Are mercury fillings safe?
Historically there have been multiple incidences where mercury has had a profoundly negative effect on anyone exposed to it. This however does not mean the mercury in the teeth would have the same effect.
Every health authority recognises the toxicity of mercury. However, there is an understanding amongst the dental fraternity that amalgam is safe. Colgate’s research highlights that…
‘’ By the time the amalgam is placed in your tooth, the mercury has formed a compound with the other metals. It is no longer toxic’’.
It is with an earnest mind that we need to investigate if indeed this is the case.
Doctor Roger Eichman proved with ‘’the smoking teeth’’ (see above) video (available on you tube) that when a mercury filling is exposed to heat, grinding or washing they release a plume of vapour. Presuming the authorities are aware of this release of mercury, then their statement must account for this. As such we would assume that the mercury vapour offers no physiological danger to the human body.
To prove this then we would have to make sure that mercury does not distribute through the body and become embedded in the tissues.
Does Mercury distribute to tissues around the body?
Proponents of Mercury use as amalgam cite a 1957 study (3). In this study it was shown that mercury was excreted for 7 days post amalgam insertion. Because it was detected in the urine the authorities maintained that the body has a mechanism to detoxify the inhaled mercury so it would not prove a risk. This rational could only be true if the amount excreted was the same as the amount released in the mouth but it would be impossible to measure how much was released in the mouth. Hence, we don’t know if there is some absorbed by the body as well as the amount excreted.
The most convincing evidence presented regarding the absorption of mercury into body tissue from amalgams was from a trail carried out in 1980. Teaming up with a medical school and their animal program, 12 mercury fillings were placed in a group of sheep. After 28 days, the sheep were killed and their tissues analysed. On analysis mercury was shown to be present in high concentrations in
The blood
Skeletal muscle
Teeth, Gums and oral area
The stomach
Faeces
Lungs
Throat lining
Kidneys
Liver
Spleen
And Brain tissue
All the endocrine glands tested positive. These include pituitary, thyroid, adrenals, ovaries and pancreas.
There was much dispute from the professional bodies so the test was repeated in a monkey model. The results were replicated and again ignored.
In the next article, we will look at how mercury when present in the tissues can affect our health.
Paul Foley
Nutritional Therapist
Dip Nut CNM, mBANT, mCNHC
Ross Hereford Abergavenny Clinics
Phone; 0759 793 6899
Email; paul@pfoleyclinic.com
Web; www.pfoleyclinic.com