Silver-Mercury

 

SILVER AMALGAMS: NO LONGER A CONTROVERSY
For years the use and safety of mercury in dental amalgam “fillings” has been at the forefront of discussions related to modern-day dentistry. The American Dental Association (ADA) defends mercury’s safety record, all the while permitting in its publications only research that defends this position. It contends that mercury is safe because it has been used in dentistry for over 150 years. However, there are many conscientious dentists who have studied this issue and do not agree. Deciding that such substances may be or are definitely harmful to their patients, staff and themselves, they choose not to place or restore mercury fillings. By offering amalgam-free offices they provide a more healthful environment. They use products that have the appearance and strength of natural teeth, some stronger than others. The Scandinavian countries, as well as Germany, Austria, and Japan, among others, have banned or restricted the use of dental amalgam.

WHAT IS MERCURY?
Pure metals are chemical elements that cannot be broken down into other elements. Of over 100 known chemical elements about 80 are identified as metals. Some metals, such as chromium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, and zinc, have important uses in body metabolism. Others, including mercury, cadmium, and lead, are known to be highly poisonous to humans. No known metabolic mechanisms are dependent on any of these metals, even in the minutest amounts. Mercury, a silvery-white poisonous element, is liquid at room temperature, and is the second most toxic metal to man after cadmium. It is relatively stable in dry air, but when vaporized and inhaled mercury is the only cumulative highly toxic vaporizing poison.

HISTORICAL USES OF MERCURY
Mercury has long been known as an environmental toxin. The phrase, “mad as a hatter,” refers to the 19th century occupational disease of mercury poisoning that resulted from prolonged contact with the metal in the manufacturing of felt hats. More recently, mercury poisoning came to public attention in 1969, when some children in New Mexico were made sick by mercury toxicity after eating pork. The animals had been fed mercury-treated seed. In 1970 tuna and other large fish at the top of the food chain were found to contain significant levels of the metal. One research project demonstrated that mercury by ingestion of canned tuna could be directly correlated to levels accumulated in the hair within a two-week margin. (See below: Storage Of Mercury In The Human Body.

Mercury is used in thermometers, barometers, vapor lamps, some types of switches and batteries. Mercury has also been used in the preparation of some chemical pesticides although many of them have been removed from the market. Some skin medications and eye preparations contain mercury. In the past, it was also used in paint. Mercury is most commonly used, however, in dental amalgam.

It is important to realize that sometimes it is politics within the scientific and medical communities that determines what information is provided to the consumer. The World Health Organization states that exposure to mercury from dental amalgam is greater than from all other sources of environmental exposures, while the ADA states that mercury is harmful only when vaporized. However, research shows that mercury vaporizes from fillings through the normal process of chewing food, brushing teeth, and polishing teeth during a routine dental visit. Also, constantly changing conditions in the mouth cause corrosion of dental materials.

There are many ongoing arguments about the use of mercury in dentistry. Some points, however, cannot be argued. For example, transfer of mercury from dental fillings to body tissue is proven and the amount of mercury found in body tissues is proportionate to the number of fillings present. Also, electric, galvanic currents are always present in amalgam fillings due to the mixture of several dissimilar metals. Of concern to expectant mothers, in animal studies, mercury from amalgam fillings has been shown to accumulate in fetal tissues and maternal milk. In the State of California, dentists must post a warning to that placement of mercury containing fillings during pregnancy may cause spontaneous abortion. It may well be that public demand will be the only economical way for amalgam fillings to become obsolete.