Table of Contents
Silver amalgams, commonly called fillings, are made of silver, copper, tin, zinc and about 50% mercury, which is extremely toxic to the human body. If dentists have been using it for about 150 years, it is because mercury was believed to be chemically bound to the other metals in amalgam and not shed from them.
What is said
Many health organizations and governments worldwide have produced documents on the dental amalgam problem: Their recommendations to dentists are in summary to take the following measures:
- Preferably use alternative filling materials to amalgams for children.
- Whenever possible, amalgam fillings should not be put on or removed from the teeth of pregnant women.
- Amalgams should not be used in cases of patients with kidney problems.
- When putting on and removing amalgam fillings. , dentists should use techniques and tools to minimize exposure of the patient and dental staff to mercury vapor.
- Dentists should advise people at risk of mercury hypersensitivity not to use amalgams.
- New amalgam fillings should not be brought into contact with existing metal devices in the mouth.
- Dentists should give their patients sufficient information to that they make an informed decision on the materials to use for the fillings, mentioning the risks that each material entails.
- Dentists cannot object to the patient's choice of material.
Controversy
The controversy of mercury as a dental material derives from three findings supported by hundreds of recent scientific publications.
- Mercury is an extremely toxic heavy metal.
- Mercury is released from dental amalgams .
- Mercury in human tissue correlates statistically to the number of dental amalgams.
In fact, mercury has the most toxic organic form in the food chain (methylmercury). It has been estimated by Health Canada that the mean total human exposure to mercury (Hg) is 0.0094 mg Hg / day. Amalgams contribute 50% to this mercury load. Considering published studies on subclinical effects on the central nervous system, Health Canada proposed a tolerable daily intake of 0.000014 milligrams of Hg / kg bw / day. The number of teeth filled with amalgam (which would have produced the maximum permissible exposure) therefore had to be: 1 filling for children and adolescents (3-1 1 years), 3 fillings for adolescents (12-19 years), 4 fillings for adults and elderly.
Health effects of mercury intoxication
Having to summarize over 20,000 scientific publications relating to the health effects of mercury, it must be remembered that this heavy metal:
- Damages brain cells and nerve cells.
- Damages and weakens the immune system leading to multiple allergies, asthma and hypersensitivity.
- It is toxic to the kidneys.
- Interferes with many metabolisms that supply the body with energy at the cellular level, leading to chronic fatigue syndrome.
- Causes disorder and destruction of the endocrine system, disturbs hormone production.
- It is a toxin for reproduction and development, inhibits the synthesis of DNA and RNA, produces genetic changes and methylated by bacteria is 1000 times more mutagenic than colchicine.
- Accumulates in the heart and damages the valves of the myocardium and heart
- Reduces the ability of the blood to transport oxygen, its presence causes deficiencies in essential nutrients such as selenium, magnesium, zinc and vitamin B 1 2
How does mercury get to your body
Undoubtedly mercury penetrates from the filling into the tooth structure. An analysis of the teeth under the amalgam filling revealed the presence of mercury. The use of radioactive mercury in silver amalgams has also revealed that some of the mercury can reach the pulp.
Amalgams contain on average 1 to 5 grams of mercury. At least 50% of amalgam mercury has been found to be released within 5 years and 80% after 20 years
Let’s do the math: suppose an amalgam contains on average 1 gram of mercury, or 1,000 milligrams, or 1,000,000 mcg. On average, we have 8 in the mouth, therefore 8 grams.
The release of mercury from amalgams occurs in three ways: in the form of vapors at room temperature, in the form of tiny particles that are swallowed and finally as metal ions that pass through the teeth, even reaching the jaw bone.
In conclusion
The greater the number of dental amalgams, the greater the mercury accumulated in the body. Most of the mercury that enters the human body is excreted, but some accumulates in certain organs, especially the kidneys, brain, lungs, liver and gastrointestinal tract.
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25 Responses
What are the symptoms of metal amalgam intoxication?
Chronic fatigue. Frequent headache or migraine. Noticeable and unexplained weight changes. Change in appetite. Excessive thirst. Anemia. Constant difficulty falling asleep.
Apparently it also causes damage to the psyche of the type: memory lapses, lack of concentration, inability to concentrate, anxiety, irritability, panic attacks, mood swings.
However, the severity of symptoms depends on several factors in predisposed patients.
What can be done?
Fortunately, many of these problems are reversible.
If you still have dental amalgams and are worried about your health, contact your dentist to have the old fillings removed safely and replaced with new biocompatible and totally harmless materials.
As far as I know of in many European states they have been banned or at least I think there is a ban on children and pregnant women.
I still have 3 for more than thirty years and I have all the symptoms mentioned here.
What are you waiting for? Remove them before it’s too late.
What are the risks and side effects of removing them altogether?
Replacing old fillings with new ones made of more biocompatible material has become a priority for all those who keep up to date and take care of their dental health and beyond.
The problem is that when these old fillings are drilled to be removed, a lot of the material they are made of is reduced to a powder that is not always correctly sucked by the pump that the dentist uses and therefore there is the possibility of ingesting a big quantity of it.
Yes, however, that is eliminated from our body
I do not think it is completely eliminated but rather absorbed by the walls of our intestine and transported a little everywhere by the blood.
So practically even removing them is a risk. I wonder which of the two is the worse.
I think that a dental office suitable for modern times and with fairly recent machinery and technology must be able to remove them without causing further harm to the person.
Maybe it depends more on people who operate those machinery and technology than the machinery and technology themselves.
I took them all off and I confirm that I swallowed some of the material and the rest was removed from them
I also remember the feeling as if I had very fine sand in my mouth and the dentist made me rinse my mouth but due to the anesthesia I could not spit the contents into the tiny sink
I basically replaced them because they were really bad and it looked like my teeth were bad
I am one of those who twenty years ago had at least five or six. I say “had” because after years I too had to remove them, but at that time I didn’t do it for health reasons but for aesthetics. While doing a job as a salesman I felt embarrassed to smile and this was certainly not a great help during negotiations or meetings.
I never cared much about my physical appearance in the sense of aesthetics but after following my wife’s advice I replaced all those fillings with implanted crowns and now I can say that after so many years it is one of the best things I have done. It is however an investment, for those who have many must consider that these jobs are not very economical but it is done for one’s health.
I am almost convinced, after reading about the side effects I can only start saving a little to get my teeth done
That’s the wisest choice
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