Mercury tooth filling controversy ?

Question

Background: Teeth fillings contain mercury. There is disagreement on whether this can cause mercury poisoning. Most medical professionals seem to think it does not.

Mercury poisoning can cause these phychological symptoms:
Irritability, Nervousness, Fits of Anger, Memory Loss, Lack of Attention, Depression, Low Self Confidence, Anxiety, Drowsiness, Shyness/timidity, Decline of Intellect, Insomnia, Low Self Control.

Has anyone had their mercury based fillings removed and noticed an improvement in their behaviour/personality ?

http://www.curezone.com/dental/mercury_symptoms.asp
http://kidshealth.org/research/mercury_fillings.html
http://www.raintosun.com/mercury_fillings.htm
http://www.mercury-free.com/

This is an extra source I found interesting because it appears to represent experts on both side of the issue.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_38388.html

Answer 1

As most of the prolific writers above correctly state, there is absolutely no risk from amalgams. Patients don't have the background knowledge to sift thru the research literature and make a balanced view, so they ask their dentist or look up on websites. Unfortunately, there are a lot of misguided or unscrupulous dentists who can make a packet of money from replacing fillings. And after all, we'd all like to have white fillings, so with added scaremongering, it is easy to "sell" replacement fillings to patients.
Rather than try and determine if someone's personality improves after a changeover (how is this scientifically measured?), why not measure the blood levels for a definitive answer? If someone asks me to replace their fillings for reasons of supposed toxicity, I ask them to have blood and urine tests before treatment, so we can reassess after treatment for any changes in their mercury levels. No-one's taken me up on this yet, because they don't really want to find out they're wrong.

Answer 2

I won't get the best answer for this but this is the biggest political debate in dentistry. That's just it guys....IT'S POLITICAL. Originating from California, there has been a push to ban dental alloy. There are many problems with the amalgam debate. First, Megalloy which I use in my office is 56 percent silver, 29 % tin and 15% copper (with .5mg/m^3 mercury) Mercury vaper is the main cause of concerns. Problem is mercury does not leak out in vapor form at high levels because it can't....matter can't be created or destroyed....this is a law of physics. Secondly if the majority of each filling was mercury, then we would expect the alloy would either shrink or at the very minimum become very unstable in a mouth capable of over 100 pounds of force. Yet silver fillings have lasted in peoples mouths for decades. Another point, if mercury vaper from alloy was horrid, then you would have to assume that dentists and dental personel would experience the most symptoms (we are around it all day)...which we do not. We do not suffer from any issues, diseases or such at a higher rate than any of the population. Another answer is also correct, there is more mercury vapor in our environment (fish, seafood) than in alloy.

So why the debate you ask?....Money!!!! Tooth colored fillings cost more and don't last as long. More trips to the dentist!!!!!!. Tooth colored fillings when cured shrink, leaving a much larger gap between tooth structure and filling. Gaps=recurrent decay...basically new cavities. Larger the gap = greater possiblity of failure. Alloys still have a much smaller gap. However the resins are getting better. Alloys do have problems but not from mercury. The main issue with alloy is that they expand and contract with temperature...this leads to cracking of tooth structure with time. They also don't look as nice
Two final points....anything in excess is bad...FLouride was rat poison before it was toothpaste...are we to ban that next?
Second, why would I as a dentist care? I would make more money if the other guys are right. You all decide for yourselves.
PS the web sites you listed while heart felt have no science to back them up or this wouldn't be a debate. Alloy is already considered safe...they are trying to prove otherwise. Politically the dental lobbyist stand to make millions...its is still unethical for a dentist to replace alloy for the sole reason of possible toxicity with mercury.
Final thought...what else does mercury cause...the syptoms you list are all non specific and could be caused by anything..can anyone prove it caused by mercury...no. While your at it why not add, diarrhea, upset stomach, indigestion, asthma, pulmonary edema, pnemonia emphysema among others. After all mercury vapor would be breathed in or swallowed.

Answer 3

As a dentist i get the same questions from my patients about the safety of amalgams. I back up everything that nighttrain had to say. AMALGAMS ARE SAFE!!! and unless you have a true metal allergy to any one component of this type of fillings, there is no use blaming them for all your health problems. You get more mercury from eating seafood, but i dont see anyone trying to ban it from restaurants.
Amalgams can last for decades and can withstand shear forces of your teeth, but yes they are affected by temperature. Yes they do look ugly, but unless you have a flip top head and the fillings are way back there, there's no need to be self conscious about it! Tooth colored fillings are great for tiny fillings and yes on your front teeth. They are much more technique sensitive for the dentist to place, so as long as they are done properly, they can last a while, but there is just more room for error without the proper isolation (tooth has to be really really dry).

Table Salt has chlorine and sodium and alone the two elements are very volatile, but together, it is safe and we eat if every day. The same goes with amalgams. Yes the thought of mercury can make someone really nervous, but it is stabilized by other elements.

the only website anyone should go to get the facts is www.ada.org.

So to answer your question :) I think the improvement is psychological for someone who had some ugly metal fillings and having them replaced helped their confidence to smile, etc. but in terms of overall health, they need to be checked out for other reasons, not for these fillings.

Answer 4

I had my silver mercury fillings replaced 19 years ago because I did not like the look of them. I had six fillings in my molars replaced with white composite ones and other than one falling out 11 years ago I have had no problems. The silver mercury fillings seemed to be always falling out and did not seem to last that long. I always seemed to be getting one particular tooth filled and now it has got a white composite filling it has been fine.

I do not get a metallic taste in my mouth anymore. I did not any of the physiological symptoms to begin with, other than I was a bit embarrassed to laugh as I did not want anyone to see the silver fillings in my teeth.

Answer 5

no. dont listen to the hippies, there has not been one clinical study that has suggested the mercury fillings do anything harmful to you, and dozens have suggested that they dont.

you said it yourself- "Most ***medical professionals*** seem to think it does not."

the people who are well educated on the subject all say theyre harmless. the college dropouts who sit around smoking weed and hate modern medicine for intrinsic reasons are the only ones who are complaining on a large scale

if the mercury was getting into your body at a significant amount, it would be easily measurable by a blood test, and there is no difference in mercury levels between a person who has many fillings and a person without fillings. dont beleive everything the conspiracy theorists post on the internet...

Answer 6

The amount of mercury in almagam fillings is less than the amount found in most farm bred fish. Be more concerned about the fish you eat than the fillings in your mouth.

Answer 7

Oh now, can I blame all my troubles on this? Because I have a mouth full of old fillings and I'm far from a perfect person.

Answer 8

The most dentists don't use mercury tooth fillings anymore.

Answer 9

The NIH just conducted an extensive survey and it showed the amalgam fillings pose no health threat.

Answer 10

I have had mine removed and there is no improvement, however, my symptoms were from hepatitis c that was not found until after the fact.

Get tested!
Good luck!