I have over 20 large amalgam fillings in my mouth and just recently I've found out that they are highly toxic, with them having mercury in them. This has me worried since I have been severely ill for the past 12 years, and it all started at around the same time I had 15 fillings put in. Within a 24 hour period, over 30 of the documented mercury poisoning symptoms appeared all at once:

some of the symptoms including:

Panic attacks, facial paralysis, speech/stuttering problems, changes in my eye sight, chronic fatigue, confusion, memory loss, pains in my chest, electric shock & pins-needle sensations in my head & body, paranoia, coordination problems, hyperventilation, headaches/migranes, metallic taste in my mouth, abdominal cramps, muscle weakness, and many more.

Many more symptoms have appeared since the 12 years I have been ill. The doctors have never found the cause of my illness, so I think it could definately be the fillings that's making me ill.

All of my back teeth are heavily filled, I'd say there's only around 10% of the tooth left, if that. I'm thinking about having some of the back one's pulled out to reduce the amount of mercury poisoning I get each day. I've read on various web sites that having the amalgam fillings removed is actually more dangerous than keeping them in my mouth. I understand that the drilling is the main cause of the extra exposure to mercury vapour upon filling removal, but having them pulled out instead, will that reduce the amount of mercury exposure I will receive from the removal of the fillings?

Nonsense. There have been numerous - recent - studies done by several different educational, professional and governmental organizations that all conclude that the mercury in dental fillings is NOT toxic or cause the problems you are describing. ALL of the studies that say dental amalgam is harmful were done decades ago and were not validated studies. Everything else is antecdotal - which is to say that one person says it worked or didn't work for them, but there are no unbiased studies to prove or disprove a point.

1) An amalgam is a mixture of different metals. The result is one single metal composed of several other metals. As an example, stainless steel is a mixture of different metals to give properties that make it stronger and less susceptible to rust than iron.

2) A dental amalgam has several different metals, among them is mercury. When the metal mercury is mixed with the other metals, it hardens and becomes a single metal (amalgam).

3) Having the amalgam removed does not expose you any more mercury vapor.

4) You will receive more mercury from eating fish than you would from a lifetime's worth of amalgam fillings.

If you really think you are suffering from mercury poisoning, then see a neurologist and have the appropriate tests taken. Self diagnosis from the Internet is a surefire way to miss something that might be serious.

MagicJamie,

I'm glad you wrote.

First of all, you are right. These amalgam fillings are highly toxic. There's no question about that. The literature is filled with information concerning this. For some reason, some organizations think that these toxic fillings are safe in the mouth, but are not safe outside the mouth. There's a special protocol that a lot of dentists must follow when handling these poisonous substances.

Secondly, these mercury-silver dental amalgams leak mercury all the time, and the body accumulates this mercury and other metals. You can never compare dental amalgams to stainless steel. Their properties are completely different.

Thirdly, having the mercury-silver dental amalgams removed can expose you to more mercury, when it is drilled out of the teeth. Again, there's no question about that. Proper ventilation and protection is necessary to reduce exposure.

Fourth, don't let anyone tell you about eating fish or other foods and comparing that to dental amalgams. The reason is that there are too many variables. It depends on the amount of fillings you have, the composition of the fillings, whether you eat or drink a lot of hot foods, whether you grind your teeth, the amount of time you chew, and the type and amount of fish you are eating. There's other variables as well.

And on the internet don't let anyone tell you that you are not suffering because of these fillings. The fact is that they don't know. No-one can diagnose you on the internet. It's best to see a doctor that understands this.

As far as pulling the teeth.... If it were me, I'd consult with a cosmetic dentist. Or maybe get a second or third opinion. Cosmetic dentistry has come a long way, and I believe will continue to improve.

I was sick as you were, and when I had those toxic fillings removed, gradually I got better. One of the first noticeable improvements, was that those headaches went away. I had many other symptoms that have disappeared.

Now remember that there are a lot of "old school" medical professionals that still believe that these mercury-silver dental amalgams are safe. Also note that they once thought cigarettes were safe. How many years, decades, or centuries was tobacco used and thought safe? Long term use is not a reason to believe that something is safe. The fact is that scientists do not know everything about this, but evidence keeps mounting against the use of mercury in our teeth for dental restoration.

So what is a person like you to do? Keep questioning this, and find the answers. Find a doctor that can help you. In my case, I decided just to have my mercury fillings replaced for cosmetic purposes with white porcelain fillings. If I didn't get well, then I had a nice set of white teeth. If I did get well, then I got the best of both worlds. :)

Guess now what? After being told by a doctor to not run more than a hundred yards in 1978, I now run nearly 20 miles a week. I'll write a lot more about this subject if you would like, because it affected my health so much. I'd be glad to help. Just let me know....

rhody, your statements are not based in scientific fact at all and are incorrect.

First, as far as fish, I can refer you to the Canadian Medical Association Journal, October 15, 2002;167(8). Also the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. EPA list the amount of mercury in various forms of fish. Some of the studies I list below will tell you the mercury released from chewing. So yes I am comparing the two and I have scientific studies, by reputable organizations to prove it. I''m not merely giving lip service. I back up my claims and statements with scientific and verifiable facts.

An extensive review published in 1993 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services concluded that "there is scant evidence that the health of the vast majority of people with amalgam is compromised or that removing fillings has a beneficial effect on health." In January 1998, the American Dental Association Council on Scientific Affairs issued a report on dental amalgam safety, with emphasis on studies that had been published since the 1993 review. The report concluded:

"Millions of people have amalgam restorations in their mouths, and millions more will receive amalgam for restoring their carious [decayed] teeth. Over the years, amalgam has been used for dental restorations without evidence of major health problems. Newly developed techniques have demonstrated that minute levels of mercury are released from amalgam restorations, but no health consequences from exposure to such low levels of mercury released from amalgam restorations have been demonstrated. Given the available scientific information and considering the demonstrated benefits of dental amalgams, unless new scientific research dictates otherwise, there currently appears to be no justification for discontinuing the use of dental amalgam."

Despite these facts, a small but vocal group of dentists, physicians and various other "holistic" advocates claim that mercury-amalgam fillings are a health hazard and should be replaced. Anti-amalgam dentists typically use a mercury vapor analyzer to convince patients that "detoxification," is needed. To use the device, the dentist asks the patient to chew vigorously for ten minutes, which may generate tiny amounts of mercury from the fillings. Although this exposure lasts for just a few seconds and most of the mercury will be exhaled rather than absorbed by the body, the machines give a falsely high readout, which the anti-amalgamists interpret as dangerous.

The most commonly used analyzer is the Jerome mercury detector, an industrial device which multiplies the amount of mercury it detects in a small sample of air by a factor of 8,000. This gives a reading for a cubic meter, a volume far larger than the human mouth. The proper way to determine mercury exposure is to measure urine levels, which indicate how much the body has absorbed and then excreted. Scientific testing has shown that the amount of mercury absorbed from fillings is too small to be significant.
Some antiamalgamists administer a "patch test" with a dilute solution of mercuric chloride. Redness of the skin or any of a large number of other symptoms are then misinterpreted as signs of "mercury poisoning," and the patient is advised to have all amalgam fillings removed.

Some anti-amalgamists have used a voltmeter to measure supposed differences in the electrical conductivity of the teeth. One such device—the "Amalgameter"—was sold by Huggins during the early 1980s. In 1985, after another company took over its marketing, the FDA concluded that the device was misbranded because accompanying literature alleged that it could be used to recommend the removal of dental fillings. In a regulatory letter, the agency said:

"There is no scientific basis for the removal of dental amalgams for the purpose of replacing them with other materials as described in your leaflet . . . . We consider your device as being directly associated with . . . . a process that may have adverse health consequences when used for the purposes for which it was intended." FDA action appears to have driven Amalgameters from the marketplace. However, many anti-amalgam dentists use other devices for the same purpose.

There is overwhelming evidence that mercury-amalgam fillings are safe. Since 1905, although billions have been used successfully, fewer than fifty cases of allergy to the amalgam have been reported in the scientific literature. In 1986, the American Dental Association Council on Ethics, Bylaws, and Judicial Affairs concluded that "removal of amalgam restorations solely for the alleged purpose of removing toxic substances from the body, when such treatment is performed at the recommendation of the dentist, presents a question of fraud or quackery in all but an exceedingly limited spectrum of cases." The ruling was triggered in part by the case of an Iowa dentist who had extracted all 28 teeth of a patient with multiple sclerosis. The dentist received a 9-month license suspension followed by 51 months of probation.

Removing good fillings is not merely a waste of money. In some cases, it results in loss of teeth. In 1985 a $100,000 settlement was awarded to a 55-year-old California woman whose dentist removed her silver fillings. Based on testing with a Dermatron (a phony electrodiagnostic device), the dentist claimed that six of her fillings were a "liability" to her large intestine. In removing the fillings from five teeth, the dentist caused severe nerve damage necessitating root canal therapy for two teeth and extraction of two others.

As a result of a "60 Minutes" segment on dental amalgams, some groups (notably in California, Texas, Maryland, Arizona (bill introduced in legislature), Georgia and Florida) sued to have amalgams banned. In 2001-3 time frame several university and government studies were conducted. The conclusions were reported in the New England Journal of Medicine published October 30, 2003. A later report, Review and Analysis of the Literature on the Potential Adverse Health Effects of Dental Amalgam, was released Dec. 9, 2004 by the independent, nonprofit organization Life Science Research Office, which examined the peer-reviewed, primary scientific and medical literature published from 1996 through 2003 relating to dental amalgam and human health further substantiates the position that dental amalgam is a safe, effective material to fill cavities, based on science and clinical experience.
The results of all these studies concluded that dental amalgams were safe. All of the law suits were dismissed and no bills were passed banning amalgams.

The Department of Medicine at the University of Helsinki studied mercury toxicity in 1997. Clinical signs, somatic symptoms reported by patients, and mercury excretion in urine were studied for 348 patients selected by dentists or internists as amalgam-free referents, or as subjects with unexplained clinical findings or who were self-selected due to their fear of mercury intoxication from their amalgam fillings. Mercury was determined in a morning urine sample and 30 minutes after the injection of a mercury-chelating agent. The patients were followed for 1-3 years. Among the patients there were 26 who had had their amalgam fillings removed and who, at the time of the follow-up, were subjectively cured. When the patients were classified according to the excretion of mercury, those who belonged to the upper quartile had an odds ratio of 7.2 for becoming cured after amalgam removal. The symptoms of the cured patients had been predominantly mental as there was no significant change in the amount of mercury being excreted.

There are currently a vast number of web sites trying to lure you to rid yourself of mercury. They will try to take you money by expensive testing (some valid and some merely scams), chelation therapy and dental amalgam removal. They'll tell you that mercury poinoning can cause so many different ailments that the reader is bound to have at least one of the symptoms. Then they'll real you in with false promises of cures and take your money.

Dentists are in a business and making money is a necessity. The current bonded copmposites are an excellent restorative material and many, if not most, dentist employ composites as a routine filling material in place of amalgam. But if there was an ounce of truth in the anti-amalgam rhetoric, it would be a great opportunity for dentists to have everyone remove their amalgams fillings. Fortunately, the profession is highly ethical and they do not prey upon the unfounded fears of the population. For the few dentists who will tell a patient they need all their amalgams removed for health reasons, most of them end up with suspended or revoked licenses. Most dentists would love to replace your amalgams with composite fillings. The ethical ones will tell you it's for cosmetic reasons only (unless there is a legitimate reason for its replacement). It's more money for them and it looks better. But unless the patient's symptoms are psychosomatic, removal of amalgams is not going to make you well.

Like I said before, you need to see an MD to determine the cause of your problems. If you feel that you may have mercury toxicity, see an MD that specializes in this. The legitimate test for determination of mercury toxicity is collection and analysis of a 24-hour urine samples. Make your decisions based upon fact and not conjecture.

Hi all, :wave:

I just found an article dated April 22, 1957 in Time Magazine about cigarettes. It stated that the tobacco industry had completely recovered from the "cancer scare" that toppled sales in 1953-54. A few companies reported better sales.

Folks, does that sound familiar? Now we have pro-amalgamists writing about the "mercury scare". Sorry, but we don't buy it.

I stand by what I wrote and am correct. You can't compare fish to mercury-silver dental amalgams, nor to stainless steel. :)

Cinemagic,

Oh by the way, thanks for the details...which shows you are intelligent and reading about the subject. I suppose it's a matter of deciding whether you want those toxins. I certainly don't. Even if it didn't improve my health, the way I understand it now, I can't see why anyone would want one of the most poisonous substances known to mankind to be in the teeth as fillings.

Cinemagic, how much percentage are you going to put on your "nonsense"? 50%, 70% 100%

I too started to develop serious health problems from the time I was given amalgam fillings, all of which have been found connected to mercury poisoning - OCD, migraines, muscle pains, forgetfulness, and infertility.

Can you tell me 100% that mercury have not ruined my life and don't continue to do so? Can you tell me 100% that they are not responsible for the immesnse suffering I have gone through physically and mentally? Can you tell me they are 100% SAFE when they have been banned in several countries? Can you tell me WHY if they are SAFE they can't be given to pregnant women?

You are entitled to YOUR opinion that these fillings are safe, but YOU have no right to make that decision on the behalf of someone else. I was a CHILD when I had all but one of my fillings put in. I trusted the dentist, so did my parents. YOU have the fillings if YOU believe they are safe, but keep one of the most toxic substances known to human beings out of children's mouths and anyone else who has the sense to realise that IF they aren't causing profound health problems, they at the very least are not good.

I may have had my health problems anyway, but if you can't tell me 100% that mercury fillings are not to blame, you can't tell me or anyone else that we are being stupid.