DENTAL AMALGAM MERCURY SYNDROME
www.amalgam.org
DAMS Intl. 1079 Summit Ave St Paul MN 55105
Health
Effects to Dentists, Dental Assistants, and Dental Hygienists from
Occupational
Exposure to Mercury Vapor from Amalgam Fillings
DAMS
is a nationwide support organization for dental
patients suffering from mercury toxicity due to amalgam dental fillings. DAMS has
coordinators in most states, who have themselves recovered from mercury
toxicity and who have provided information to thousands of mercury toxic
patients. Previous fact sheets available
on our website document that dental
amalgam is the largest source of both inorganic and methyl mercury in most
with several amalgam fillings, many
thousands have been seriously affected by mercury from amalgam, and that most who have
amalgam replaced see significant improvement after treatment. DAMS website has
over 4,000 medical study references documenting widespread chronic health
effects from mercury exposure/amalgam, and over 60,000 clinical cases of
recovery or significant improvement after amalgam replacement. Dental staff occupational exposure would be
the largest source of methyl mercury exposure in most dental staff for the same
reason that dental amalgam exposure is the largest source in most with amalgam
fillings, since mercury is commonly methylated in the mouth and intestines by bacteria, yeasts,etc. Also since dental staff have mercury levels
typically higher than the average of those with amalgam fillings, health
effects findings for those with amalgam fillings would also be relevant for
dental staff.
DAMS
has also compiled over 150 medical studies documenting
the adverse health effects of dental office mercury exposure to dentists, dental assistants, and dental hygienists. The studies reviewed found that:
1. Dental office staff mercury
exposure is comparable to exposure from more than 15 amalgam fillings and commonly more than
the federal ATSDR/EPA health guideline (MRL) for mercury(1,2,3).
2. Dental staff exposure is proportionate
to the number of amalgam fillings placed, removed, or polished- as well as the
number of their own amalgam fillings(1,2,3).
3. Dental staff have significantly higher levels of mercury excretion than
non-
Occupationally exposed controls (1,2).
4. Sensitization or development
of allergic conditions such as dermatitis and systemic allergies is common
among dental staff(1,2,8).
5. Dentists and dental staff
commonly accumulate mercury body burden and develop neurological conditions
such as irritability, depression or mood disorders, memory deficits,
headaches, neuropathies, motor function deficits, or tremors (1,2,9,10).
6. Dentists and dental workers have
also been found to have higher levels of
autoimmune or immune disorders, chronic fatigue, arthritis, myalgia or neuralgia(1,2,8,9)
7. Dentists and dental workers have
been found to have higher levels of reproductive problems- including
infertility, menstrual disorders, birth defects, spontaneous abortions, or
children with lower than average IQ(1,2,5).
8. Some studies have found higher
cancer rates, mood disorders, and higher suicide rates among dentists than in
controls(1,2,8)
9. Patients and occupationally
exposed workers who get their amalgam fillings replaced and avoid further exposure to mercury often
recover from serious
chronic systemic conditions(6,2).
10. Dental office waste and
mercury in human wastes of those with amalgam fillings are the
two largest sources of high mercury levels
in sewers, and
thus a major source of mercury in
waterways, fish, and wildlife. Over 20% of all U.S. river miles, 30% of all
U.S. lakes, and most bays
have warnings limiting fish consumption due to mercury
accumulation(4,2,11).
11. Dental amalgam is also a
major source of mercury air emissions since dental
amalgam
is the largest source of mercury in sewer sludge, and most mercury in sewer
sludge is outgased either at the sewer plant or after
landspread or landfilled,
since soil bacteria methylates other forms of mercury
to methyl mercury and both mercury vapor and methyl mercury are outgased from the soil.
Crematoria are also a major
source of mercury air emissions due to those with amalgam fillings, since
there is currently no regulation requiring teeth to be extracted before
cremation.
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References
1. B. Windham(Ed.),
Health Effects to Dental Staff from Occupational Exposure to Mercury
From Work with Amalgam Fillings,
2003 (over 100 medical study
references)
2. Common
Exposure Levels from Amalgam Fillings and the Mechanism by which mercury causes over 40 chronic health conditions
including autoimmune conditions.
(Over 4,000 medical study references, most
from National Library of Medicine Medline)
3.
DAMS Fact Sheet 1, Amalgam is the number one source of mercury in most
people and Exposures Commonly Exceed
Government Health Guidelines for mercury, 2003.
4. DAMS Fact Sheet 2, The
Environmental Effects of Amalgam Affect Everyone, 2003. www.flcv.com/damspr2f.html
5.
Transfer of Mercury from Mother’s Amalgams and Breast Milk to the
Fetus and
Developmental Effects of Mercury on Infants (over 150 medical study references,
most from NIH Medline) www.flcv.com/fetaln.html
6. Documentation
of recovery from 60,000 clinical cases of serious adverse health effects
after replacement of amalgam
fillings as documented by doctors. . . www.flcv.com/hgremove.html
7. Effect
of Mercury and Other Toxic Metal Exposure on Cognitive and Behavioral Problems
of Children- including ADHD,
dyslexia, juvenile delinquency, and crime
(over 150 medical study references, most from
Medline) www.flcv.com/tmlbn.html
8. Autoimmune and Allergic Conditions: the
connection to mercury immune reactivity and amalgam fillings (over 100
medical study references) www.flcv.com/immunere.html
9. DAMS
Fact Sheet 3, Documentation of Mechanisms by which mercury/amalgam causes
over 40 chronic health conditions,
2003. www.flcv.com/damspr3.html
10. B.
Windham, Mechanisms by which mercury/amalgam causes depression and mood disorders, 2003; www.home.earthlink.net/~berniew1/depress.html
11. B. Windham, Widespread contamination of fish and
wildlife by mercury(from amalgam,etc.)
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Technical
contact person: Bernard Windham berniew1@embarqmail.com ph: 850-878-9024
All backup technical papers with references
available at www.flcv.com/damsindx.html
papers can be viewed or saved to your computer
as html or txt file(file, save as, ...)
[
abstracts or full
copies of most references can be found at the National Library of Medicine
Medline at
www.nlm.nih.gov/ ]