By Robert L. Garabedian, D.D.S.

Let’s start with some history of mercury (silver or amalgam) fillings in America. Mercury fillings arrived on our shores in 1832. By 1840 a debate had already arisen over the toxicity of mercury fillings. Their major advantage was that they were cheap. Many people referred to this first attempt to withdraw the use of mercury fillings as “Amalgam War I.” In the late 1920’s Dr. Alfred Stock, a biochemist, wrote over two-dozen articles describing the toxicity of mercury fillings. This became known as “Amalgam War II.” “Amalgam War III” began in 1973 when more than a few dentists and patients began noticing that their health issues were considerably improved after their mercury fillings were removed. The debate was in full swing then, and to this day has not stopped.

The American Dental Association (ADA) long maintained that mercury was bound in amalgam fillings, creating a stable compound from which no mercury vapor escaped. Studies from the 1970s, however, demonstrated that mercury vapor was constantly being released from amalgam, corroborating the first such study by Dr. Eugene S. Talbot published in 1882 in the Ohio State Journal of Dental Science. In 1984, in response to these studies, the ADA modified their position on amalgam fillings, stating that the amounts of mercury being released from fillings was not sufficient enough to cause harm.

Why do I refer to them as mercury fillings? Mercury fillings are comprised of many metals with the following approximate composition: 50% mercury, 30% copper, 20% tin, silver, and zinc. Since mercury is the major component, I call them mercury fillings. Why then, are they commonly called “silver or amalgam” fillings throughout the dental profession? My best guess is this is a marketing ploy intended to distract patients from the fact that these fillings contain mercury. Mercury is the most toxic, non-radioactive element on our planet.

There are several hundred studies describing the wide-ranging effects mercury has on the human body. In his book, Tooth Traitors, Ernie Mezei, B.Sc., B.A.Sc. provides a good analysis of the NHANES III study, a 6-year survey (1988-1994) funded by the federal government to the tune of $120,000,000. According to Mezei, and perhaps at the root of the debate, is the drastic decrease in disease and illness in the absence of amalgam fillings. According to NHANES III, the general population has a filling rate of 78%. Of those patients suffering from “Category C” illnesses (nervous system and respiratory disorders, tumors, blood disease, etc.), as much as 89% of 180,072,328 patients had amalgam fillings. While some may say amalgam fillings aren’t the cause of health problems, the associated benefit of removing them has overwhelming implications.

To summarize a few more studies:
*Mercury has a great affinity for sulfide bonds, which means it likes kidneys, livers, red blood cells, and the central nervous system, American Journal of Physiology, 261, 30 R1010-R1014, 1991

*Mercury affects fetal formation, British Medical Journal, Vol. 32, No. 1, 1976 and Environmental Health Perspective, Vol. 108, No. 3, pp. 373-4, 2000.

*Mercury alters gastrointestinal tract bacteria, which affects digestion, Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, pp. 825-834, April, 1993.

*Mercury is capable of inducing autoimmune diseases. Mercury can cause people to be at risk for lower fertility, Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part A, No. 54, pp. 593-611, 1998.

Mercury is capable of altering DNA within any cell. Mercury ions, once in the body, will combine with a methyl ion, resulting in a new compound that is 100 times more toxic than the original mercury ion alone. Mercury alters…well, you get the idea. Mercury impacts and/or destroys any and all cells it comes in contact with. Some of the diseases and conditions attributed to mercury exposure are: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Lupus, Insomnia, Memory Loss, Seizures, Sinus Problems, Rashes, Immune Supression, Chemical Sensitivities, Maldigestion, and many others.

If that’s not enough, there is a second fundamental flaw with mercury fillings. When you place dissimilar metals together in a solution that transmits electricity, you create a battery. That’s how the battery in your car creates electricity, and exactly how electricity is created in your mouth. This electrical current is referred to as the Galvanic current. In mercury fillings there are five dissimilar metals: mercury, copper, tin, silver, and zinc. Our saliva is a great medium for the transportation of electricity. The electricity generated ranges between .1 to 150 microamps per tooth. The human brain only runs on 2-3 nanoamps. The roots of our upper molars are only two inches away from our brains. It does not take a mental giant to understand that when you have electrical currents of this magnitude created very close to the brain that some disruption may be occurring, and we should therefore take notice. Exposure to mercury vapor from dental fillings as low as 4ug/1 can affect mood, motor function, and cognition, FASEB, No. 12, pp.971-980. Another side effect of this Galvanic current is, the higher the negative readings of each mercury filling, the faster the mercury, copper, tin, silver and zinc is coming out of the filling and into your system.

In September 2006, Dr. Hal Huggins presented over 200,000 blood tests to the FDA’s joint panel advisors on dental amalgam toxicity, conclusively demonstrating the adverse effects on the human body. “Changes measured in white blood cells, lymphocyte viability, spinal tap proteins, urinary porphyrin excretion, cholesterol and albumin tend to prove that the ‘Stability Point’ of chemistries can be approached in the absence of multiple toxins.” The ‘Stability Point’ is the variable point in each individual where toxins are minimized, and function and health are optimized. Over 200,000 people were able to reach their ‘Stability Point’ after having their amalgam fillings removed.

So why aren’t people racing to their dentists’ offices and demanding to have their mercury (silver or amalgam) fillings removed? Great question! To begin with, the American Dental Association (ADA) code of ethics states, “…the removal of amalgam restorations from the non-allergic patient for the alleged purpose of removing toxic substances from the body when such treatment is performed solely at the recommendation of the dentist is improper and unethical...,” ADA Resolution 42H-1986. This means that despite the known dangers of mercury and the array of conditions associated with exposure to this toxic element, the burden of connecting a specific symptom to mercury exposure lays with the dentist. Unless the patient requests removal of mercury fillings, the dentist is at severe risk for recommending it. On the basis of the ADA’s code of ethics, state dental boards have taken disciplinary action against dentists who promote removal of mercury fillings in accordance with current scientific knowledge. The disciplinary action has ranged from practice restrictions to the loss of dental licensing. The threat of a dentist losing their hard-earned license is a chilling thought.

What does each person need to know before having any mercury fillings removed? First, be clear about why you want to have your fillings removed. Some common reasons are: any autoimmune disease, elevated mercury levels in tissue or urine, or any condition your physician believes is caused by mercury exposure. Because many things contribute to your health risks, you may have to request specific tests be done. Second, ask your dentist what procedure they follow and if they are a member of an organization that provides dentists with a high standard of education and protocol for mercury removal. A sample protocol would include: a negative ion generator, use of IV vitamin C or Liveon vitamin C, electrical testing, rubber dam, high vacuum suction, charcoal, and the appropriate compatible materials to be used instead of amalgam, as determined by a blood compatibility test. A blood compatibility test exposes your blood to hundreds of different materials in order to determine which materials will pose the least amount of threat to your immune system. All materials will have some effect. No dentist, in good conscious, can replace mercury fillings with any dental material that may be just as toxic as the one removed. Finally, in the removal of amalgam fillings, ask your dentist about Immune Cycle Determination. Your immune system runs on a seven-day cycle. This means that seven days after a toxic insult to your immune system (i.e. having an amalgam filling placed and/or removed), the immune system is at a low point of protection. Having additional fillings placed/removed without regard for your immune cycle will drive your body’s ability to protect itself even lower.

If your dentist does not comply with safe guards that protect them and you, you need to find one that does. Your health depends on it.

Where does mercury stand in our society? The disinfectant Mercurochrome has been banned, the Centers for Disease Control ordered mercury preservatives removed from childhood vaccines, mercury preservatives are no longer used in contact lens solution. The FDA has banned the use of mercury in all veterinary products. Mercury has been removed from many paints, and California and many other states have banned mercury thermometers.

Congresswoman Diane E. Watson, serving California’s 33rd Congressional District, in a September 7, 2006 press release titled, “FDA’s Ruling Signals Beginning of End of Mercury Fillings,” stated, “Today a joint panel of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rejected a FDA staff white paper concluding that dental amalgams used by millions of patients are safe.”

The countries of Canada, Sweden, Norway, and Germany have prohibited the use of mercury fillings in children, pregnant and nursing women. In the U.S., some major amalgam manufacturers have said that amalgam is CONTRAINDICATED, which means “Do Not Use” for children and pregnant women.
There are several Internet sites on amalgam fillings that maintain that mercury in amalgam fillings is “stable.” These sources promote the safety of amalgam on the basis of research studies in the exact same manner that mercury-free dentists warn against the use of amalgam fillings. For the patient, these contradictory claims are baffling, to say the least. Doing your own research, independent of any dentist (mercury-free or otherwise), will arm you with the questions you need answered. Even if you end up disagreeing over this important issue, there is no lack of alternative materials that can be used in place of amalgam fillings, and no reason why a dentist who values your business wouldn’t want to comply with your wishes.

Arthur Schopenhauer, a 19th century philosopher stated, “All truth is passed through three stages: first it is ridiculed, second it is violently opposed, third it is accepted as self-evident.” Where does the dental profession stand concerning mercury fillings with regard to this statement? It is my great hope that we are leaving “violently opposed” and heading towards “self evident.”

FOR MORE INFO:
www.dentalallergy.com
www.cdc.gov
www.fda.gov