Chewing Gum Releases Mercury From Dental Fillings

Heavy gum chewers risk breaking down the amalgam in their dental fillings and having dangerously high levels of mercury in their blood and urine as a result, a study published in the Stockholm newspaper Aftonbladet on Friday said. Read more

Mercury and Brain Research

Determination of blood mercury concentrations in Alzheimer's patients. Read more

Mercury and Old Cavities

I've heard that my old silver fillings probably contain dangerous mercury, and I should have them replaced. What are the options for replacing them?... Read more

Natural Dental Health

“The terms oral health and general health should not be interpreted as separate entities. Oral health is integral to general health: oral health means more than healthy teeth and you cannot be healthy without oral health.” —Donna Shalala, Secretary of Health and Human Services, in Oral Health America: A Report of the Surgeon General, 2000

The renouned German physician Dr. Reinhard Voll estimated that nearly 80% of all illness is related entirely or partially to problems in the mouth. The reason the teeth are such a threat to health is that, in addition to their connection to every organ and gland in the body, they can harbor infections without symptoms. There's no pain or discomfort. Yet, there may be chronic infection eroding the body's immune response-wearing out the immune system. This infection is very difficult to detect. Few people today have escaped the problems of dental cavities and gum infection. About 98% of Americans have some areas of diseased gum tissue in their mouths, over half of these are also experiencing a progressive "bone loss." Fortunately, cavities and pyorrhea (gum disease and bone loss) are both 100% preventable and reversible.

The mouth is a hostile environment. It's warm, moist, and full of nutritient-laden saliva, decaying teeth, and soggy gums, which makes it a haven for bacteria. Teeth are subject to sudden changes of temperature created by extremes such as coffee and ice cream. Mechanical stresses challenge the mouth in the form of a combination of hard and soft foods. It is attacked chemically by foods that are highly acidic and highly alkaline with overtones of salinity and sugar. All these conditions provide corrosive influences, necessitating artificial replacements supplied by the dentist.

Mercury amalgam fillings are the major source of mercury exposure for the general public, at rates six-times higher than from fish and seafood. Continue Reading >>

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The FDA Finally States Mercury Filings May Cause Health Problems

Silver-colored metal dental fillings contain mercury that may cause health problems in pregnant women, children and fetuses, the Food and Drug Administration said on Wednesday after settling a related lawsuit.

As part of the settlement with several consumer advocacy groups, the FDA agreed to alert consumers about the potential risks on its website and to issue a more specific rule next year for fillings that contain mercury, FDA spokeswoman Peper Long said.

Millions of Americans have the fillings, or amalgams, to patch cavities in their teeth.

"Dental amalgams contain mercury, which have neurotoxic effects on the nervous systems of developing children and fetuses," the FDA said in a notice on its Web site.

"Pregnant women and persons who may have a health condition that makes them more sensitive to mercury exposure, including individuals with existing high levels of mercury bioburden, should not avoid seeking dental care, but should discuss options with their health practitioner," the agency said.

According to Dr. Robert O. Young, a research scientist at the pH Miracle Living Center, "mercury filings can be a focal point for acidic toxicity and poisoning of the blood and tissues.
Mercury is known to be one of the most dangerous and toxic substances on the planet."

"Many people are unaware that "silver" amalgam dental fillings are actually 50% mercury. The American Dental Association (ADA) refuses to publicly state that dental amalgam fillings contain a high level of mercury, and adamantly denies that the mercury escaping from them can cause serious health issues."

"Yet it has been proven that fillings lose their mercury content. According to Joyal Taylor, DDS, one dental researcher removed fillings that had been in a patient's mouth for five years. He also removed twenty year old fillings from another patient's mouth. He tested the percentage of mercury content if both fillings, and found that the five year old fillings had lost one half of their mercury, and the twenty year old fillings had lost all of their mercury. Fillings tend to fracture at the edges and begin to crumble away, and mercury is absorbed by the roots of the teeth as well as the surrounding bone and adjacent gum tissue."

"Every day, we do things that can increase the release of mercury vapor from amalgam fillings:
brushing our teeth, using a water pick, chewing gum, and consume hot foods and drinks can all release up to 300 parts per million of mercury colloids.
Any levels over 1 part per million can be cytotoxic to the blood and tissues."

"Removing amalgams without special precautions increases mercury blood levels for a period of time. Such a concentrated release of mercury can severely exacerbate existing neurological conditions."

"It is best to consult with your Dentist about removing your mercury filings over a 6 to 12 month period of time so the body can adequately remove this highly acidic material out through the elimination organs."

The FDA must issue the new rules in July 2009, Long said.

The lawsuit settlement was reached on Monday with several advocacy groups, including Moms Against Mercury, which had sought to have mercury fillings removed from the U.S. market.

While the FDA previously said various studies showed no harm from mercury fillings, some consumer groups contend the fillings can trigger a range of health problems such as multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease.

In 2006, an FDA advisory panel of outside experts said most people would not be harmed by them, but said the agency needed more information.

Mercury has been linked to brain and kidney damage at certain levels. Amalgams contain half mercury and half a combination of other metals.

Charles Brown, a lawyer for one of the groups called Consumers for Dental Choice, said the agency's move represented an about-face. "Gone, gone, gone are all of FDA's claims that no science exists that amalgam is unsafe," he said in a statement.

J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. analyst Ipsita Smolinski said the FDA is not likely to outright ban the fillings next year but will probably call for restrictions.

"We do believe that the agency will ask for the label to indicate that mercury is an ingredient in the filling, and that special populations should be exempt from such fillings, such as:
nursing women, pregnant women, young children, and immunocompromised individuals," Smolinski wrote in a research note on Wednesday.

Dr. Young stated, "mercury filings are one of the major contributors to an acidic environment and can cause an imbalance in the alkaline design of the body leading to dis-ease of the blood and tissues."

What is a holistic dentist?

Host Jennifer Kamstock explains what a holistic dentist is and why we should go to one. Written and produced by Larry Cook, author of The Beginner's Guide to Natural Living. Distributed by Tubemogul.