ADA and Pro-Amalgam Dentistry vs. Mercury-Free Dentistry

By [Sandy Duffy](http://www.toxicteeth.org/grassroots.cfm), Esq.

+----------------------+-----------------------------------------------+
| **PRO-AMALGAM        | **MERCURY-FREE DENTISTS AND ANTI-MERCURY      |
| DENTISTS AND THE ADA | ACTIVISTS RESPOND:**                          |
| ASSERT THAT:**       |                                               |
+----------------------+-----------------------------------------------+
| 1\. Mercury in       | 1\. An amalgam is a mixture and the           |
| dental amalgams      | properties of the components remain the same, |
| chemically binds     | i.e. mercury remains highly toxic and         |
| with the alloy       | vaporizes and leaches out of the amalgam.     |
| metals and results   | Table salt is a compound, i.e. a new product  |
| in an inert          | which has different properties from the       |
| substance. The ADA   | components. [Guzzi, et al, *The Lancet*,      |
| also frequently      | 360:2081, Dec 21/28,2002]{.mark}; David M.    |
| claims that the      | Eide (Grant High School chemistry teacher),   |
| components of        | *The Oregonian*, Letters to the Editor, Dec.  |
| amalgams are         | 30, 2000.                                     |
| analogous to sodium  |                                               |
| and chlorine which   |                                               |
| are hazardous in     |                                               |
| their pure form but  |                                               |
| combined to form     |                                               |
| ordinary table salt. |                                               |
+----------------------+-----------------------------------------------+
| 2\. If mercury is    | 2\. The average amalgam weighs 1 gram and is  |
| emitted from         | 50% mercury. As much as 50% of the mercury in |
| amalgams, it is only | an amalgam has been found to have vaporized   |
| in very minute       | after 5 years, and 80% after 20 years. Pleva  |
| amounts.             | J, \"*Dental mercury - a public health        |
|                      | hazard*\", Rev Environ Health 10(1):1-27      |
|                      | (1994); Pleva J, *Mercury from dental         |
|                      | amalgams: exposure and effects*, Int J Risk & |
|                      | Safety in Med, 1992, 3: 1-22.                 |
|                      |                                               |
|                      | An exacting study conducted in 1991 evaluated |
|                      | the amount of mercury emitted from a common   |
|                      | amalgam in a test tube with 10 ml of water.   |
|                      | This study showed that \"the over-all mean    |
|                      | release of mercury was 43.5 mcg per cm2/day,  |
|                      | and the amount remained fairly constant       |
|                      | during the duration of the experiments (2     |
|                      | years).\" This was without pressure, heat or  |
|                      | galvanism as would have occurred if the       |
|                      | amalgams were in a human mouth. Chew, CL, et  |
|                      | al, *Long-term dissolution of mercury from a  |
|                      | non-mercury-releasing amalgam*, Clinical      |
|                      | Preventative Dentistry, 13(3):5-7, May-June   |
|                      | (1991).                                       |
+----------------------+-----------------------------------------------+
| 3\. The small        | 3\. Mercury vapor from amalgam is the single  |
| amounts of mercury   | largest source of systemic mercury intake for |
| emitted from         | persons with amalgam fillings. Average daily  |
| amalgams are not     | exposure for mercury is 3-17 ug. per day; for |
| bioavailable.        | fish is 3 ug per day; for air it is .04 ug    |
|                      | per day; and, for water .05 ug per day. WHO   |
|                      | Document 118, p.36, 1991; A 1998 study by     |
|                      | NIDR concluded that amalgams were the primary |
|                      | source of mercury in the urine of military    |
|                      | personnel. A. Kingman et al, National         |
|                      | Institute of Dental Research, \"*Mercury      |
|                      | concentrations in urine and blood associated  |
|                      | with amalgam exposure in the U.S. military    |
|                      | population*\", Dent Res, 1998, 77(3):461-71.  |
+----------------------+-----------------------------------------------+
| 4\. There is no      | 4\. Dr. Murray Vimy, Clinical Associate       |
| credible scientific  | Professor, Faculty of Medicine, University of |
| evidence supporting  | Calgary, prepared a document which sets out   |
| a link between       | **dental journal** articles from 1957 to 1984 |
| silver fillings and  | which very clearly show that mercury amalgams |
| systemic diseases or | cause gingivitis and periodontal disease.     |
| chronic illnesses.   | This document can be downloaded from the      |
|                      | website:                                      |
|                      | [www.testfoundation.org/vimyresponds.htm](htt |
|                      | p://www.testfoundation.org/vimyresponds.htm). |
|                      | In turn, periodontal disease has been linked  |
|                      | to cardiovascular disease and pre term, low   |
|                      | birthweight babies. Greenwell H, et al,       |
|                      | *Emerging concepts in periodontal therapy*,   |
|                      | Drugs, 2002;62(18):2581-7.                    |
|                      |                                               |
|                      | A 2001 scientific study corroborates the role |
|                      | of mercury in Alzheimer\'s. The researchers   |
|                      | concluded: \"...that this visual evidence     |
|                      | \[of neurodegeneration\] and previous         |
|                      | biochemical data strongly implicate mercury   |
|                      | as a potential etiological factor in          |
|                      | neurodegeneration.\" Leong, CW, et al,        |
|                      | *Retrograde degeneration of neurite membrane  |
|                      | structural integrity of nerve growth cones    |
|                      | following in vitro exposure to mercury*,      |
|                      | NeuroReport, 12(4):733-37, March 2001.        |
|                      |                                               |
|                      | The \"previous data\" included a study in     |
|                      | which the authors concluded that: \"We        |
|                      | believe one ...\[theory of the pathogenesis   |
|                      | of Alzheimer\'s\] could be mercury vapor to   |
|                      | which the majority of individuals are         |
|                      | continuously exposed \[from dental amalgam\]. |
|                      | By reducing levels of viable brain tubulin,   |
|                      | mercury vapor could exacerbate the conditions |
|                      | related to the onset of symptoms identified   |
|                      | with Alzheimer\'s.\" Pendergrass, JC, et al,  |
|                      | *Mercury vapor inhalation inhibits binding of |
|                      | GTP to tubulin in rat brain: similarity to a  |
|                      | molecular lesion in Alzheimer diseased        |
|                      | brain*, NeuroToxicology 18(2):315-324 (1997). |
|                      |                                               |
|                      | Mercury is a potent neurotoxin and many peer  |
|                      | reviewed scientific studies have found        |
|                      | evidence that amalgam fillings may play a     |
|                      | major role in central nervous system diseases |
|                      | such as depression, schizophrenia, memory     |
|                      | problems, ALS and Parkinsons\'s,              |
|                      | [www.home.                                    |
|                      | earthlink.net/\~berniew1/amalg6.html](http:// |
|                      | www.home.earthlink.net/~berniew1/amalg6.html) |
|                      |                                               |
|                      | A Canadian study found that blood levels of   |
|                      | five metals, including mercury, were able to  |
|                      | predict with 98% accuracy which children were |
|                      | learning disabled. Other studies found        |
|                      | mercury causes learning disabilities and      |
|                      | impairment, and lowers IQ. Marlowe, M, et al, |
|                      | \"*Main and interactive effects of metallic   |
|                      | toxins on classroom behavior*\", J Abnormal   |
|                      | Child Psychol, 1985, 13(2):185-98; Moon C et  |
|                      | al, \"*Main and Interactive Effect of         |
|                      | Metallic Pollutants on Cognitive              |
|                      | Functioning*,\" Journal of Learning           |
|                      | Disabilities, April, 1985; Pihl, RO et al,    |
|                      | \"*Hair element content in Learning Disabled  |
|                      | Children*\", Science, Vol 198, 1977, 204-6;   |
|                      | Gowdy JM et al, \"*Whole blood mercury in     |
|                      | mental hospital patients*\", Am J Psychiatry, |
|                      | 1978, 135(1):115-7. Also see above website.   |
|                      |                                               |
|                      | There are 1000\'s of other studies showing    |
|                      | adverse health effects from mercury in        |
|                      | general, and amalgam in particular.           |
|                      | [www.altcorp.com](http://www.altcorp.com/),   |
|                      | [www.amalgam.org](http://www.amalgam.org/),   |
|                      | [www.bioprobe.com](http://www.bioprobe.com/), |
|                      | [www.iaomt.com](http://www.iaomt.com/),       |
|                      | [www.hom                                      |
|                      | e.earthlink.net/\~bernie1/amalg6.html](http:/ |
|                      | /www.home.earthlink.net/~bernie1/amalg6.html) |
+----------------------+-----------------------------------------------+
| 5\. If amalgam was   | 5\. A CDSPI Report (supplies malpractice      |
| bad for you,         | insurance to dentists) was published in the   |
| dentists would be    | Journal of Canadian Dentists in 1994. It      |
| the canary in the    | reports that suicide rates among dentists are |
| mine and, in fact,   | double those of other professions; 20% of     |
| they have no more    | dentists at any given time are on long term   |
| health problems than | disability due to mental or nervous           |
| anyone else.         | conditions including depression, increased    |
|                      | alcohol consumption, fatigue, insomnia,       |
|                      | ulcers and heart problems.                    |
|                      |                                               |
|                      | Female dentists have increased spontaneous    |
|                      | abortion rates and increased breast           |
|                      | pathology, compared to the general            |
|                      | population. Wiksztrajis, Med Pr 24:248 (1967  |
|                      | Lithuania).                                   |
+----------------------+-----------------------------------------------+
| 6\. No other country | 6\. Most other developed countries have       |
| has banned the use   | issued limited bans, or mandated health       |
| of dental amalgam.   | warnings regarding the use of mercury amalgam |
|                      | including: Canada, Great Britain, France,     |
|                      | Austria, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Japan,  |
|                      | Australia and New Zealand. Swedish National   |
|                      | Dept. of Health, *Mercury Amalgam Review      |
|                      | Panel*, 1987; Heavy Metal Bulletin, Dec 2000, |
|                      | Vol 6, Issue 3.                               |
|                      |                                               |
|                      | A Swedish National Mercury Amalgam Review     |
|                      | Panel and a similar Norwegian panel found     |
|                      | that \"from a toxicological point of view,    |
|                      | mercury is too toxic to use as a filling      |
|                      | material.\" Id.; Press Release, *Swedish      |
|                      | Council for Planning and Coordinating         |
|                      | Research* (FRN), Stockholm, 19 February,      |
|                      | 1998; Norwegian Board of Health, Report 2652, |
|                      | [www.hel                                      |
|                      | setilsynet.no](http://www.helsetilsynet.no/). |
|                      |                                               |
|                      | Japan dental schools no longer teach the      |
|                      | placement of mercury amalgam dental fillings. |
+----------------------+-----------------------------------------------+
| 7\. A few people can | 7\. In a clinical study, allergy tests        |
| be allergic to       | performed on fourth year dental students      |
| amalgam, but there   | found 44% of them allergic to mercury. E.G.   |
| are only 50-100      | Miller et al, \"*Prevalence of Mercury        |
| reported cases.      | Hypersensitivity among Dental Students*\", J  |
|                      | Dent Res. 64:Abstract 1472, p338,1985;        |
|                      | D.Kawahara et al, \"*Epidemiologic Study of   |
|                      | Occupational Contact Dermatitis in the Dental |
|                      | Clinic*\", Contact Dermatitis, Vol 28, No.2,  |
|                      | pp114-5,1993.                                 |
|                      |                                               |
|                      | The Clifford Immune Reactivity Test is used   |
|                      | to test dental patients for biocompatibility  |
|                      | with dental materials. A review study of that |
|                      | test showed that 93% of patients tested were  |
|                      | immune reactive to mercury. Clifford          |
|                      | Consulting & Research, Inc, *Dental Materials |
|                      | Reactivity Testing*, Colorada Springs, Colo,  |
|                      | [www.ccrlab.com](http://www.ccrlab.com/) &    |
|                      | Peak Energy Performance, Inc., *Dental        |
|                      | Materials Biocompatibility Testing*,          |
|                      | [www                                          |
|                      | .peakenergy.com](http://www.peakenergy.com/). |
|                      |                                               |
|                      | An important new study from the United        |
|                      | Kingdom found that mercury can cause allergic |
|                      | and immunotoxic reactions, but there are no   |
|                      | dose-response studies for immunologically     |
|                      | sensitive individuals and, therefore, \"it    |
|                      | has not been possible to set a level for      |
|                      | mercury in blood or urine below which mercury |
|                      | related symptoms will not occur.\" Kazantzis, |
|                      | G., *Mercury exposure and early effects: an   |
|                      | overview*, Med Lav 2002                       |
|                      | May-June;93(3):139-47.                        |
+----------------------+-----------------------------------------------+
| 8\. The U.S. Public  | 8\. In 1993 the PHS Director, Dr. James O.    |
| Health Service,      | Mason, in an introductory letter to the       |
| including the        | **USPHS** CCEHRP report states: \"Because the |
| National Institutes  | possibility of adverse health effects         |
| of Health, the Food  | resulting from the use of dental amalgam      |
| and Drug             | **cannot be fully discounted based on         |
| Administration, the  | available scientific evidence**, I am         |
| Centers for Disease  | requesting the National Institutes of Health, |
| Control and the      | the Centers for Disease Control and           |
| World Health         | Prevention, and the Food and Drug             |
| Organization have    | Administration to undertake an expanded and   |
| all concluded that   | targeted program of research, professional    |
| amalgam is a safe    | and consumer education and product            |
| and effective        | regulation.\"                                 |
| restorative material |                                               |
| for dental fillings. | That report, at page 3 states: \"In the       |
|                      | absence of adequate human studies, the        |
|                      | Subcommittee on Risk Assessment **could not   |
|                      | conclude with certainty whether or not the    |
|                      | mercury in amalgam might pose a public health |
|                      | risk**.\"                                     |
|                      |                                               |
|                      | The **USPHS**, Agency for Toxic Substances    |
|                      | and Disease Registry also has a publication   |
|                      | entitled: *Toxicological Profile for Mercury  |
|                      | Update TP - 93-10 (1993)* which specifically  |
|                      | states that \"the continuous exposure to      |
|                      | mercury from amalgam fillings is **not        |
|                      | without risk to patients**.\" At p. 25.       |
|                      |                                               |
|                      | The American Dental Association never         |
|                      | acknowledges that there is a **1999** Update  |
|                      | of the **USPHS** publication which clearly    |
|                      | states that amalgam is the primary source of  |
|                      | human body burden.                            |
|                      |                                               |
|                      | Two presenters at an **NIH/NIDR** Technology  |
|                      | Assessment Conference in 1991 presented       |
|                      | significant documentation of adverse effects  |
|                      | of mercury amalgams. The Final Statement of   |
|                      | this conference was written by W.D. McHugh    |
|                      | and the Conference Editor was Joyce a. Reese; |
|                      | both are dentists. The Final Statement from   |
|                      | that Conference is not a strong endorsement   |
|                      | of the safety of mercury amalgams. It states: |
|                      | \"**While the current evidence supports the   |
|                      | concept that existing dental restorative      |
|                      | materials are safe, it must be recognized     |
|                      | that the supporting data are incomplete.**\"  |
|                      | (Advances in Dental Research, Vol. 6, page    |
|                      | 143, Sept. 1992.)                             |
|                      |                                               |
|                      | One of the presenters of the adverse effects  |
|                      | of mercury amalgam wrote to protest the Final |
|                      | Statement. The **NIH** responded to him thus: |
|                      | \"The recognition of the paucity of data on   |
|                      | the subject, especially with regard to        |
|                      | mercury, was the reason for using the term    |
|                      | \'Technology Assessment\' rather than         |
|                      | \'Consensus Development.\' Our guidelines for |
|                      | a Consensus Development Conference do require |
|                      | the statement to be data-based to the extent  |
|                      | possible .... In regard **to the studies you  |
|                      | presented being ignored, they were definitely |
|                      | considered and discussed at length, but not   |
|                      | emphasized in the Final Statement**.\"        |
|                      |                                               |
|                      | In response to public uproar after the airing |
|                      | of the CBS 60 Minutes segment called: \"Is    |
|                      | there poison in your mouth?\" the **FDA**     |
|                      | held a Dental Products Panel Meeting on March |
|                      | 15, 1991. At page 208 of a transcript of that |
|                      | meeting, there is a list of Panel             |
|                      | Recommendations. It includes: \"Without the   |
|                      | addition of any statements that reflect that  |
|                      | the Panel feels that there is any unsafety    |
|                      | \[sic\] to the use of dental amalgam as a     |
|                      | restorative material, I would ask the Panel,  |
|                      | now, that the information under review today, |
|                      | if that information raises questions that     |
|                      | warrant further research. I will poll the     |
|                      | Panel for a yes or no vote.\" All Panel       |
|                      | members voted \"yes,\" therefore all agreeing |
|                      | that questions about the safety of amalgams   |
|                      | had arisen. **The Panel made no declaration   |
|                      | that amalgam was safe or harmless.**          |
|                      |                                               |
|                      | The latest **FDA** Consumer Update (December  |
|                      | 31, 2002) informs consumers that Canada       |
|                      | limits the use of mercury amalgam in pregnant |
|                      | women and it indicates that the **FDA** is    |
|                      | reviewing the scientific studies related to   |
|                      | the safety of mercury amalgam. While the FDA  |
|                      | has up until now indicated that there was     |
|                      | insufficient scientific proof that mercury    |
|                      | amalgams cause adverse health effects, **it   |
|                      | has never declared mercury amalgam to be      |
|                      | safe.**                                       |
|                      |                                               |
|                      | A World Health Organization (**WHO**)         |
|                      | Scientific Panel in 1995 concluded that       |
|                      | **there is no safe level of mercury           |
|                      | exposure**. The Chairman of the panel, Lars   |
|                      | Friberg stated that \"**dental amalgam is not |
|                      | safe for everyone to use**.\" L.T.Friberg,    |
|                      | \"*Status Quo and perspectives of amalgam and |
|                      | other dental materials*\", International      |
|                      | symposium proceedings, G.Thieme Verlag        |
|                      | Struttgart, 1995.                             |
|                      |                                               |
|                      | Additionally, the **U.S. EPA** found that     |
|                      | mercury amalgam fillings which are removed    |
|                      | from dental patients are hazardous waste and  |
|                      | must be sealed airtight and disposed of as    |
|                      | such. \"*Amalgam declared hazardous*\",       |
|                      | Dentistry Today, February, 1989, p1.          |
|                      |                                               |
|                      | And, finally, a Canadian Government study for |
|                      | **Health Canada** concluded that any person   |
|                      | with any amalgam fillings receives exposure   |
|                      | beyond that recommended by the USPHS          |
|                      | standard. Mark Richardson, Environmental      |
|                      | Health Directorate, Health Canada,            |
|                      | *Assessment of Mercury Exposure and Risks     |
|                      | from Dental Amalgam*, 1995, Final Report;     |
|                      | G.M. Richardson et al, \"*A Monte Carlo       |
|                      | Assessment of Mercury Exposure and Risks from |
|                      | Dental Amalgam*\", Human and Ecological Risk  |
|                      | Assessment, 2(4): 709-761.                    |
+----------------------+-----------------------------------------------+

*Prepared by: Sandra Duffy*\
*Lake Oswego, OR*\
[gruffy3@aol.com](mailto:GRUFFY3@aol.com)\
*503-603-9333*\
*January 28, 2003*

Update 4-3-04

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