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Why remove amalgams?

A Mouthful of Metals – Why Metals are Not Meant for your Mouth.

Part 2.

So what is the big problem with mercury? It can be summed up in one sentence: Mercury has an affinity for fatty tissues in the body, is toxic at an atomic level and there is no known safe level of exposure to the human body.

A toxicological profile for mercury such as by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and Research Triangle Institute of USA lists common symptoms of mercury poisoning as below (the list is not exhaustive): – personality changes e.g. irritability, shyness, nervousness – changes in vision, deafness – muscle incoordination, tremors, loss of sensation, joint pain – memory difficulties – kidney problems – irritation in the mouth and lungs – damage to the stomach and intestines – nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, insomnia – skin rashes – fertility problems.  

However, as you may note, this list is for “mercury poisoning” which does not technically extend to amalgam fillings in the mouth. The modern amalgam controversy began in the 1940s in the US and Europe due to numerous failed/fractured teeth/fillings and multiple cases of mercury poisoning. The debate was further ignited in the late 1970s when several studies produced evidence that mercury vapour escapes from set dental amalgam even after many years of placement.

In the 1990s, a review published in the Journal of American Dental Association argued that the levels of mercury released were safe and that the replacement of dental amalgam to address health concerns was unwarranted. Newer studies though show that amalgam bearers typically have mercury levels 3-6 times higher than amalgam-free controls with notable gender differences.

Also, autopsy studies have been conducted showing mercury levels in adult brains correlate with the number of amalgam fillings. The same correlation is seen of the mercury levels in human fetal and infant tissues with the number of maternal amalgam fillings.

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