Lorscheider FL, Vimy MJ & Summers AO. Mercury exposure from "silver" tooth fillings: emerging evidence questions a traditional dental paradigm. FASEB J 9:504-508 (1995)

Abstract: "For more than 160 years dentistry has used silver amalgam, which contains approximately 50% Hg metal, as the preferred tooth filling material. During the past decade medical research has demonstrated that this Hg is continuously released as vapor into mouth air; then it is inhaled, absorbed into body tissues, oxidized to ionic Hg, and finally covalently bound to cell proteins. Animal and human experiments demonstrate that the uptake, tissue distribution, and excretion of amalgam Hg is significant, and that dental amalgam is the major contributing source to Hg body burden in humans. Current research on the pathophysiological effects of amalgam Hg has focused upon the immune system, renal system, oral and intestinal bacteria, reproductive system, and the central nervous system. Research evidence does not support the notion of amalgam safety."

Lovejoy HB, Bell ZG & Vizena TR. Mercury exposure evaluations and their correlation with urine mercury excretion: 4. Elimination of mercury by sweating. J Occup Med 15:590-591 (1973)

No abstract available. Citation from the text follows: "...Conclusions: The elimination of mercury via sweat has been shown to constitute a significant route for the removal of mercury from the body (blood stream). Information from this small study group tends to support the concept that "sweating them out" reportedly used in mercurialism cases among cinnabar miners (2) may be a valid treatment for rapid removal of absorbed mercury. Since the mechanism involved in sweat bypasses the kidney's role in the elimination of mercury as opposed to chelating agents such as British antilewisite, n-acetyl-d, l-penicillamine and calcium ethylene diamine tetra-acetate, sweating should be the initial and preferred treatment of patients with elevated mercury urine levels... The geographic locations of plants may be reflected in the level of mercury that may appear in the urine of these workers. Employees at northern plants may tend to run higher urine mercury levels compared to the urine of workers in southern plants due to the higher sweat rate and presumably higher loss of body mercury via the sweat. This data would suggest that controlled studies should be undertaken to observe the effect of treating patients showing clinical mercurialism as well as other heavy metal poisoning, "by sweating it out (3)"."

Mantyla Donald G & Wright Orson D. Mercury toxicity in the dental office: a neglected problem. JADA 92:1189-1194 (1976)

CITATION FROM THE TEXT FOLLOWS: "...several symptoms may develop on exposure to mercury, either through direct contact or by inhalation of vapors... The symptoms are: ERITHISM: A peculiar form of psychic disturbance characterized by self-consciouness, timidity, embarrassment with insufficient reason, anxiety, indecision, lack of concentration, depression, resentment of critisism, irritability or excitability; these appear to cause a complete change of personality. Other symptoms may include headache, fatigue, and weakness; either drowsiness or insomnia also are characteristic complaints and in more advanced cases there may be hallucinations, memory loss... TREMOR... SPEECH DISORDERS: Slurring of words, slight stammering, and a difficulty in pronunciation of words are characteristic... ALTERATION OF HANDWRITING... is often associated with the tremor. MOTOR AND SENSORY NERVE DISORDERS: An unsteady gait, possibly of spastic nature, has been obseerved in some patients. Hyperactive reflexes up to five times those in a normal person have been exhibited in patients with chronic mercurialism. Numbness and pain in the extremities may develop in various degrees. EYE AFFECTIONS: Two types of changes have been observed including a constriction of visual fields and lens reflex changes. Other defects have been reported in accommodation and muscular balance. ORAL PATHOSIS... gingivitis... "

Marcusson JA. Psychological and somatic subjective symptoms as a result of dermatological patch testing with metallic mercury and phenyl mercuric acetate. Toxicology Letters 84(2):113-122 (1996)

Abstract: "Sixty patients with a history of malaise over the ensuing weeks following the drilling out of old amalgam fillings were included in the study. They were tested epicutaneously weekly (standard procedure) with either 0.5% metallic mercury in petrolatum or 0.01% phenyl mercuric acetate in water, and, on 2 separate occasions, with only saline or petrolatum as a control according to a randomized double-blind protocol. The presence or absence of an allergic patch test response was read on day 3. Two patients showed allergic cutaneous responses towards metallic mercury and 1 to phenyl mercuric acetate. There was a concurrent 7-day self-registration of subjective psychological and somatic symptoms, using a validated visual analogue scale (minor symptom evaluation profile; MSE). In the group analysis it was clearly shown that the patients reacted with subjective symptoms to phenyl mercuric acetate. A reaction to test doses of metallic mercury seems to exist but could only be visualized when a scoring system was elaborated to individually define those subjects with a psychological and somatic response to test doses of mercury. This psychosomatic reactivity, named intolerance, seems to be unrelated to the cutaneous delayed allergic skin response. Thus, it might be possible to identify patients intolerant to small test doses of percutaneously penetrating mercury (previously considered innocuous). These findings may have a bearing on the systemic side-effects attributed to mercury released from amalgam tooth fillings."

Also make sure to read these books: Poison in Your Teeth: Mercury Amalgam (Silver) Fillings...Hazardous to Your Health! and Mercury Detoxification by Tom McGuire