Dental amalgam fillings are made of 50% Mercury which is mixed with an alloy of Silver, Tin, Zinc and Copper. Research has shown, (and the dental profession now accept), that mercury leaks continuously from these fillings at a rate which is higher than the OSHA standards allowable for industrial exposure! Mercury is very toxic and is stored mainly in the Brain, Kidney and Liver. It has profound effects on the health of women, foetus and newborn.

Mercury leaks continuously from amalgam fillings!

"The average absorbed daily dose for an individual with 8 amalgam fillings is estimated to be 10 mcg / day, with a range that may exceed 100 mcg / day"3

The affects of mercury on women's health have been known for a long time:

"Effects and Use of Inorganic Drugs" H. Schulz, Dept of Pharmacology, Univ. of Greifswald. G. Theime, Leipzig 1907.........Over 80 years ago.
“In women there will be inflammations of the outer genitals, vaginal catarrhs and disturbances of menstruation That there is a tendency to miscarriage during chronic mercurialism is well known from the toxicology of mercury.”

Environmental Protection Agency
“Women chronically exposed to mercury vapour experienced increased frequencies of menstrual disturbances and spontaneous abortions.” “A high mortality rate was observed among infants born to women who displayed symptoms of mercury poisoning.” EPA Mercury Health Effects update Health Issue Assessment. 1984 EOA- 600/8-84f. USEPA

World Health Organization

In 1991 the World Health Organization published it's report on Environmental Mercury (Criteria 118). They concluded that the single greatest source of mercury exposure for the general population is Dental Amalgam.

This is up to ten times more than from all other dietary and environmental sources combined.2 The WHO also state that there is NO SAFE LEVEL of mercury vapor. This means that mercury vapour from fillings in your mouth and the vapour found in dental surgeries where amalgam is used can be absorbed into your body and can potentially have an effect on your health.

In all publications put out by the official bodies such as the ADA in Australia and America, no mention is ever made of WHO report (Criteria 118.)

Sweden and Germany

In Sweden the use of Dental amalgam will be outlawed by 1997. A number of years ago the phase out program was initiated. When the phase out program was initiated the first group to be protected were women and children. If, as the ADA suggest, that this is purely for environmental reasons, we should ask: Why are the first groups in society, to be protected, those groups who are most sensitive to mercury poisoning?

In April 1995 the German Government issued the following directive;

"Since foetuses will be exposed to mercury from the mother's amalgam fillings, on the basis of preventive health protection, there should be no placement or no additional amalgam fillings placed, respectively, during pregnancy. Alternative materials should, if possible, be the preferred choice. Since removal of amalgam will cause an additional exposure to mercury, no clinically faultless amalgam restorations should be removed during pregnancy especially."

Mercury Crosses the Placenta and Breast Milk

Animal Studies

Many animal studies have demonstrated that mercury will cross the placenta and be absorbed by the developing child. In 1991 a landmark study was published which studied the effects of amalgam fillings in pregnant sheep. The study conclusively showed that Mercury from dental amalgam not only crossed the placenta and was detected in the foetus WITHIN 48 HOURS of the fillings being placed in the sheep teeth, but that it was also stored in many tissues of the foetus especially the

Kidney, Liver and Brain (in particular the Pituitary Gland). The researchers were also able to demonstrate that mercury from the amalgam was found in the breast milk.3,4,5,6,7,8,

Human Studies

A 1994 German study showed similar findings in humans. Deceased foetuses, newborns and young children were examined for tissue levels of mercury. What was found was that the levels of mercury in the Brain, Liver and Kidney tissues were in direct proportion to the number of amalgam fillings in the mother's mouth.

This research supports the findings of the earlier animal models!

Dental Amalgam Warning Labels

The Australian Dental Association has recently claimed19 that mercury is only dangerous if it is in a form which is 'BIO-AVAILABLE'. No scientific research has been offered in support of this claim.

The documented facts are that mercury vapour coming off dental amalgam is just as toxic as mercury vapour from any other source.

All Mercury Vapour is Bio-Available and is Toxic! In fact, in California the warning label that comes with dental amalgam includes the following:

"WARNING: This product contains a chemical known to the State of California to cause birth defects and other reproductive harm."

Auto-Immune Diseases

It has been shown conclusively that mercury from dental amalgam can cause a number of Auto- Immune diseases.9,10

Infertility & Birth Defects

Many studies have shown that exposure to mercury was associated with a demonstrable increase in the rate of birth defects, infertility and miscarriage.12,13,14,15,16 Concerns have been raised with the observations that the placenta does not protect the foetus from mercury accumulation during chronic exposure. It has been stated in the scientific literature that "Pregnant women should not be exposed to mercury vapour at all."17, 18

The dental professions assurances of safety are ironic when one of these studies has even been cited by the Environmental Protection Agency as well as the American Dental Journal. 17,18

Alternatives: Safe and Effective

Modern technologies have given us materials and techniques which make the alternatives to amalgam both safe and effective as a long term filling material. These include gold, porcelain and composite resins. Composite resins do not contain Formaldehyde, even though the Australian Dental Association imply that they do.19

Quintessence International, a popular and widely read dental journal, recently published an editorial (Volume 26, Number 3 / 1995) by Richard J. Simonsen, the Editor-in-Chief who wrote;

"Amalgam should never be used as a restorative material in pediatric dentistry. Why?
Because better materials are available."

"Amalgam should never be used as a first time restorative material. Why?
Because better alternatives are available."

"Move Over Amalgam - At Last

References:

1- Vimy, Lorscheider - FASEB J. Vol 7 #15 pp1432-1433 1993

2- World Health Organisation. Environmental Mercury. Criteria 118 Geneva 1991

3- Toxic Teeth: The Chronic Mercury Poisoning of Modern Man. Vimy Chemistry & Industry 2 January 1995 17

4- Maternal-fetal distribution of mercury (203Hg) released from dental amalgam fillings. Vimy MJ Takahashi Y. Lorscheider FL. Am J Physiol (1990 Apr) 258(4 Pt 2):R939-45

5- Amalgam Hazards in your Teeth; Mats Hanson Department of Zoophysiology University of Lund, Helgonavägen 3B Sweden

6- Friberg L, Vostal J, eds. Mercury in the environment: an epidemiological and toxicological appraisal. Cleveland, Ohio: CRC Press, 1972.

7- Braunwald E, Isselbacher KJ, Petersdorf RG, Wilson JD, Martin JB, Fauci AS, eds. Harrison's principles of internal medicine. 11th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1987.

8- Last JM. Public health and preventive medicine. 12th ed. Norwalk, Connecticut: Appleton-Century Crofts, 1986.

9- Drasch G Schupp I Hofl H Reinke R Roider G Mercury burden of human fetal and infant tissues. Eur J Pediatr (1994 Aug) 153(8):607-10

10- Kubicka-Muranyi, M; Behmer, O; Uhrberg, M; Klonowski, H; Bister, J; Gleichmann, E. Murine Systemic Autoimmune Disease Induced by Mercuric Chloride (HgC12): Hg-Specific Helper T-Cells React to Antigen Stored in Macrophages. Int J

Immunopharmacol. 1993,Feb. 15(2):151-61.

11- Hultman, P; Johansson, U; Turley, SJ; Lindh, U; Enestrom, S; Pollard, KM. Adverse Immunological Effects and
Autoimmunity Induced by Dental Amalgam and Alloy in Mice. FASEB J. (1994): 8, 1 183-1190.

12- Ziff. Infertility and Birth defects. 1987

13- Gordon - Pregnancy in Female Dentists- a Mercury hazard. Proceedings of Intl. Conference on Mercury Hazards in Dental Practice Sept. 2-4 Glasgow 1981

14- Lee, L.P. and Dixon. Effects of Mercury on Spermatogenisis J Pharmacol Exp Thera 1975: 194(1); 171-181.

15- Till et al. Zahnarztl. Welt/reform 1978:87;1130-1134

16- Koos et al., Mercury toxicity in pregnant women, fetus and newborn infant. Am J Obstet And Gynecol., 1976:126;390-409

17- EPA mercury Health Effects Update Health Issue Assessment. Final report 1984 EOA-600/8-84f. USEPA,

18- By Irwin Mandel DDS. Dean of School of dental and Oral Surgery, Colombia University. Published JADA Vol. 122 August 1991

19- ADA Media Conference Feb 1995, Australian Dental Association News Bulletin April 1995.

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