Toxic metal in your mouth

[lozina]

Originally posted by: yellowfiero

Originally posted by: Eli
It's old news, but more people need to know.

It's absolutely rediculous that they put those heavy metals inside your mouth. Perfectly safe my ass, it's common sense.

When my dad found out about it, he had all his replaced too.

I agree. You should see the steps we take here at work if even a pindrop of mercury is spilled on the floor. You'd think a weapon of mass destruction went off. To think that years ago, people thought it safe to put in their mouths????? Even ppm of mercury is considered bad, so how can they justify 'stabilization' even if a minute amount gets out?

Dentists are considered the biggest source of mercury poisoning in our environment because of these amalgams.

http://www.healthbenchmarks.org/Mercury/SectionNineDental.cfm

They now have very strict guidelines on removal and disposal of amalgams that you'd wonder why they put that in your mouth in the first place. Another interesting note which you can read more about from that link above is how dentists too are suffering from mercury poisoning with symptoms of memory loss, kidney disorders, fatigue, loss of dexterity in hands... In their study they found that the 180 dentists they tested had up to 4x the normal amount of mercury in their urine and nails.

 

[SagaLore]

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo

Originally posted by: Feldenak
I'm having mine replaced, not because of mercury but because they are leaking and I'm getting cavities under the fillings. Already had to have 2 root canals because of leaky fillings. 🙁

sadly the white fillings don't last as long as the amalgam😛

Are you sure? The white fillings chemically bond to your tooth and actually strengthen it, and don't have problems expanding and contracting due to temperature changes in the mouth like metal fillings do.

 

[SagaLore]

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis
Why do they use mercury in the first place?

It makes the filling softer for... filling... helps it conform to the resevoir that is created in the tooth too. I've read before that the mercury/silver alloy is supposed to safe because of the way the silver stabilizes the mercury. But the fact that they both have different thermal properties, my guess is that after some times the mercury starts to leech...

my poor wife. 🙁 Every molar she has left has at least 2 metal fillings in it. 🙁 Maybe I should look into that sedation dentistry so she could have them all replaced at once...

here's also a quick note about using white fillings versus metals ones - the white filling strengthens the tooch because of it's chemical bond, but metal feelings weaken the tooth because of thermal expansion/contraction, so over time a metal filling will actually make a tooth brittle giving it high risk of literally crumbling apart.

 

[lozina]

Originally posted by: SagaLore


here's also a quick note about using white fillings versus metals ones - the white filling strengthens the tooch because of it's chemical bond, but metal feelings weaken the tooth because of thermal expansion/contraction, so over time a metal filling will actually make a tooth brittle giving it high risk of literally crumbling apart.

That's some tastey food for thought. I will most likely use those composite materials when I replace my fillings (those are the white fillings you're talking about, right?) I have heard that they don't last as long but maybe the newer ones are much more evolved. I am just wondering now how much my dental insurance will cover

:disgust:

 

[tcsenter]

Dentists are considered the biggest source of mercury poisoning in our environment because of these amalgams.

Because the amalgam material is burned in incinerators, which releases mercury from the amalgam, or they dispose of waste mercury down drains, into sewers, or into landfills.

They now have very strict guidelines on removal and disposal of amalgams that you'd wonder why they put that in your mouth in the first place.

Burning compounds containing mercury or allowing waste mercury to go down the drain isn't the same as having a mercury containing solid in your mouth.

Another interesting note which you can read more about from that link above is how dentists too are suffering from mercury poisoning with symptoms of memory loss, kidney disorders, fatigue, loss of dexterity in hands... In their study they found that the 180 dentists they tested had up to 4x the normal amount of mercury in their urine and nails.

Well yes, I suppose that X-Ray technicians also accumulate a lot of radiation exposure because they take dozens of X-Rays every day, five days a week, 48-50 weeks per year, for many years.

The point at which anyone is most likely to be exposed to mercury is when the dentist is mixing or forming the amalgam, before the amalgam hardens into a solid, or due to poor handling and disposal practices. Your own link cites the danger or exposure to dentists:

"Dentists themselves are at risk for exposure if they are not trained to safely dispose of mercury used in their practice."

They didn't mention dentists who are trained and know better, but don't follow the guidelines for handling and disposal.

 

[bunker]

I am just wondering now how much my dental insurance will cover

I know mine cover's 80% for amalgam fillings and only 50% for composite.

 

[Mannkind]

People will whine about anything.
White fillings *may* strength the tooth, but they only last about 10-15 years, while the other kind can last upwards of 75 years. I'd hate to have a filling replaced so often, that'd suck. Well, I only have 1, but still.

 

[ScottMac]

Mercury is not toxic. You could shoot up straight mercury and not have any effect at all. You can drink mercury and not have any effect at all (other than some interesting effects in the bowl once it's passed).

IIRC, oxides of mercury are bad or you in large quantity, and some compunds containing mercury are bad for you.

The only side effect I've noted from amalgum fillings is that the offspring of people that have them are typically born brain dead (or practically so).😀 (j/k).

Be wary of any publication or literature that starts with "Research has shown (or proven) ... " The first concern of any research project is "where can we get the most / more money." Researchers & research projects would prove that the Earth is flat if there was money in it.

The occasional "discovery" is usually an accident that occurred in the process of coming up with some information that can be used for fund-raising. Even government Labs. I worked in a couple government-sponsored research projects ... and we spent a fair amount of time trying to figure out how to finagle more budget, to get more equipment and people, so we could get more budget.

There's an encyclopedia-sized rack of catalogs that list Who's-willing-to-pay-for-what. You search the catalog, find something juicy, and start filling out the applications for grants / funding.

So, remain calm, keep your silver fillings, and appreciate the occasional accident that makes your life better.

JM.02

Scott

 

[B00ne]

well, well the Amalgam scam.
Amalgam is safe. That's what I think, if u dont believe it look at your Grandparents I have yet to see a person dying of Amalgam fillings.
2. It is way safer to leave the Amalgam fillings in where they are than to unnecessrily remove them, as u will ingest lots of it during the process of removing it.

3. It wont get better by removing anything, since Mercury is a heavy metal, and heavy metals build up over time in your body , so removing it will not remove the mercury already in your body.

4. Amalgam is of the most stable compounds known - it wont dissolve


Now if u want to make your dentist some money go ahead and exchange all your amalgam to gold inlays - he'll be happy

 

[B00ne]

Originally posted by: lozina
Also, I believe some European countries have placed restrictions on amalgam usage if not outright bans, I'll have to check on that again but I think Sweden had some sort of ban on them, maybe only on pregnant women though.

That is true, very few dentists still offer Amalgam, but that is because everything regarding the Amalgam is special waste - very expensive. Yes the plastic fillings are more expensive (before I never had to pay anyything at the dentist, now each filling is $50-100) and I am not convinced yet that they will last as long. And Amalgam is probably better as bacteria wont grow as easy at the crack/interface between filling and tooth - since the mercury/silver will provide some antibacteria effect (that is a guess)

 

[SagaLore]

Originally posted by: lozina

Originally posted by: SagaLore


here's also a quick note about using white fillings versus metals ones - the white filling strengthens the tooch because of it's chemical bond, but metal feelings weaken the tooth because of thermal expansion/contraction, so over time a metal filling will actually make a tooth brittle giving it high risk of literally crumbling apart.

That's some tastey food for thought. I will most likely use those composite materials when I replace my fillings (those are the white fillings you're talking about, right?) I have heard that they don't last as long but maybe the newer ones are much more evolved. I am just wondering now how much my dental insurance will cover

:disgust:

procedure
hmm...
GREAT site to prove mercury toxicity

 

[SagaLore]

Originally posted by: B00ne
well, well the Amalgam scam.
Amalgam is safe. That's what I think, if u dont believe it look at your Grandparents I have yet to see a person dying of Amalgam fillings.
2. It is way safer to leave the Amalgam fillings in where they are than to unnecessrily remove them, as u will ingest lots of it during the process of removing it.

3. It wont get better by removing anything, since Mercury is a heavy metal, and heavy metals build up over time in your body , so removing it will not remove the mercury already in your body.

4. Amalgam is of the most stable compounds known - it wont dissolve


Now if u want to make your dentist some money go ahead and exchange all your amalgam to gold inlays - he'll be happy

I wonder if it would be possible and/or practical to seal the amagam fillings in with composite resin? Of course, there is still the problem of mercury droplets leeching into the tooth blood supply, after all your jaw is pretty darn close to your brain, eyes, ears, lymph glands and spinal cord. I suppose just sealing them up will only protect the gastrointestinal system.

 

[gotsmack]

Originally posted by: B00ne
well, well the Amalgam scam.
Amalgam is safe. That's what I think, if u dont believe it look at your Grandparents I have yet to see a person dying of Amalgam fillings.
2. It is way safer to leave the Amalgam fillings in where they are than to unnecessrily remove them, as u will ingest lots of it during the process of removing it.

3. It wont get better by removing anything, since Mercury is a heavy metal, and heavy metals build up over time in your body , so removing it will not remove the mercury already in your body.

4. Amalgam is of the most stable compounds known - it wont dissolve


Now if u want to make your dentist some money go ahead and exchange all your amalgam to gold inlays - he'll be happy

If Amalgam won't disolve (point 4) then what is the harm of ingesting it (point 2)?

and the point of removing them is not to get rid of existing mercury in the body it is to stop future build up.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: ScottMac
Mercury is not toxic. You could shoot up straight mercury and not have any effect at all. You can drink mercury and not have any effect at all (other than some interesting effects in the bowl once it's passed).

IIRC, oxides of mercury are bad or you in large quantity, and some compunds containing mercury are bad for you.

The only side effect I've noted from amalgum fillings is that the offspring of people that have them are typically born brain dead (or practically so).😀 (j/k).

Be wary of any publication or literature that starts with "Research has shown (or proven) ... " The first concern of any research project is "where can we get the most / more money." Researchers & research projects would prove that the Earth is flat if there was money in it.

The occasional "discovery" is usually an accident that occurred in the process of coming up with some information that can be used for fund-raising. Even government Labs. I worked in a couple government-sponsored research projects ... and we spent a fair amount of time trying to figure out how to finagle more budget, to get more equipment and people, so we could get more budget.

There's an encyclopedia-sized rack of catalogs that list Who's-willing-to-pay-for-what. You search the catalog, find something juicy, and start filling out the applications for grants / funding.

So, remain calm, keep your silver fillings, and appreciate the occasional accident that makes your life better.

JM.02

Scott

Mercury isn't toxic? Are you on crack? I'd like to see you eat a few grams of mercury and then tell me it isn't safe. Let alone injecting it into your bloodstream? Come on. Do you need to be shown the MSDS for mercury?

You people saying that these things are OK are completely missing the point. Most of us care about our bodies, it doesen't matter if the ammount is "insignificant", or "minute", or anything like that. The point is that we don't want these things inside of us, especially if they are purported to be safe and are not.

 

[ScottMac]

Mercury is NOT toxic, not even a little. It was used medically for decades in the 19th 20th century. It is/was used in a balloon cath to resolve bowel obstructions. Worse case, the baloon occasionally bursts and the person dumps silver for a couple days ...

Heavy metal injections were a common cure for the Clap years ago.

My grade school, junior high, and high school science classes all had mercury-by-the-crock, and we all got to "play" with it. We all used it in a number of experiments. Electronics class had some mercury Labs as well.

Most of the old gun cleaning solutions (consumer grade stuff) used mercury compounds for lead removal (lead has an affinity to mercury).

A lot of this stuff is just recent hysteria. Remain calm, get over it. Kick back and have a cigarette or something. Stress will kill you a lot faster than the amalgum fillings ever could.

As far as taking care of yourself, check out the chemicals used in soaps, shampoos, deodorants, foods , gasses released from the plastics in your car (remember the film on your windshield?), gasses from the plastics in your home, various & sundry "things" that may be included in your packaged food products, fast food, slow food, and pretty much everything you touch (not to mention the bugs, virii, bacteria, mites and other microorganisms) .....you're a dead man already, don't sweat something as safe as mercury. Don't believe everything you read, especially "research." Have you heard that some research has found that taking vitamins is bad for your health?

BTW: Crack is a drug I have yet to try ...

FWIW

Scott

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Once again I ask, why is mercury used in fillings? I don't give a damn whether it's "too minute to be dangerous" or whatever other crap people keep saying. I want to know why there is ANY amount of a toxic substance used.

 

[ScottMac]

Threre are no toxic substances used in silver amalgum dental fillings. It'd be a huge legal liabillity. Intentional poisoning is against the law pretty much everywhere ...

FWIW

Scott

 

[Mark R]

No one has ever linked mercury amalagam fillings with disease or harmful side-effects (outside of the tooth it is inserted in), except in the exceptionally rare cases of true mercury allergy. Just being detectable in the body, does not mean that it is doing harm - modern detection methods are extremely sensitive. The levels that have been found are exceptionally low.

There is good evidence that removing otherwise sound dental amalgam does release relatively large quantities of mercury - potentially the removal could release more mercury than would otherwise be leeched out over a whole lifetime.

I'm not sure why mercury amalgam is the filling of choice - but I suspect that it is due to tradition and the huge experience that has built up with its use. There is no doubt that it is an exceptionally safe and effective treatment for tooth decay.

The alternatives are expensive, and more labour intensive - In the UK, the national health service, will only fund non-amalgam fillings in certain circumstances. If you insist on white fillings then you have to have the treatment privately.

 

[SagaLore]

Originally posted by: ScottMac
Mercury is NOT toxic, not even a little. It was used medically for decades in the 19th 20th century. It is/was used in a balloon cath to resolve bowel obstructions. Worse case, the baloon occasionally bursts and the person dumps silver for a couple days ...

Heavy metal injections were a common cure for the Clap years ago.

My grade school, junior high, and high school science classes all had mercury-by-the-crock, and we all got to "play" with it. We all used it in a number of experiments. Electronics class had some mercury Labs as well.

Most of the old gun cleaning solutions (consumer grade stuff) used mercury compounds for lead removal (lead has an affinity to mercury).

A lot of this stuff is just recent hysteria. Remain calm, get over it. Kick back and have a cigarette or something. Stress will kill you a lot faster than the amalgum fillings ever could.

As far as taking care of yourself, check out the chemicals used in soaps, shampoos, deodorants, foods , gasses released from the plastics in your car (remember the film on your windshield?), gasses from the plastics in your home, various & sundry "things" that may be included in your packaged food products, fast food, slow food, and pretty much everything you touch (not to mention the bugs, virii, bacteria, mites and other microorganisms) .....you're a dead man already, don't sweat something as safe as mercury. Don't believe everything you read, especially "research." Have you heard that some research has found that taking vitamins is bad for your health?

BTW: Crack is a drug I have yet to try ...

FWIW

Scott

scientist died

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: ScottMac
Mercury is NOT toxic, not even a little. It was used medically for decades in the 19th 20th century. It is/was used in a balloon cath to resolve bowel obstructions. Worse case, the baloon occasionally bursts and the person dumps silver for a couple days ...

Heavy metal injections were a common cure for the Clap years ago.

My grade school, junior high, and high school science classes all had mercury-by-the-crock, and we all got to "play" with it. We all used it in a number of experiments. Electronics class had some mercury Labs as well.

Most of the old gun cleaning solutions (consumer grade stuff) used mercury compounds for lead removal (lead has an affinity to mercury).

A lot of this stuff is just recent hysteria. Remain calm, get over it. Kick back and have a cigarette or something. Stress will kill you a lot faster than the amalgum fillings ever could.

As far as taking care of yourself, check out the chemicals used in soaps, shampoos, deodorants, foods , gasses released from the plastics in your car (remember the film on your windshield?), gasses from the plastics in your home, various & sundry "things" that may be included in your packaged food products, fast food, slow food, and pretty much everything you touch (not to mention the bugs, virii, bacteria, mites and other microorganisms) .....you're a dead man already, don't sweat something as safe as mercury. Don't believe everything you read, especially "research." Have you heard that some research has found that taking vitamins is bad for your health?

BTW: Crack is a drug I have yet to try ...

FWIW

Scott

Are you stupid? People also believed that "bloodletting" was an acceptable way to cure diseases back in the 19th century.

Mercury is NOT safe. What on earth are you talking about?

http://www.epa.gov/region02/health/mercury.htm

Straight from the EPA:

People are most likely to be exposed to metallic mercury from mercury released from dental fillings; however the amount of mercury released from dental fillings is generally not considered to be high enough to cause adverse health effects.

Christ man, what the hell planet are you living on?

If you ate mercury, let alone injected the damn stuff into your veins, you would DIE OF MERCURY POISONING. You have to be delusional to believe what you're saying.

To quote something from the article posted above this post,

HANOVER, N.H. (AP) - A Dartmouth College scientist whose specialty was the dangers of heavy metals died of mercury poisoning this week, 10 months after as little as a drop of a rare toxic compound apparently seeped through her rubber gloves.

Karen Wetterhahn, 48, had been hospitalized since January, when tests showed 80 times the lethal dose of mercury in her blood, a college investigation showed.

After she was diagnosed on Jan. 28, Wetterhahn told investigators she remembered spilling one to several drops of dimethylmercury in August, Chemistry Department Chairman John S. Winn said Tuesday.

After the diagnosis, Winn said Wetterhahn's attitude seemed to be: "I know what it is, I know what to do about it. I'm in a good place. I'm getting good care. Let's get on with it."

Three weeks after she was diagnosed, she went into a coma that lasted until her death Sunday at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon.

Go ahead and eat some, buddy.

Of course, the article is talking about dimethylmercury.. but still. At room temperature, mercury is giving off toxic vapors. You don't want to be messing with the stuff.

Just because you had "labs" involving mercury in school doesen't mean it was safe. They also had people paint those old glowing clocks of the 50s with radioactive compound. They thought it was "safe". People painted themselves, their fingernails, etc with it.

They're all long dead now.

 

[ScottMac]

If Karen had "80 times the lethal dose of mercury in her blood" ... wouldn't she be something like 80 times dead?

You're gonna believe a newspaper? The EPA? Oh man, that's sad. Politicians and people that can't hardly report a sunny day without screwing up the science ....

But, even if you believe the EPA, your quote specifically says there's not enough to be of concern.

Case closed, move along....

Scott

 

[SagaLore]

Originally posted by: EliJust because you had "labs" involving mercury in school doesen't mean it was safe.

8th grade science, we played around with mercury. We'd put it on our lab table to watch it solidify. Kids would push it around with paper. Teacher told us not to touch it with our fingers, because how readily it absorbed through the skin. That was 8 years ago.

A few years ago, some high school in my state had a mercury spill, a single vile of mercury puddled in a tile hallway. They had to quarentine the hall and bring in removal experts dressed in biohazard suits... times change...

here's more info on mercury itself

have to reiterate this site - this guy even cites references

 

[0roo0roo]

recent csi had a boxor with stomach ailment that consumed mercury as a treatment. bad science? or really slow toxicity?

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: ScottMac
If Karen had "80 times the lethal dose of mercury in her blood" ... wouldn't she be something like 80 times dead?

You're gonna believe a newspaper? The EPA? Oh man, that's sad. Politicians and people that can't hardly report a sunny day without screwing up the science ....

But, even if you believe the EPA, your quote specifically says there's not enough to be of concern.

Case closed, move along....

Scott

Again, I ask.. are you stupid?

I sure as hell am going to believe the EPA over.. well, you. 😛

The limit for mercury in drinking water is one part per billion[/b]. Saying that the levels in metal fillings aren't enough to be dangerous automatically infers that some level is dangerous.

 

[Mark R]

Metallic mercury is of relatively low toxicity, because it is not absorbed into the body. If you ingested metallic mercury, the vast majority would pass straight through.

Like most other heavy metals, for example, lead and cadmium - the metal itself is of limited risk. The major problems are compounds of the metals - either water soluble salts - e.g. mercury (II) chloride or organic compounds (e.g. tetraethyl-lead).

Simply handling lead on a daily basis is unlikely to give you lead poisoning - only people who grind or cut the metal, or solder with lead-containing solder are at risk. However, tetraethyl-lead is lethal because it is readily absorbed, and distributed throughout the body.

Mercury vapour is toxic - but it's vapour pressure is very low at room temperature. If spilled onto a porous surface - e.g. wood. Someone who used that room regularly for 30-40 years, could potentially receive a toxic dose of vapour. Hence the reason for careful spillage containment nowadays.