Editor’s note: This article has been reprinted. First published November 19, 2016.
The American Dental Association (ADA) has long maintained that amalgam fillings containing about 50 percent mercury by weight are safe. Even the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which has a history of siding with the industry, has said it is considering “dental amalgam fillings that are safe for adults and children over 6 years of age.”1
For the most vulnerable populations when exposed to the neurotoxic effects of mercury – children under 6, pregnant women and developing fetuses – the FDA still has not issued a warning, suggesting instead that it should “talk” to those concerned. To that dentist.”
By comparison, Health Canada told dentists in 1996 to stop using amalgam fillings in particularly vulnerable groups, including children, pregnant women, and people with impaired kidney function!2
Although the number of dentists in the United States and around the world is growing mercury-free, there are still many who advocate mercury. This means that you are likely to see your dentist while you are sitting in the dental chair, and if so, you may want to find another dentist.
In the video above, Charlie Brown, executive director of Consumers for Dental Choice and former West Virginia Attorney General, explains the importance of choosing a mercury-free dentist. This message has become even more relevant in light of research confirming the overall health risks of mercury fillings.
Mercury fillings increase mercury levels in the body.
Researchers at the University of Georgia found that amalgam fillings appear to contribute to elevated mercury levels elsewhere in the body, a concerning finding given the prevalence of amalgam. The average American has three dental fillings per person, and 25% of Americans have 11 or more fillings.3
The study used data from nearly 15,000 people and found that people with eight or more fillings had blood mercury levels more than twice as high as those with no fillings.
The average mercury levels in people with eight or more fillings were still below the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and World Health Organization (WHO) safety standards, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re safe.
Xiaozhong “John” Yu, Ph.D., study co-author and assistant professor of environmental health sciences, told Time:4
“That’s just an average… a small percentage of those people are above the threshold level. If you have other exposures, like eating fish every day, that amount can build up in your body.”
The ADA continues to support the safety of amalgam despite this study, echoing the FDA’s telling people to discuss the issue with their dentist if they are concerned. But as Yu points out, “The truth is, most dentists don’t know there’s a risk… They just know what the ADA tells them: amalgam is safe.”5
“As toxicologists, we know that mercury is a poison,” Yu said in a press release. “But it all depends on the dosage. If you have more than eight dental procedures, the potential risk of side effects is higher.”6
Four out of ten people have a particular vulnerability to the toxic effects of mercury.
It’s not just pregnant women and children who are at risk of mercury exposure. Anyone is at risk, including four in 10 people who have certain genetic variants that make them vulnerable to long-term, low-level mercury emissions, especially from fillings.
Initial results published in 2006 showed that genetic polymorphisms in coproporphyrinogen oxidase (CPOX4) affect susceptibility to specific neurobehavioral functions associated with mercury exposure.7
A related study of 330 children with CPOX4 variants published in 2012 found that children with mercury fillings performed significantly worse on annual tests of memory, concentration and other neurological activity than children who received treatment without mercury. It turns out that it has been achieved.8
At least two other studies have also found a link between this genetic variant and increased risk from exposure to mercury fillings. McClatchy DC reported:9
“The results of four papers published in scientific journals from 2011 to 2014 have not received public attention, but the authors say that up to 40% of the population has at least one genetic trait and could be affected.
In the reassessment, scientist Diana Echeverria, PhD, who collaborated with University of Washington toxicologist James Woods, PhD, and others, said vulnerable groups face a ‘lifelong risk’ of neurological damage.
‘We’re not talking about small risks,’ said Echeverria, who works at the Seattle-based Battelle Center for Public Health Research and Evaluation.
In total, at least 12 common genetic polymorphisms exacerbate the effects of mercury on children’s behavioral processes, the researchers noted. Boys appear to be particularly vulnerable because girls can excrete more mercury in their urine.
In response to the findings, the European Commission’s Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks advised dentists to consider alternatives to amalgam. But in the United States, the FDA said the evidence was not yet strong enough to justify a ban on amalgam, despite describing the study as “well-conducted.”
Mercury levels in hair reveal contamination from mercury fillings.
In humans, mercury contamination from seafood consumption (methylmercury) is typically assessed by measuring hair mercury concentrations, while mercury exposure from other sources (elemental and inorganic mercury) is typically measured by analyzing blood or urine. .
However, a study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology found that mercury levels in hair arise from a variety of sources of exposure, including dental mercury.10 The research team developed an analysis function that can identify various sources of mercury in hair, even at concentrations of 0.5 ppm (parts per million).
“… (W)e showed that inorganic mercury from dental amalgam can be detected in hair with a distinct intermolecular structure from methylmercury from fish consumption,” said study author, professor of environmental toxicology at the University of Bordeaux in France. Jean-Paul Bourdineaud said: told Phys.org.11
Additionally, because hair grows at about 1 cm per month, contamination events can be tracked to a specific point in time. For example, the study found that a spike in one person’s mercury levels could be traced to the unsafe removal of mercury fillings.12
Do you want to remove mercury fillings? Find a Qualified Biological Dentist
Mercury is a poison that, depending on exposure, can have harmful effects on the nervous, digestive, and immune systems, as well as the lungs, kidneys, skin, and eyes, even in adults.13 Removing mercury fillings is essential (although it is generally recommended to get healthy first). However, keep in mind that unsafe removal of mercury fillings can expose you to toxic amounts of toxic mercury.
For this reason, it is important to find a qualified biological dentist who is trained in safe amalgam removal. When amalgams are removed, large amounts of mercury are released, and if proper precautions are not taken, the body can absorb huge amounts of mercury, which can cause acute kidney problems.
I had this experience about 20 years ago when I had amalgam removal surgery by a non-biological dentist. Biological dentistry views teeth and gums as an integrated part of the body and all medical treatments take this fact into account.
Biological dentists are well aware of the risks associated with toxic materials such as amalgam. Here are some steps to take to keep you (and your dentist) safe during amalgam removal. Here and below you will find information to help you find a biological dentist.
Provide an alternative source of air and instruct the person not to breathe through the mouth. | Put a rubber dam in your mouth to prevent swallowing or inhaling toxins, and always use a large-capacity exhaust near your teeth to exhaust mercury vapor. |
Use cold water spray to minimize mercury vapor | Rinse your mouth immediately after removing the filling. (Dentists should also change gloves after removal.) |
Clean your protective clothing and face immediately after removing the filling. | Use of room air purifier |
Mercury Tri Test
Download interview transcript
Dr. Chris Shade is one of the world’s leading experts in heavy metal detoxification and shared his wisdom on this important topic. Shade has developed a patented liquid chromatographic mercury speciation technology that distinguishes and identifies the exact source of mercury, whether it is from dental amalgam or eating contaminated seafood (or both).
The test he developed is called the Mercury Tri-Test because it examines three types of samples: blood, hair, and urine. There is always more mercury in tissues than in blood, but there is a constant state or ratio between mercury in blood and tissues.
The Mercury Tri-Test is the only clinical test that distinguishes between inorganic forms of mercury (commonly found in amalgam fillings) and organic or methylmercury (derived from fish), allowing you to tailor the most ideal detox protocol for your situation.
