The Toxic Effects of the Mercury in Dental Amalgam Fillings on the Environment and Human Health

The following document — “THE TOXIC EFFECTS OF THE MERCURY IN DENTAL AMALGAM FILLINGS ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND HUMAN HEALTH” — is a fact sheet prepared by The International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (www.iaomt.org).

It’s one of the most detailed looks you’ll see on the hazards of the mercury in amalgam fillings on both our health and the environment and a pretty good list of reasons to ban mercury fillings in America.

If you have any questions about whether mercury fillings are bad, this paper should provide most of the reasons for you, along with several pages of supporting research for those who want or need more information.

I encourage you to print it out and share it with your family, friends, and loved ones. Share it with your doctor. Share it with anyone who doubts the dangers of silver fillings and anyone who craves more information than they typically have access to.

Thank you to the IAOMT for making this available and for helping to better educate us all.

Evidence That Mercury from Dental Amalgam May Cause Hearing Loss in Multiple Sclerosis Patients

The leaching of toxic mercury from amalgam fillings has been implicated in hearing loss. Mercury toxicity has also been linked to multiple sclerosis (MS). It is believed that the toxic effects of mercury cause damage to the blood brain barrier, demyelination (damage to the nerves’ myelin sheaths) and slowing of the nerve conduction velocity. This experiment involved seven women aged 32-46 years who had been diagnosed with MS. The women underwent a standard hearing test in a sound booth and then had all their amalgam fillings replaced with composites. Six to eight months later they were again given the hearing test. Six of the seven patients had significantly improved hearing in the right ear and five of the seven showed improvement in the left ear. Overall, hearing improved an average of eight decibels. The conclusion is that amalgam fillings may be a significant factor in hearing loss experienced by MS patients and could be a factor in hearing loss in other people as well.

Siblerud RL, Kienholz E. Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine. 1997. Vol. 12. 240-44.

Mercury and Nickel Allergy: Risk Factors in Fatigue and Autoimmunity

This study examined the presence of hypersensitivity to dental and environmental metals in patients with clinical disorders complicated with chronic fatigue syndrome. Three groups of patients were examined through medical history, dental examination, and by using a modified test of blast transformation for metals-MELISA(R). The three groups consisted of the following: 22 patients with autoimmune thyroiditis with or without polyglandular autoimmune activation; 28 fatigued patients free from endocrinopathy; and 22 fatigued professionals without evidence of autoimmunity. As controls, a population sample or 13 healthy subjects without any evidence of metal sensitivity was included. Healthy controls did not complain of marked fatigue and their laboratory tests did not show signs of autoimmunity and endocrinopathy. We have found that fatigue, regardless of the underlying disease, is primarily associated with hypersensitivity to inorganic mercury and nickel. The lymphocyte stimulation by other metals was similar in fatigued and control groups. To evaluate clinical relevance of positive in vitro findings, the replacement of amalgam with metal-free restorations was performed in some of the patients. At a six-month follow-up, patients reported considerably alleviated fatigue and disappearance of many symptoms previously encountered; in parallel, lymphocyte responses to metals decreased as well. We suggest that metal-driven inflammation may affect the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis) and indirectly trigger psychosomatic multisymptoms characterizing chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and other diseases of unknown etiology.

Sterzl I, Prochazkova J, Hrda P, Bartova J, Matucha P, Stejskal VD. Neuroendocrinol Lett. 1999; 20(3-4):221-228. 11462117 PubMed.

Effects of Metals on the Nervous System of Humans and Animals

Several metals have toxic actions on nerve cells and neurobehavorial functioning. These toxic actions can be expressed either as developmental effects or as an increased risk of neurodegenerative diseases in old age. The major metals causing neurobehavioral effects after developmental exposure are lead and methylmercury. Lead exposure in young children results in a permanent loss of IQ of approximately 5 to 7 IQ points, and also results in a shortened attention span and expression of anti-social behaviors. There is a critical time period (<2 years of age) for development of these effects, after which the effects do not appear to be reversible even if blood lead levels are lowered with chelation. Methylmercury has also been found to have effects on cognition at low doses, and prenatal exposure at higher levels can disrupt brain development. Metals have also been implicated in neurodegenerative diseases, although it is unlikely that they are the sole cause for any of them. Elevated aluminum levels in blood, usually resulting from kidney dialysis at home with well water containing high aluminum, result in dementia that is similar to but probably different from that of Alzheimer’s disease. However, there is some epidemiological evidence for elevated risk of Alzheimer’s in areas where there is high concentration of aluminum in drinking water. Other metals, especially lead, mercury, manganese and copper, have been implicated in amvotrophic lateral sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease.

Carpenter DO. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2001; 14(3):209-18. 11764847 PubMed.

Metals and Trace Elements in Plasma and Cerebrospinal Fluid in Normal Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease

Cerebro-spinal fluid (CSF) and blood levels of aluminium, cadmium, calcium, copper, lead, magnesium, and mercury were studied in 24 subjects with dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT) and in 28 healthy volunteers. Furthermore, arsenic, bromine, chrome, iron, manganese, nickel, rubidium, selenium, strontium, and zinc were measured only in blood. There were significant changes in the DAT group when compared to the controls. The plasma levels of aluminium, cadmium, mercury and selenium were increased and the contents of iron and manganese were lower in the DAT group as compared to control subjects. In CSF there were low levels of cadmium and calcium and increased content of copper in DAT cases. Iron and zinc levels in blood and calcium in both blood and CSF of DAT patients correlated with memory and cognitive functions. Iron, manganese and strontium levels of DAT sufferers in blood and aluminium in CSF were related with changes in behaviour.

Basun H, Forssell LG, Wetterberg L, Winblad B. J Neural Transm Park Dis Dement Sect. 1991; 3(4):231-58. 1772577 PubMed.