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MercuryMercury fillings are still used in the United States. Until recently, most patients did not realize that amalgams contained between 50 and 54% mercury. Mercury is the most toxic, non-reactive element on earth. At room temperature it is in the form of a liquid and easily turns from a liquid, into a gas. Although amalgam is very hard, the mercury is still liquid within the filling, and is released into the oral environment as a gas.In 1997, in a draft report to Congress, the United States Environmental Protection Agency said, "the EPA recommends a 150 pound adult should consume no more than 7 micrograms of mercury daily, a 30 pound child no more than 1.4 micrograms, and a 15 pound child no more than 0.7 micrograms." In 1995, Drs. Lorscheider, Vimy, and Sommers reviewed all the scientifically peer reviewed literature, pertaining to mercury released from amalgam fillings. Their findings were published in the Federation of Applied Science and Experimental Biology journal. They found the average mercury released from silver fillings was 10 micrograms. Is the mercury from your fillings causing health problems? There is no way to answer that question definitively. We know that mercury is coming out of the fillings in fairly large amounts. We also know that a person absorbs 80% of the mercury released. Some people seem to tolerate mercury better than others. I have elderly patients in my practice with many amalgams who have never been sick a day in their life. In contrast, I also had a 22 year old man with 4 small amalgams, who had digestive problems and vomited every morning after brushing his teeth. With the removal of his amalgams, both symptoms disappeared. I started offering alternatives to amalgam fillings in 1983 and became totally mercury- free in 1985 as a result of scientifically peer-reviewed data. For more information see www.testfoundation.org and www.iaomt.org For the other side of the story, contact the American Dental Association (www.ada.org) and/or your local dental society. These organizations firmly believe that amalgam fillings are safe. I encourage you to check out both sides so you can make an informed decision. FluorideFluoride is a substance used in industry as an insecticide and to kill rodents. It is more poisonous than lead and just slightly less poisonous than arsenic. Should it be used routinely on children to prevent decay? Should it be placed in the drinking water? Does it actually prevent tooth decay?In 1993 over 39,000 records of school children 5-17 years of age from 84 areas around the United States were studied. The decay rate was virtually the same in the fluoridated and non-fluoridated areas. Dr. John Colquhoun, former Chief Dental Officer of the Department of Health for Auckland, New Zealand, studied tooth decay statistics from 60,000 12-13 year olds. He showed that water fluoridation had no significant effect on the decay rate of permanent teeth. Dr. Dean Burk, former Chief Chemist of the National Cancer Institute, showed that there are 10,000 or more fluoridation-linked cancer deaths yearly in the United States. The National Cancer Institute, the New Jersey Department of Health, and the Safe Water Foundation all found the incidence of ostereosarcoma (bone cancer) to be substantially higher in young men exposed to fluoridated water, as compared to those who were not. In 1993 the Subcommittee on Health Effects of Ingested Fluoride of the National Research Council, admitted that 8-51% and, sometimes, up to 80% of the children living in fluoridated areas with the amounts recommended by the promoters of fluoride have dental fluorosis. Fluorosis is the first sign of fluoride poisoning. For more information contact the Safe Water Foundation, 6439 Taggart Road, Delaware, Ohio 43015 and check out www.flouridealert.com. Root CanalsTeeth are living parts of the body. The pulp chamber and canals carry blood vessels and nerves, from the apex (the tip of the root imbedded in the bone) into the crown of the tooth. Trauma, (a hard bump to the tooth) or decay, are the most common reasons for the nerve within the tooth to "die". When the nerve dies, bacteria work their way through the entire length of the tooth and the apex. When the bacteria exit the tooth, the body's defenses kill the bacteria, creating pus. If the pus can quickly find a route to the surface (a fistula), there is little or no pain. If it can't, the patient feels a deep, throbby pain that is usually quite intense.When a dentist performs a root canal, he/she is trying to remove the dead nerve tissue and disinfect the interior of the tooth. Many times the procedure is successful. Many times it is not. Dentin is composed of small tubules. A bicuspid tooth has 2-3 miles of dentinal tubules. It has been shown that the bacteria can live in these tubules and continue to produce toxins that can get to other parts of the body. The root canal can appear to be successful, because there is no longer any pain, yet be the breeding ground for a countless number of bacteria. Should root canals no longer be performed? Should you get your existing root canal teeth removed? My personal belief is this: If you are currently in good health and have no pain associated with your present root canal teeth; leave them alone. A patient that tells me, "the tooth has never felt right since the root canal," should consider its extraction. If you need a root canal and are in good health, mark the date of the root canal on a calendar for reference. Go ahead and get the root canal but keep a close eye on your general health. If you notice a worsening of your health, you may want to consider removal of the root canal tooth. If you are already in poor health or have a chronic illness, a root canal should probably be avoided. |
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