantiated claims in promoting silver/mercury amalgam.
"On this point scientists agree: Mercury is a virulent neurotoxin that can
permanently harm the developing brain of a child or fetus. Yet a recent
Zogby poll shows three in five people don't know that `silver' fillings have
mercury," said Brown, who pointed out that silver fillings are in fact
mainly mercury.
The ADA staunchly defends the safety of amalgam, still used in about 30
percent of restorations. Amalgam, made by mixing elemental liquid mercury
with an alloy powder composed of silver, tin, copper and sometimes smaller
amounts of other metals, hardens quickly and tolerates saliva. This makes it
useful for treating squirmy young children or special-needs patients who
have a hard time sitting still.
Money and ethics
Some dental insurance companies don't cover the more expensive alternatives
to amalgam. And because science doesn't definitively link the silver
fillings to health problems, the ADA considers it unethical for dentists to
tell patients that removing amalgams can improve health.
"Amalgam has the longest history, the most data and the largest number of
studies supporting it. Yet time after time, we have to come back and address
it," said Dr. Fred Eichmiller, director of the ADA Foundation's Paffenbarger
Resource Center, where alternatives to amalgams have been invented.
Critics argue that the issue also is environmental. Mercury is emitted into
the air when bodies with mercury fillings are cremated. It gets into the
water when fillings are removed and leftover material is not disposed of
properly.
"Amalgams don't need to be used in the 21st Century," said Downers Grove
dentist Janet Stopka, who uses composite, porcelain and gold.
For consumers, the decision whether to replace amalgams can be a difficult
one. Urine, hair and feces can all be tested for mercury levels and
chelating agents can pull mercury out of the organs. But the results don't
necessarily tell whether there is enough mercury present to pose a health
risk and an official diagnosis of "mercury poisoning" can be tentative.
Swapping out old fillings can be expensive; each replacement can cost $75 to
$200. And there are no guaranteed benefits.
Nevertheless, Dawn Quast, a dental hygienist for Dr. John Rothchild in
Hoffman Estates, decided to have four small fillings replaced after she
witnessed both small and profound improvements in Rothchild's patients who
had amalgams replaced.
"I had a migraine the night I had the last silver one removed and haven't
had one since [in 12 years]," Quast said.
Rothchild, a mercury-free dentist, said he doesn't push people into having
silver fillings removed.
No guarantees
"I never promise any medical cures because you can't," he said. Instead, he
presents both sides of the issue on his Web site and provides patient
referrals. "If people come in asking about amalgams, I'll tell them," he
said. "If they're there for basic dentistry, I don't say anything."
Linda Brocato of Prospect Heights went to several dentists before she made
the difficult decision to have her 16 silver fillings removed. Her problems
began in 1980, when she looked in the mirror one morning and noticed her
right eye was drooping. Seven years and dozens of health issues later, the
former social worker was crippled, diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
It wasn't until Brocato heard about the Minneapolis-based group Dental
Amalgam Mercury Syndrome (DAMS), however, that she began to believe she had
mercury poisoning.
Two weeks after she had her last amalgams replaced, Brocato said her slurred
speech began to disappear and her strength and balance improved. She knows
the symptoms of MS come and go, which could explain her improved health, but
she is convinced that removing the silver fillings made a big difference.
"I have five pages of improvements," said Brocato, 56, who is still in a
wheelchair but no longer takes medication for MS. She is now one of the
Illinois coordinators for DAMS. "I don't know how people can say there isn't
evidence."
- - -
Help on the Web
For more information:
The American Dental Association: ada.org.
The International Academy of Oral Medicine & Toxicology: iaomt.org.
Consumers for Dental Choice, www.toxicteeth.org.
| |
| Tim Dixon 2005-12-25, 12:51 pm |
| Why not read that to those alleged children that are coming over to your
house today, because no one here is interested in the least.
"JanD" <JanD@insightbb.com> wrote in message
news:pxAr2f.674447$xm3.487341@attbi_s21...
| |
|
|
In November of this year, the ADA's annual convention, held this year, in
Philadelphia was RUINED for the ADA because of the demonstrators outside the
doors, and the media interviews focusing on the "mercury amalgam" issue -
and the ADA's misinformation campaign.
But now it gets worse - for now the media in the ADA's own home town has
seen through the ADA - and is thoroughly lambasting them for their "mercury
amalgam" position. About time...
The Chicago Tribune newspaper, last week, figuratively used a sledgehammer
on the ADA - and did everything but call for a Federal indictment over the
"mercury amalgam" issue. The article titled "Are Your Teeth Toxic?" "The
mercury in 'silver' fillings would be hazardous waste in a river----yet it's
sitting in your mouth," is a "must read."
http://www.chicagotribune.com/featu...=chi-health-hed
Are your teeth toxic?
The mercury in 'silver' fillings would be hazardous waste in a river----yet
it's sitting in your mouth
Published December 11, 2005
A professional musician from Arlington Heights suffers from mysterious
rashes and lip blisters. A dental hygienist in Hoffman Estates battles
migraines. And a social worker in Prospect Heights is diagnosed with
multiple sclerosis.
All three tried treating their ailments using a controversial method: by
having dentists remove and replace their so-called "silver" amalgam tooth
fillings, which contain about 50 percent mercury. And all three swear they
experienced life-changing health improvements.
Their personal testimonies are part of what makes dental amalgam, the silver
lining for hundreds of millions of American mouths, one of the most divisive
issues in dentistry. Though it's one of the oldest materials in oral health
care--used by people of all ages for the last 150 years--anti-mercury groups
are pushing the startling message that mercury residing in the mouth can
leach into the body and cause illness.
"I thought my career was over," said Arlington Heights' Matt Comerford, now
a trumpet player with the Lyric Opera who was suffering from painful sores
along his gums. He began investigating the metals in his mouth and
eventually had nine silver fillings replaced with a mercury-free
alter-native material.
"Within a week [of having the amalgams replaced], everything healed,"
Comerford said.
Amalgam, most dentists admit, is crude and ugly, but they say it's a
valuable option because it's strong, durable and relatively cheap.
And studies have shown that there is insufficient evidence to link it to
health problems (with the exception of allergic reactions), according to the
American Dental Association and several federal agencies, including the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Regardless, anti-mercury groups are appalled by the notion that the toxic
element, which is considered a hazardous waste by the Environmental
Protection Agency, is safe when it's packed inside a tooth. They argue that
although it was once thought to be inert inside the mouth, studies now show
that mercury can be emitted in minute amounts of vapor and absorbed by the
patient through inhalation and ingestion.
At Doctor's Data, a Chicago lab that specializes in trace-metals analysis,
clinicians have found that the amount of mercury in a person's stool is
highly correlated to the number of amalgams in the mouth.
"What stool testing drives home is that parts of the amalgams don't stay in
the teeth and we're swallowing mercury," said Dean Bass, a chemist at
Doctor's Data and a scientist at Argonne National Laboratories. "But it
doesn't necessarily tell you how much mercury the body absorbs."
A long-running controversy
The debate over silver amalgam dates at least to 1845, when the now-defunct
American Academy of Dental Surgeons asked its members to sign a pledge never
to use it. Though amalgam use has been declining since the 1970s because
more eye-pleasing options are available and cavities are smaller, federal
lawmakers have introduced a bipartisan bill to ban silver/mercury fillings
for children and pregnant and nursing women and to phase them out completely
in three years.
In California, dentists are required by state law to post a warning that
dental amalgams "cause exposure to mercury, a chemical known to the state of
California to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm."
"The ADA is wrong that the issue is `safety.' The issue is `risk,'" said
Charlie Brown, national counsel for Consumers for Dental Choice and
Coalition for Mercury-Free Dentistry. He has filed a petition asking the
Federal Trade Commission to investigate the ADA and the Connecticut State
Dental Association for what the groups claims is making false, deceptive and
unsubstantiated claims in promoting silver/mercury amalgam.
"On this point scientists agree: Mercury is a virulent neurotoxin that can
permanently harm the developing brain of a child or fetus. Yet a recent
Zogby poll shows three in five people don't know that `silver' fillings have
mercury," said Brown, who pointed out that silver fillings are in fact
mainly mercury.
The ADA staunchly defends the safety of amalgam, still used in about 30
percent of restorations. Amalgam, made by mixing elemental liquid mercury
with an alloy powder composed of silver, tin, copper and sometimes smaller
amounts of other metals, hardens quickly and tolerates saliva. This makes it
useful for treating squirmy young children or special-needs patients who
have a hard time sitting still.
Money and ethics
Some dental insurance companies don't cover the more expensive alternatives
to amalgam. And because science doesn't definitively link the silver
fillings to health problems, the ADA considers it unethical for dentists to
tell patients that removing amalgams can improve health.
"Amalgam has the longest history, the most data and the largest number of
studies supporting it. Yet time after time, we have to come back and address
it," said Dr. Fred Eichmiller, director of the ADA Foundation's Paffenbarger
Resource Center, where alternatives to amalgams have been invented.
Critics argue that the issue also is environmental. Mercury is emitted into
the air when bodies with mercury fillings are cremated. It gets into the
water when fillings are removed and leftover material is not disposed of
properly.
"Amalgams don't need to be used in the 21st Century," said Downers Grove
dentist Janet Stopka, who uses composite, porcelain and gold.
For consumers, the decision whether to replace amalgams can be a difficult
one. Urine, hair and feces can all be tested for mercury levels and
chelating agents can pull mercury out of the organs. But the results don't
necessarily tell whether there is enough mercury present to pose a health
risk and an official diagnosis of "mercury poisoning" can be tentative.
Swapping out old fillings can be expensive; each replacement can cost $75 to
$200. And there are no guaranteed benefits.
Nevertheless, Dawn Quast, a dental hygienist for Dr. John Rothchild in
Hoffman Estates, decided to have four small fillings replaced after she
witnessed both small and profound improvements in Rothchild's patients who
had amalgams replaced.
"I had a migraine the night I had the last silver one removed and haven't
had one since [in 12 years]," Quast said.
Rothchild, a mercury-free dentist, said he doesn't push people into having
silver fillings removed.
No guarantees
"I never promise any medical cures because you can't," he said. Instead, he
presents both sides of the issue on his Web site and provides patient
referrals. "If people come in asking about amalgams, I'll tell them," he
said. "If they're there for basic dentistry, I don't say anything."
Linda Brocato of Prospect Heights went to several dentists before she made
the difficult decision to have her 16 silver fillings removed. Her problems
began in 1980, when she looked in the mirror one morning and noticed her
right eye was drooping. Seven years and dozens of health issues later, the
former social worker was crippled, diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.
It wasn't until Brocato heard about the Minneapolis-based group Dental
Amalgam Mercury Syndrome (DAMS), however, that she began to believe she had
mercury poisoning.
Two weeks after she had her last amalgams replaced, Brocato said her slurred
speech began to disappear and her strength and balance improved. She knows
the symptoms of MS come and go, which could explain her improved health, but
she is convinced that removing the silver fillings made a big difference.
"I have five pages of improvements," said Brocato, 56, who is still in a
wheelchair but no longer takes medication for MS. She is now one of the
Illinois coordinators for DAMS. "I don't know how people can say there isn't
evidence."
- - -
Help on the Web
For more information:
The American Dental Association: ada.org.
The International Academy of Oral Medicine & Toxicology: iaomt.org.
Consumers for Dental Choice, www.toxicteeth.org.
| |
| Tim Dixon 2005-12-25, 5:53 pm |
|
"JanD" <JanD@insightbb.com> wrote in message
news:5tCrf.6s56201$_o.575387@attbi_s71...
hack
| |
| Robert Morien 2005-12-26, 12:53 am |
| In article <5tCrf.656201$_o.575387@attbi_s71>,
"JanD" <JanD@insightbb.com> wrote:
> Published December 11, 2005
spam noted and reported
| |
|
|
"JanD" <JanD@insightbb.com> wrote in message
news:XN1sf.678501$xm3.351476@attbi_s21...
>
> "Robert" <writer77@comcast.net> wrote in message
> news:tdudnRB1wtbDCi3enZ2dnUVZ_tqdnZ2d@comcast.com...
>
> Wrong, I do not *throw* any URL's around.
>
>
>
> Read this one.
>
> No. I do NOT read LYING websites.
>
Bullshit! You dredge up the websites of anti-vac liars like Mercola and
Altcorp. You read lying websites to find stuff that trashes science and
medicine so that you can post the URL's. You post URL's because you are
incapable of expressing ideas in your own words. You refuse to read good
informational sites like those I recommend in my sig because you are afraid
to be exposed to facts that contradict your narrow little worldview. You are
pathetic.
--
--Rich
Recommended websites:
http://www.ratbags.com/rsoles
http://www.acahf.org.au
http://www.quackwatch.org/
http://www.skeptic.com/
http://www.csicop.org/
| |
|
|
"Rich" <joshew@hawaii.rr.com> wrote in message
news:aM2sf.8100$ka.3914@tornado.socal.rr.com..
[snip more lies, insults+ rant]
restore *truth* FROM MEDLINE than Rich DISHONESTLY snipped
>
> "JanD" <JanD@insightbb.com> wrote in message
> news:XN1sf.678501$xm3.351476@attbi_s21...
http://tinyurl.com/8orr7
Dental amalgam fillings and the amount of organic mercury in human saliva.
Leistevuo J, Leistevuo T, Helenius H, Pyy L, Osterblad M, Huovinen P,
Tenovuo J.
The National Public Health Institute, Antimicrobial Research Laboratory,
Turku University, Turku, Finland.
We studied differences in the amounts of organic and inorganic mercury in
saliva samples between amalgam and nonamalgam human study groups. The amount
of organic and inorganic mercury in whole saliva was measured in 187 adult
study subjects. The mercury contents were determined by cold-vapor atomic
absorption spectrometry. The amount of organic and inorganic mercury in
paraffin-stimulated saliva was significantly higher (p<0.001) in subjects
with dental amalgam fillings (n = 88) compared to the nonamalgam study
groups (n = 43 and n = 56): log(e) (organic mercury) was linearly related to
log(e) (inorganic mercury, r(2) = 0.52). Spearman correlation coefficients
of inorganic and organic mercury concentrations with the number of
amalgam-filled tooth surfaces were 0.46 and 0.27, respectively. Our results
are compatible with the hypothesis that amalgam fillings may be a continuous
source of organic mercury, which is more toxic than inorganic mercury, and
almost completely absorbed by the human intestine."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/...earch&DB=pubmed
Dental amalgam fillings and the amount of organic mercury in human saliva.
Leistevuo J, Leistevuo T, Helenius H, Pyy L, Osterblad M, Huovinen P,
Tenovuo J.
The National Public Health Institute, Antimicrobial Research Laboratory,
Turku University, Turku, Finland.
We studied differences in the amounts of organic and inorganic mercury in
saliva samples between amalgam and nonamalgam human study groups. The amount
of organic and inorganic mercury in whole saliva was measured in 187 adult
study subjects. The mercury contents were determined by cold-vapor atomic
absorption spectrometry. The amount of organic and inorganic mercury in
paraffin-stimulated saliva was significantly higher (p<0.001) in subjects
with dental amalgam fillings (n = 88) compared to the nonamalgam study
groups (n = 43 and n = 56): log(e) (organic mercury) was linearly related to
log(e) (inorganic mercury, r(2) = 0.52). Spearman correlation coefficients
of inorganic and organic mercury concentrations with the number of
amalgam-filled tooth surfaces were 0.46 and 0.27, respectively. Our results
are compatible with the hypothesis that amalgam fillings may be a continuous
source of organic mercury, which is more toxic than inorganic mercury, and
almost completely absorbed by the human intestine.
PMID: 11385194 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
[vbcol=seagreen]
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>1: Neuroendocrinol Lett 2002 Oct-Dec;23(5-6):459-82 Related Articles, Links
>Removal of dental amalgam and other metal alloys supported by antioxidant
>therapy alleviates symptoms and improves quality of life in patients with
>amalgam-associated ill health.
>Lindh U, Hudecek R, Danersund A, Eriksson S, Lindvall A.
>Department of Oncology, Radiology and Clinical Immunology, Rudbeck
>Laboratory,
>Uppsala, Sweden.
>OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate treatment of patients
>suffering from chronic ill health with a multitude of symptoms associated
>with
>metal exposure from dental amalgam and other metal alloys. SETTING AND
>DESIGN:
>We included 796 patients in a retrospective study using a questionnaire
>about
>symptom changes, changes in quality of life as a consequence of treatment
>and
>assessment of care taking. METHODS: Treatment of the patients by removal of
>offending dental metals and concomitant antioxidant therapy was implemented
>according to the Uppsala model based on a close co-operation between
>physicians
>and dentists. RESULTS: More than 70% of the responders, remaining after
>exclusion of those who had not begun or completed removal, reported
>substantial
>recovery and increased quality of life. Comparison with similar studies
>showed
>accordance of the main results. Plasma concentrations of mercury before and
>after treatment supported the metal exposure to be causative for the ill
>health. MAIN FINDINGS: Treatment according to the Uppsala model proved to
>be
>adequate for more than 70% of the patients. Patients with a high
>probability
>to
>respond successfully to current therapy might be detected by symptom
>profiles
>before treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The hypothesis that metal exposure from
>dental
>amalgam can cause ill health in a susceptible part of the exposed
>population
>was supported. Further research is warranted to develop laboratory tests to
>support identification of the group of patients responding to current
>therapy
>as well as to find out causes of problems in the group with no or negative
>results.
>PMID: 12500173 [PubMed - in process]
http://tinyurl.com/arbb2
Apolipoprotein E genotyping as a potential biomarker for mercury
neurotoxicity.
Godfrey ME, Wojcik DP, Krone CA.
Bay of Plenty Environmental Health Clinic, Tauranga, New Zealand.
godfrey@wave.co.nz
Apolipoprotein-E (apo-E) genotyping has been investigated as an indicator of
susceptibility to heavy metal (i.e., lead) neurotoxicity. Moreover, the
apo-E epsilon (epsilon)4 allele is a major risk factor for neurodegenerative
conditions, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). A theoretical biochemical
basis for this risk factor is discussed herein, supported by data from 400
patients with presumptive mercury-related neuro-psychiatric symptoms and in
whom apo-E determinations were made. A statistically relevant shift toward
the at-risk apo-E epsilon4 groups was found in the patients p<0.001). The
patients possessed a mean of 13.7 dental amalgam fillings and 31.5 amalgam
surfaces. This far exceeds the number capable of producing the maximum
identified tolerable daily intake of mercury from amalgam. The clinical
diagnosis and proof of chronic low-level mercury toxicity has been difficult
due to the non-specific nature of the symptoms and signs. Dental amalgam is
the greatest source of mercury in the general population and brain, blood
and urine mercury levels increase correspondingly with the number of
amalgams and amalgam surfaces in the mouth. Confirmation of an elevated body
burden of mercury can be made by measuring urinary mercury, after
provocation with 2,3,-dimercapto-propane sulfonate (DMPS) and this was
measured in 150 patients. Apo-E genotyping warrants investigation as a
clinically useful biomarker for those at increased risk of neuropathology,
including AD, when subjected to long-term mercury exposures. Additionally,
when clinical findings suggest adverse effects of chronic mercury exposure,
a DMPS urine mercury challenge appears to be a simple, inexpensive procedure
that provides objective confirmatory evidence. An opportunity could now
exist for primary health practitioners to help identify those at greater
risk and possibly forestall subsequent neurological deterioration.
PMID: 12897404 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
http://tinyurl.com/baujn
Vitamin C, glutathione, or lipoic acid did not decrease brain or kidney
mercury in rats exposed to mercury vapor.
Aposhian HV, Morgan DL, Queen HL, Maiorino RM, Aposhian MM.
Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, The university of Arizona,
Tucson, Arizona 85721-0106, USA. aposhian@u.arizona.edu
Some medical practitioners prescribe GSH and vitamin C alone or in
combination with DMPS or DMSA for patients with mercury exposure that is
primarily due to the mercury vapor emitted by dental amalgams. HYPOTHESIS:
This study tested the hypothesis that GSH, vitamin C, or lipoic acid alone
or in combination with DMPS or DMSA would decrease brain mercury. METHODS:
Young rats were exposed to elemental mercury by individual nose cone, at the
rate of 4.0 mg mercury per m3 air for 2 h per day for 7 consecutive days.
After a 7-day equilibrium period, DMPS, DMSA, GSH, vitamin C, lipoic acid
alone, or in combination was administered for 7 days and the brain and
kidneys of the animals removed and analyzed for mercury by cold vapor atomic
absorption. RESULTS: None of these regimens reduced the mercury content of
the brain. Although DMPS or DMSA was effective in reducing kidney mercury
concentrations, GSH, vitamin C, lipoic acid alone, or in combination were
not. CONCLUSION: One must conclude that the palliative effect, if any, of
GSH, vitamin C, or lipoic acid for treatment of mercury toxicity due to
mercury vapor exposure does not involve mercury mobilization from the brain
and kidney.
PMID: 12870874 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
http://tinyurl.com/ae9m6
1: FASEB J 1998 Aug;12(11):971-80 Related Articles, Books, LinkOut
Neurobehavioral effects from exposure to dental amalgam Hg(o): new
distinctions between recent exposure and Hg body burden.
Echeverria D, Aposhian HV, Woods JS, Heyer NJ, Aposhian MM, Bittner AC Jr,
Mahurin RK, Cianciola M.
Battelle Centers for Public Health Research and Evaluation, Seattle,
Washington 98105, USA.
Potential toxicity from exposure to mercury vapor (Hg(o)) from dental
amalgam fillings is the subject of current public health debate in many
countries. We evaluated potential central nervous system (CNS) toxicity
associated with handling Hg-containing amalgam materials among dental
personnel with very low levels of Hg(o) exposure (i.e., urinary Hg <4
microg/l), applying a neurobehavioral test battery to evaluate CNS functions
in relation to both recent exposure and Hg body burden. New distinctions
between subtle preclinical effects on symptoms, mood, motor function, and
cognition were found associated with Hg body burden as compared with those
associated with recent exposure. The pattern of results, comparable to
findings previously reported among subjects with urinary Hg >50 microg/l,
presents convincing new evidence of adverse behavioral effects associated
with low Hg(o) exposures within the range of that received by the general
population.
PMID: 9707169 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/...t_uids=11822127
1: Ned Tijdschr Tandheelkd. 1993 Apr;100(4):179-82.Related Articles, Links
[Amalgam. IV. Metabolism of mercury]
[Article in Dutch]
Gladys S, van Meerbeek B, Vanherle G, Lambrechts P.
Afdeling Conserverende Tandheelkunde en Tandheelkundige Materialen, School
voor Tandheelkunde, Mondziekten en Kaakchirurgie, Katholieke Universiteit te
Leuven, Belgie.
After absorption in the body by four ways, each type of mercury undergoes a
specific metabolism. Elementary mercury as mercury vapour becomes rapidly
oxidized to Hg2+ and, afterwards, is metabolized as an inorganic mercurial
compound. From the blood circulation mercury reaches target organs like the
kidneys, the central nervous system, the liver and the hypophysis, in which
mercury accumulates. The retention time varies by organ and is longest in
the brain. Mercury is mainly eliminated with urine and faeces, to a lesser
degree with transpiration and mother's milk and sometimes by respiration.
Publication Types:
Review
Review, Tutorial
PMID: 11822127 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
http://www.greenfacts.org/mercury/l-2/mercury-2.htm#2
..2 How are we exposed to mercury?
The main source of elemental mercury vapour is dental amalgam (a tooth
filling).
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/...t_uids=11799732
1: Bull Group Int Rech Sci Stomatol Odontol. 2000
May-Dec;42(2-3):88-93.Related Articles, Links
Salivary mercury levels in healthy donors with and without amalgam fillings.
Pizzichini M, Fonzi M, Gasparoni A, Fonzi L.
Department of Biomedical Science, university of Siena, Siena, Italy.
Dental amalgam (AMG) is the most diffused dental filling material. Since it
is constituted for at least 40-45% of Hg, many questions have raised about
its safe use. Hg particles from dental amalgam dissolve in saliva and, being
ingested, they reach the blood stream through the intestinal mucosa. It has
been demonstrated that amalgam fillings continuously release Hg vapour and
that there is detectable Hg in expired and inspired air of amalgam owners.
It is not yet fully accepted that AMG fillings represent the principal
source of Hg for man and the aim of this study was to evaluate if the
mercury level in saliva: 1) was higher within people bearing dental amalgam
restorations than in people with no restorations; 2) was different between
males or females; 3) increased in relation to the surface of amalgam
restorations. The results showed a correlation between number of fillings
and salivary Hg, between amalgam surface and salivary Hg. The Authors could
finally assert that AMG fillings represented the principal source of
salivary Hg in the subjects studied.
PMID: 11799732 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/...t_uids=14651282
1: J Endod. 2003 Nov;29(11):743-6.Related Articles, Links
In vitro neurotoxic evaluation of root-end-filling materials.
Asrari M, Lobner D.
Department of Endodontics, Marquette university School of Dentistry,
Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA. masrari@wi.rr.com
Root-end-filling materials have been tested for toxicity on several cell
types, but their toxicity has not been tested on neurons. In this study we
evaluated the neurotoxicity in murine cerebral cortical cell cultures of
four commonly used root-end-filling materials: mineral trioxide aggregate,
amalgam, Super EBA, and Diaket. Standardized amounts of each material were
placed on culture-well inserts, allowing the material to be exposed to the
culture bathing media without causing physical disruption of the cells. Cell
death was quantified by assaying release of the cytosolic enzyme lactate
dehydrogenase. Exposure of cortical cultures to freshly mixed or 7-day-old
MTA did not cause significant neuronal death, whereas exposure to freshly
mixed or 7-day-old amalgam, Super EBA, and Diaket resulted in significant
neuronal death (p < .05). Thus, each material, except for mineral trioxide
aggregate, can induce neurotoxicity, even when allowed to set thoroughly.
PMID: 14651282 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/...t_uids=12752546
Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 2003 Jun;31(3):200-6.Related Articles, Links
Reporting on adverse reactions to dental materials--intraoral observations
at a clinical follow-up.
Lygre GB, Gjerdet NR, Gronningsaeter AG, Bjorkman L.
Dental Biomaterials Adverse Reaction Unit, university of Bergen, Norway.
Gunvor.Lygre@odont.uib.no
OBJECTIVES: A national reporting system designed to monitor adverse
reactions to dental materials was established in Norway in 1993. The
activities have also included clinical examination of patients with
suspected reactions to dental materials. The ongoing activities are
coordinated by the Dental Biomaterials Adverse Reaction Unit at the
University of Bergen. The reporting procedure is based on voluntary
spontaneous reporting by dentists and physicians. The reports could be based
on subjective symptoms or objective findings, or both. The aim of the
present study was to compare reported objective intraoral findings with
those found during examination at the unit. METHODS: Reported reactions were
compared with clinical findings obtained following dental and medical
examination at the unit. From 1993 to 1999, a total of 899 reports were
received while 253 patients were referred and examined at the unit. RESULTS:
The reports on patients who were examined at the unit involved mainly
reactions related to amalgam fillings (84%), metals in fixed dentures (11%),
resin-based materials and cements (4%), materials used in removable dentures
(2%), and endodontic materials (2%). Edema, lichenoid reactions,
ulcers/vesicles, erythema, and atrophy were found in 80 patients during the
examination at the unit. For 35 of these patients, the intraoral findings at
the unit were also given in the reports. For another 45 patients, objective
intraoral signs of reactions were found upon examination at the unit, but
these findings had not been reported. CONCLUSION: A spontaneous reporting
system is a cost-effective method for monitoring intraoral reactions
associated with dental materials. Considering the increasing number and
complexity of these materials, there appears to be a need for continuous
validation of reports by a speciality unit. In order to receive more
accurate information about the adverse reactions, it would be advisable that
the reporting forms include more detailed guidance regarding signs of
reactions that practitioners should be on the look out for and consider.
PMID: 12752546 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/...t_uids=12018634
J Nephrol. 2002 Mar-Apr;15(2):171-6.Related Articles, Links
Mercury in dental restoration: is there a risk of nephrotoxicity?
Mortada WL, Sobh MA, El-Defrawy MM, Farahat SE.
Urology and Nephrology Center, Mansoura University, Faculty of Science,
Egypt.
BACKGROUND: Concern has been voiced about exposure to mercury (Hg) from
dental amalgam fillings, and there is a need to assess whether this leads to
signs of nephrotoxicity. METHODS: A total of 101 healthy adults (80 males
and 21 females) were included in this study. The population as grouped into
those having amalgam fillings (39 males and 10 females) and those without
(41 males and 11 females). Hg was determined in blood, urine, hair and nails
to assess exposure. Urinary excretion of beta2-microglobulin (beta2M),
N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG), gamma-glutamyltransferase (gammaGT)
and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were determined as markers of tubular damage.
Albuminuria was assayed as an early indicator of glomerular dysfunction.
Serum creatinine, beta2M and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were determined to
assess glomerular filtration. RESULTS: Hg levels in blood and urine were
significantly higher in persons with dental amalgam than those without; in
the dental amalgam group, blood and urine levels of Hg significantly
correlated with the number of amalgams. Urinary excretion of NAG, gammaGT
and albumin was significantly higher in persons with dental amalgam than
those without. In the amalgam group, urinary excretion of NAG and albumin
significantly correlated with the number of fillings. Albuminuria
significantly correlated with blood and urine Hg. CONCLUSION: From the
nephrotoxicity point of view, dental amalgam is an unsuitable filling
material, as it may give rise to Hg toxicity. Hg levels in blood and urine
are good markers of such toxicity. In these exposure conditions, renal
damage is possible and may be assessed by urinary excretions of albumin,
NAG, and gamma-GT.
PMID: 12018634 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
http://www.altcorp.com/DentalInformation/hgexposure.htm
World Health Organization, Environmental Health Criteria 118: Inorganic
Mercury, Geneva, 1991.
Mercury Source Daily Exposure Form of Mercury
Dental amalgam 3.0-17.0 µg/day Hg vapor
Fish and Seafood 2.3 µg/day methylmercury
Other food 0.3 µg/day inorganic Hg
Air & Water Negligible traces
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