Amalgams, a Very Great Danger in Dentistry

How to Overcome the Problem

1. What is an amalgam filling made of? An amalgam is an alloy composed of 50% mercury, 15-23% silver, 3-30% copper, 10% tin and 1% zinc. When put into a hole drilled in the tooth it hardens to have a fairly hard grinding surface. It was the "filling of choice" for many years.
2. Reactivity of metallic mercury. Mercury liquid itself is not toxic if held in the hand for a short time. Mercury vapor however is very toxic because the body converts it to methylmercury.
3. Reactivity of methylmercury. Methylmercury, ethylmercury and all organometallic mercury compounds will react vigorously with enzymes, proteins, histamine, immune factors, carbohydrates, sulfur compounds, all hormones, vitamin C, bilirubin in bile, water and alcohols.
4. What are two ways mercury may hurt one's health? An electric current is set up by combination of the mercury and the more reactive metal silver. This current, if it is near a conductor of electricity, will enter the nerve and cause pain in a particular part of the mouth or head. Besides this, the mercury dissolves into the tissues and converts into methylmercury.
5. What may an excess of amalgam fillings do to one's health? Usually it takes several fillings, but not always, to cause Parkinsons, manganism, epilepsy, paralysis and pancreatitis. Other symptoms of amalgam poisoning include an unhealing skin rash, pancreatitis, muscle tetany, spon¬taneous swallowing, spontaneous chewing, lowered blood pressure, arthritis and kidney failure.
6. Methylmercury poisoning: Karen Wetterhahn's death. In 5 months. Karen, a 48-year-old chemist doing research at Dartmouth University, suffered nausea, vomiting, ataxia, dysarthia (slurred speech, loss of vision and loss of hearing) after 15-75 mg of methylmercury penetrated her latex glove and was absorbed through a hole into her skin. An account published in the Arizona Republic, Sunday, September 14, 1997, p S-22 says, “Her first symptoms were bumping into doors, falling down as if she were drunk and inability to drive. Her words seemed stuck in her throat, her hands tingled, and she felt like her whole body was moving in slow motion. After 5 months her speech was slurred and her hands trembled.” She was dead 10 months after the accident. An attempt to remove the mercury by chelation with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDT) failed.
7. Inoculation with Thimerosal: Autism caused in infants. Thimerosal, added as a preservative to inoculants to prevent spoiling, has ethylmercuric thiosalicylate in it. When babies are inoculated (vaccinated) with these mixtures for various things like DPT, small pox, infantile paralysis, poliomyelitis, and flu, the ethylmercury gives some of them Autism. This Autism is a short circuiting of the brain, causing mental incomprehension, attendant fear and a weird, although sometimes superior, but limited, intellectual behavior.
8. Fish transformations, Minimata (brain disease). A decade ago, Japan chemical works were dumping large amounts of mercury into the ocean. When the citizens ate the fish many developed Minimata Disease, a mental disorder. The fish converted the mercury into methylmercury.
9. Iraqi poisonings occur when methylmercury is used to fumigate: These farmers fumigated their grain with methylmercury and ate bread made from it. They had symptoms of #5.
10. Should a person have a dentist grind out and remove amalgams if he has only one or two? No, not unless he is experiencing serious side effects such as itching, kidney failure, pancreatitis, Parkirisons, epilepsy, difficulty in thinking, paralysis, or symptoms of #5.
11. Should a person have a dentist grind out and remove all amalgams if he has a large number of side effects due to the mercury? Yes. However, one must be sure the mercury vapor is not allowed to escape into the lungs. This vapor will become methylmercury.
12. What should I do if my dentist insists on filling my tooth with an amalgam? Tell him goodbye and don't go back. He knows or should know a better alternative.
13. What are the composites which are used instead of mercury? The composites are made of a resin such as epoxy with quartzite (a very hard material) imbedded therein.
14. Are the composites safe? Yes. They will not injure the tissues.
15. Will composites last a long time? Yes. They provide a good grinding surface and will last a lifetime if there is not too much crunching on hard foods such as ice, unpopped corn kernels, etc. Even perfectly constructed teeth have a breaking strength, though they are very flexible and resistant to breaking under normal chewing conditions.
16. What are 4 procedures, besides removing amalgam fillings, which will usually help cure the problems caused by mercury or methylmercury? (1) Take vitamin C. Vitamin C (1 level teaspoon daily) is a very reactive molecule which will destroy methyl- or ethyl mercury. Vitamin C is intimately involved in reconstructing protein structures and enzymes. (2) Take monosodium phosphate, 1/8 teaspoon dissolved in water daily. The phosphate reacts with and eliminates methyl and ethylmercury. Phosphate builds DNA and RNA which make all connective tissue and enzymes. (3) Take an oral chelater, which contains a variety of nutrients. Some of these are very reactive and will remove the organometallics. (4) Take a food supplement with all the vitamins, minerals and herbs utilized by the body.

Gerard F. Judd