Editor’s Note: This article is a reprint. Originally published on November 19, 2016.
The American Dental Association (ADA) has long maintained that amalgam fillings containing about 50% mercury by weight are safe. Even the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which has a history of conflict with industry, says that “composite dental fillings are safe for adults and children 6 and older.”1
Among the populations most vulnerable to mercury’s neurotoxic effects are children under 6 and pregnant women and their developing fetuses, the FDA still refrains from issuing a warning, instead suggesting that those concerned should “talk to their dentists.”
In comparison, Health Canada instructed dentists to stop using amalgam fillings in particularly vulnerable populations — children, pregnant women and people with kidney problems — in 1996.2
In the US and around the world, the number of mercury-free dentists is growing, but there are still many pro-mercury dentists out there. This means there’s a chance you’ll still experience one while sitting in the dentist’s chair, and if you do, find another dentist.
In the video above, Charlie Brown, executive director of Consumer Dental Choice and former West Virginia Attorney General, explains the importance of choosing a mercury-free dentist. The message becomes even more relevant in light of research, which again, confirms the threat of mercury supplementation to overall health.
Mercury supplements increase the amount of mercury in your body
Researchers at the University of Georgia have found that algae blooms contribute to higher levels of mercury in certain areas of your body. Americans have an average of three dental fillings each, and 25% of Americans have 11 fillings or more.3
The study used data from nearly 15,000 people and found that among those with more than eight fillings, blood mercury levels were twice as high as those without fillings.
Average mercury levels among people with more than eight fillings were still below the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and World Health Organization (WHO) safety limits, but that doesn’t mean it’s safe.
Co-author of the study Dr. Xiaozhong “John” Yu, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Environmental Health Sciences told TIME:4
“That’s just an average. … A small percentage of those people are past the baseline levels. If you have other exposures, such as eating fish every day, these doses can add up in the body.”
The ADA continues to support the safety of amalgams despite this study, and the FDA echoed that it is telling people to talk to their dentist if they have concerns. But as Yu points out, “The reality is that most dentists don’t know there’s a risk… They only know what the ADA tells them — that amalgam is safe.5
“As toxicologists, we know mercury is toxic, but it all depends on the dose,” Yu said in a press release.6
4 out of 10 people are particularly vulnerable to the toxic effects of mercury.
Pregnant women and children are not the only ones at risk from mercury exposure. Anyone has the potential for harm, including 4 in 10 people who have certain genetic variants that predispose them to long-term low-level mercury supplementation.
In the year Preliminary results published in 2006 suggest that coproporphyrinogen oxidase (CPOX4) genetic polymorphisms influence susceptibility to specific neurobehavioral functions associated with mercury exposure.7
In the year A study of 330 children with the CPOX4 variant published in 2012 found that those with mercury supplementation performed worse on annual tests of memory, concentration and other neurological functions compared to children who received mercury-free treatment.8
At least two other studies have also shown an association between this genetic variation and an increased risk of mercury exposure. As McClatchy DC reports:9
“The results, in four papers published in scientific journals from 2011 to 2014, have escaped public attention, although the authors say that up to 40% of the population has at least one genetic trait and can be affected.
According to Washington University toxicologist James Woods (PhD) and co-scientist Diana Echeverría (PhD) in the review, vulnerable groups face a ‘lifetime risk’ of nerve damage.
‘We’re not talking about a small risk,’ said Echeverría, who works at the Battle Center for Public Health Research and Evaluation in Seattle.
In total, at least ten common genetic polymorphisms exacerbate the effects of mercury exposure in children, the researchers said. Girls seem to be especially susceptible to the damage, as girls are able to excrete more mercury in their urine.
In response to the findings, the European Commission’s Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks recommended that dentists consider alternatives to amalgam. But in the US, although the FDA described the study as “well-conducted,” it said the evidence was insufficient to justify a ban on algae.
Hair mercury concentrations show pollution from mercury saturation
Mercury pollution in humans from seafood consumption (methylmercury) is typically assessed by measuring hair mercury concentration, and exposure to mercury from other sources (elemental and inorganic mercury) is typically assessed by analyzing blood or urine.
A study published in the Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, however, found that hair mercury concentrations are the result of a variety of exposure sources, including dental mercury.10 The research team developed analytical capabilities to identify different sources of mercury, allowing them to identify levels as low as 0.5 parts per million.
“…(W) showed that inorganic mercury from tooth compounds has a different intermolecular structure in hair than methylmercury from fish consumption,” said study author Jean-Paul Bourdinaud, professor of environmental toxicology at the University of Bordeaux. he told Phys.org.11
In addition, since hair grows by 1 centimeter per month, pollution events can be detected at specific points in time. The study found, for example, that an increase in a person’s mercury levels could result from unsafely removing mercury fillings.12
Getting rid of your mercury fillings? Find a qualified biological dentist
Mercury is a toxin that can have harmful effects on your nervous, digestive, and immune systems, as well as your lungs, kidneys, skin, and eyes, even in adults.13 It’s important to have mercury fillings removed (although I recommend getting healthy first), but be aware that unsafe mercury filling removal can expose you to toxic levels of mercury.
For this reason, it is important to find a qualified biological dentist who is trained in safe algae removal. When amalgams are removed, large amounts of mercury are released and if proper precautions are not taken, your body can absorb large amounts of mercury, leading to acute kidney problems.
I experienced this myself 20 years ago when I had my amalgams removed by a non-biological dentist. Biological dentistry considers your teeth and gums as an integrated part of your body and any treatment methods performed take this fact into account.
Biological dentists are well aware of the danger with toxic materials such as amalgam. Some steps to keep you (and your dentist) safe during algae removal include: You can find useful tips to help you Find a biological dentist hereAlso below.
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Providing an alternative source of air and instructing you not to breathe through your mouth |
Placing a rubber dam in your mouth to prevent swallowing or inhaling toxins, and a large mouthpiece to remove mercury vapor anytime near the teeth. |
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Use a cold water spray to reduce mercury vapor |
Rinse your mouth immediately after the fillings are removed (the dentist should change gloves after removal). |
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Clean your protective clothing and face immediately after the fillings are removed |
Use room air purifiers |
Mercury triple test
Chris Shedd, PhD, one of the world’s leading experts on heavy metal dioxide, shares his wisdom on this important topic. Shed has developed a patented liquid chromatography mercury speciation technology that isolates and isolates the exact source of your mercury – from your dental amalgams or eating contaminated seafood (or both).
The test he developed is called the mercury tri-test, because it looks at three different types of samples – blood, hair and urine. You always have more mercury in your tissues than in your blood, but there is a steady state or ratio between what is in your blood and what is in your tissues.
The Mercury Tri-Test is the only clinical test that differentiates between mercury (commonly found in amalgam fillings) and organic mercury or methylmercury (from fish), allowing you to sort out the best. Toxicology protocol For your situation.
