Posted by mattdds on April 30, 2003, at 19:07:31
In reply to Re: » stjames, posted by leeran on April 30, 2003, at 18:21:56
Hi,
I am a senior dental student, and I feel the need to chime in here a bit. This is starting to sound as paranoid as the communist conspiracy theory on fluoridated water back in the cold war era.
Here goes. You cited this below, and said:
>>Actually, the statement regarding mercury for the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (a division of the Center for Disease Control) played a part in my decision, but so did reading information from the following government agencies and/or links.
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/phs46.html
In response to this, did you actually read the section on dental amalgam? I think you need to read on a bit. They said that dental amalgam does not pose a specific health risk! Did you miss this part? This is exactly in line with what the American Dental Association as well as the WHO and AMA have been saying all along. I can't even tell you how many studies have failed to link dental amalgam to ANY disease. It is one of the most well studied materials in medicine! I must emphasize here, THE MAIN CONCERN IS THIS: The environmental concerns, having to do with the disposal of amalgam, NOT the stuff already in your teeth! I think they were quite clear on this in your article.
Also, if your dentist recommended removing amalgam fillings for health reasons, he is recommending a very invasive and unnecessary treatment that has absolutely no foundation in science. The ADA has revoked memberships of dentists that do this. And by making this recommendation, they may actually lose their licence! No kidding! This is considered mega-quackery and malpractice in mainstream dentistry! Not to mention, he will inevitably be unnecessarily removing more tooth structure, which will undermine and weaken the tooth.
If you want to talk about mercury exposure, let's talk about the actual process of removing amalgam fillings! Do you have any idea how much mercury you are exposing yourself to by doing this? Fillings must be removed with a high speed handpiece, which vaporizes the amalgam, and can be inhaled. Studies have been done, and even when a rubber dam was placed, the mercury levels after doing this quack-o procedure are astronomical! Again, it is not the miniscule release of subtoxic levels of mercury from normal wear and tear (chewing, corrosion) of mercury you should be worrying about, it is REMOVING THEM! Talk about a ridiculous bolus of mercury! Any dentist who recommends this is trying to make money off you, and deserves to have his licence revoked.
Also, the "newer" materials, such as composite (tooth colored fillings), although esthetic, are also new and are not free from adverse health concerns. Bis-GMA resin gives off some pretty toxic byproducts in the oral environment, such as formaldehyde! Some amalgam enthusiasts humorously claim that amalgam fillings are "formaldehyde free". I am not saying that composite resin fillings are harmful, but they are less researched and not as durable as good old amalgam, especially in high stress-bearing areas (molars, or back teeth).
Of course, you could also use Gold fillings which are absolutely wonderful! Gold onlays / inlays, foil resorations are among my favorites, and last around 30 years on average! I just wish they were used more often. Remember, newer is not necessarily better. But I still would never recommend removing your amalgams put in gold.
Let me make this as clear as possible: THERE IS NO CREDIBLE EVIDENCE LINKING ANY DISEASE TO DENTAL AMALGAM! Anyone who says otherwise needs to read some responsible scientific research and quit listening to Hal Huggins, et al.
Thanks,
Matt
poster:mattdds
thread:223248
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030429/msgs/223508.html