DENTAL AMALGAM MERCURY SYNDROME ............................ www.dams.cc
DAMS Intl. 1043 Grand Ave, #317. St Paul, Mn,
55015
Studies Document that amalgam dental
fillings are the largest source of both inorganic and organic mercury in most
people.
Peer-reviewed medical studies and
thousands of clinical tests by Medical Labs have documented that:
1. The daily mercury
exposure(measured in saliva and feces) for those with amalgam dental fillings is on average more than 10 times higher than
those without amalgam fillings.
2.
Amalgam is the largest
source of mercury exposure in most people- both for inorganic and organic
mercury.
3. Amalgam is also a major source
of the high levels of mercury in all U.S. sewer plants and in lakes, rivers, and
fish.
4. Millions of people in the U.S.
have dangerous levels of mercury exposure and millions of women of child
bearing age have levels high enough to make birth defects and developmental
disorders in infants likely.
Documentation:
The reference average level of mercury in feces(dry
weight) for those tested at Doctors
Data Lab with amalgam fillings is .26 mg/kg, compared to the reference
average level for those without amalgam fillings of .02 mg/kg(10). (13 times
that of the population w/o amalgam).
A Swedish lab that does fecal
tests for mercury had similar results(10).
Government and Scientific panels have confirmed amalgam is the
number one source of mercury in most people and affects millions(24,FS 1-8).
In a large study of a group with amalgams, a group
without amalgams, and a group that had undergone amalgam replacement- using saliva mercury measurements, it was
concluded that amalgam is the main source of organic mercury in most people.
Those with amalgams on average had more than 4 times as much organic mercury as
either group without amalgam. Those with amalgam had over 10 times the total
mercury as those without(11). And mercury from fish was controlled for in
the study and not a factor in these results.
Mercury vapor and inorganic mercury are well documented to be methylated
to methyl mercury in the mouth and intestines by bacteria, yeast, and other
methyl donors(21,22,23).
The saliva mercury level for those with
several amalgam fillings(8 or more) was
more than 10 times the level of those without amalgam fillings. 10 %
of those with amalgam fillings had unstimulated mercury saliva
levels of over 100 ug/L. Mercury level was proportional
to the number of fillings(12,11). Three studies that looked at a population
with more than 12 fillings found
generally higher levels than this study, with average mercury level in unstimulated saliva of 29
ug/L [33 ug/d](13), 32.7 ug/L
[37 ug/d] (14), and 75 ug/day(15). The saliva and feces of children with
amalgams have approximately 10 times the
level of mercury as children without (10,16,17,FS 8),
and much
higher levels in saliva after chewing.
Mercury levels in saliva and feces usually decline
after amalgam replacement between 80 to
95% (10,11,18-20,FS 8). The studies
document that amalgam is the number one source of both inorganic and
organic mercury in most people. It has been documented that inorganic
mercury is methylated to methyl mercury in the mouth and intestines by
bacteria, yeast, and other methyl donors(21,22.23).
Because of the extreme toxicity of mercury,
the U.S. EPA drinking water standard for mercury is 2 parts per billion,
which allows for not over 4 micrograms per day mercury exposure for an
average adult. The U.S.EPA mercury
health guideline for elemental mercury exposure(vapor) is 0.3 micrograms
per cubic meter of air(0.3 ug/M3). For
the average adult breathing 20 M3 of air per day, this amounts to an exposure
of 6 micrograms(ug) per day. The
U.S. Department of Health, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ASTDR)
standard (MRL) -for acute inhalation exposure to mercury vapor is 0.2
micrograms Hg/M3, which translates to approx. 4 ug/day for the average
adult(FS 1).
The main reasons for the high exposure
levels from mercury are the high volatility of mercury(which is vaporizing
constantly at room temperature) and the galvanic currents in the mouth
generated by mixed metals in an electrolyte(saliva)
(FS 7). Metal
crowns are usually placed over
amalgam base which gives even more galvanic currents and mercury exposure than amalgam
fillings. This is warned against by the largest amalgam manufacturer and many
Government health agencies, along with other common practices regarding amalgam
commonly ignored by dentists in the U.S. (FS 8) Several states now require
warnings to patients by dentists about the toxicity of mercury(FS 10).
Studies that the Government Health
Standards were based on have found adverse health effects at very low
levels(FS 8,24,25) and developmental effects on infants and children at
very low levels of exposure(FS 2, FS 5,25), along with finding that mercury
vapor from a mothers
fillings is readily transferred through the mothers blood across the placenta to a fetus
and also through mothers
milk(FS 2,FS 8,24) and commonly causes developmental effects(FS 2,25).
All sewer plants in the U.S. and sewer sludge have
been found to have high levels of mercury by Govt agencies, with mercury
excretion into home and business sewers by those with amalgam fillings the most
common factor along with high levels from dental office sewers(FS 9). Government agencies have documented that this
is a major factor in mercury in rivers, lakes, fish, as well as crops and rain
since soil bacteria methylate the mercury from sludge used for land spreading
or in landfills to methyl mercury, which is emitted at high levels.
DAMS is currently working with
thousands of people in the U.S. dealing with serious health effects caused by
exposure to mercury from amalgam and urges everyone to find out more about this
major problem and to get involved in resolving these health safety issues. DAMS can provide information and help to
anyone who is interested or who thinks they might have health problems related
to their amalgam fillings. (www.flcv.com/indexd.html )
References
(10) Doctors Data Inc.; Fecal
Elements Test; P.O.Box 111, West
Chicago, Illinois, 60186-0111;
www.doctorsdata.com ; & Biospectron Lab, LMI, Lennart Mansson
International AB, lmi.analyslab@swipnet.se; http://home.swipnet.se/misac/research11.html#biospectrons
(11) Leistevuo J et al, Dental amalgam fillings and the amount of
organic mercury in human saliva. Caries
Res 2001 May-Jun;35(3):163-6;& Leistevuo J et al., Dental amalgam
fillings and the amount of organic mercury in human saliva, Corks Res,
35(3):163-6 (2001 May-Jun) & Sellars
WA, Sellars R. Univ. Of
Texas Southwestern Medical School Methyl mercury in dental amalgams in
the human mouth, Journal of Nutritional &
Environmental Medicine 1996; 6(1): 33-37
(12) Dr. P.Kraub & M.Deyhle,
Universitat Tubingen- Institut fur Organische Chemie, "Field Study on the
Mercury Content of Saliva",
1997 www.uni-tuebingen.de/KRAUSS/amalgam.html;
(20,000 people tested for mercury
level in saliva and health status/symptoms
compiled)
(13) M.J.Vimy,F.L.Lorscheider,Intra
oral Mercury released from dental amalgams
and estimation of daily dose J. Dent Res., 1985,64(8):1069-1075;
(14) A.Gebhardt, Ermittlung der
Quecksilberbelastung aus Amalgamfullurngen,
Labormedizin 16,384-386,1992;
(15) B.Arnold, Eigenschaften und
Einsatzgebiete des Chelatbildners:DMPS, Z.Umweltmedizin 1997,5(1):38- ; & Diagnostik un Monitorung
vonSchwermetallbelastungen,I,II, ZWR,1996, 105(10): 586-569 & (11):665-;
& Therapie
der Schwermetallbelastung,
Mineraloscope, 1996,(1):22-23.
(16) C.Malmstrom, M.Hansson, M. Nylander, Conference on
Trace Elements in Health and Disease.
Stockholm May 25,1992, "Silver amalgam: an unstable material",
Swedish paper translated in Bio‑Probe Newsletter, Vol 9(1):5‑6,
Jan. 1993 (www.bioprobe.com);
& C.Malmstrom, "Amalgam
derived mercury in feces", Journal of Trace Elements in Experimental
Medicine, 5, (Abs 122), 1992;
(17) B.Engin-Deniz et al,"Die
queckssilberkonzentration im spichel zehnjariger kinder in korrelation zur
anzahl und Grobe iher amalgamfullungen", Zeitschrift fur
Stomatologie,1992, 89:471-179;
(18) L.Bjorkman et al, "Mercury
in Saliva and Feces after Removal of
Amalgam Fillings", Toxicology
and Applied Pharmacology, 1997, 144(1),
p156-62; & (b) J Dent Res 75:
38-, IADR Abstract 165, 1996.
(19)G. Sandborgh-Englund,
Pharmakinetics of mercury from dental
amalgam,
Medical School Dissertation Dept. Of
Basal Oral Sciences, Karolinska Institute,(Stockholm),1998,1-49; & G.
Sandborgh-Englund et al, Mercury in
biological fluids after amalgam removal. J Dental Res, 1998, 77(4): 615-24;
(20) A. Engqvist et al,
"Speciation of mercury excreted in feces
from individuals with amalgam fillings", Arch Environ Health, 1998,
53(3):205-13; & Dept. of Toxicology & Chemistry, Stockholm Univ., National Institute for Working Life, 1998
(www.niwl.se/ah/1998-02.html)
(21) Heintze et al,Methylation of Mercury from dental
amalgam and mercuric chloride by oral
Streptococci.,Scan.
J. Dent. Res. 1983, 91:150-152; & L.I.Liang
et al, "Mercury reactions in the human mouth with dental amalgams"
Water, Air, and Soil pollution, 80:103-107; & Wang J, Liu Z; [.In vitro
Study of Strepcoccus Mutans in the Plaque on the Surface of Amalgam Fillings on
the Convertion of Inorganic Mercury to Organic Mercury][Article in Chinese],
Shanghai Kou Qiang Yi Xue. 2000 Jun;9(2):70-2.
(22)S
Yannai, I Berdicevsky, and L Duek, Transformations of inorganic mercury by
Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1991
January; 57 (1): 245247;
& Choi SC, Bartha R.. Cobalamin-mediated mercury methylation by
Desulfovibrio desulfuricans LS. Appl
Environ Microbiol. 1993 Jan;59(1):290-5; & Pan-Hou HS, Imura N. Involvement of mercury methylation in
microbial mercury detoxication. Arch
Microbiol. 1982 Mar;131(2):176-7; &
Zorn NE, Smith JT. A relationship
between vitamin B12, folic acid, ascorbic acid, and mercury uptake and
methylation. Life Sci.
1990;47(2):167-73.
(23) Ludwicki JK., Studies on the role of gastrointestinal tract contents in
the methylation of inorganic mercury compounds. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol. 1989
Feb;42(2):283-8; & Rowland I, Davies
M, Grasso P. Biosynthesis of
methylmercury compounds by the intestinal flora of the rat. Arch Environ Health. 1977
Jan-Feb;32(1):24-8; & Rowland IR, Grasso P, Davies MJ. The methylation of mercuric chloride by human
intestinal bacteria. Experientia. 1975 SEP 15;31(9):1064-5.
(24) Agency for Toxic Substances and
Disease Registry, U.S. Public Health
Service, Toxicological Profile
for Mercury , 1999; & ATSDR/EPA Priority List for 1999: Top 20 Hazardous Substances, Agency for
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/99list.html: & World Health
Organization(WHO),1991, Environmental Health Criteria 118, Inorganic
Mercury, WHO, Geneva.
(25) U.S. CDC, National Center for Environmental Health , National Report on
Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals, 2001,
www.cdc.gov/nceh/dls/report/Highlights.htm ;
& National Research
Council, Toxicological Effects of Methyl mercury (2000), pp. 304‑332:
Risk Characterization and Public Health Implications, Nat'l Academy Press
2000.
Available fact sheets on website
with over 2500 medical study references include:
FS1. Common Mercury
Exposure Levels from
Amalgam Fillings High and Government
Health Standards Commonly
Exceeded, www.flcv.com/amalno1.html
FS2. Transfer of
Mercury from Mothers Amalgams
and Breast Milk
to the Fetus
and Developmental Effects of Mercury on Infants, www.flcv.com/fetaln.html
FS3. Documentation of
recovery from 60,000 clinical cases of serious adverse health effects after
replacement of amalgam fillings in over 30 chronic health
conditions, www.flcv.com/amalg6.html
FS4. Adverse Oral Health
Problems related to Amalgam Fillings,
www.flcv.com/periodon.html
FS5. Effect of Mercury and
Other Toxic Metal Exposure on Cognitive and Behavioral Problems
of Children- including ADD, dyslexia,
juvenile delinquency, and crime, www.flcv.com.tmlbn.html
FS6, Autoimmune conditions:
CFS, FM, MS, Parkinsons, ALS, Alzheimers, Lupus, Chrons, Schleraderma: the connection
to mercury immune reactivity and
amalgam fillings;
www.flcv.com/damsindx.html
FS7. The battery in your
mouth: oral galvanic currents and metals in the mouth, and interactions with
EMF , www.flcv.com/galv.html
FS8. Health Effects of
amalgam fillings and results of replacement of amalgam filings. Over 2000 medical study references(most in Medline) documenting
common high mercury exposures from amalgam, and that vapor from amalgam is the most dangerous form
of mercury to the fetus, and approx. 60,000 clinical cases of amalgam
replacement followed by doctors;
FS9. The environmental effects of amalgam
affect everyone. High levels of mercury
in sewer plants, sewer sludge, crops, rain, rivers, lakes, fish due to mercury
excreted by those with amalgam. www.flcv.com/damspr2f.html
FS10. State laws
requiring warnings about adverse health effects of mercury by dentists or placing restrictions on amalgam use www.flcv.com/damspr5.html
National contact person: Bernard Windham berniew1@embarqmail.com 850-878-9024
Local Contact Person: