Amalgam-Related Illness FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions about Amalgam-Related Illnesses
This Amalgam-Related Illness, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) was compiled by Leif Hedegard. This is version 2.9.1.
This FAQ is copyrighted: Leif Hedegard 1994-1997.
| We know that: | |
- dental amalgam fillings consist of 50% mercury | |
| We do not know: | |
| - if the amount of mercury released from dental amalgam is enough to cause illness, even in the most exposed or the most sensitive minority of the amalgam-bearing population. | |
Please double-check everything in this FAQ before you let it influence your thinking, there is a possibility that I have got something wrong - please inform me if so is suspected (be specific). If you are ill - you should see a physician, this FAQ is not intended to replace a physician. However you can read about symptoms / possible diseases, as a complement.
Abbreviations:
Hg = Mercury.
CNS = Central Nervous System.
1. Introduction- There has been concern and debate about potential / possible (non-allergic-) negative health effects from dental amalgam-fillings. At least several thousand scientific reports and discussion articles ...
- 2. Symptoms
- 2.1 Symptoms in chronic inorganic Hg-intoxication. The heavy, mostly occupational, chronic inorganic mercury intoxication has been described as having a triad of symptoms: 1) Tremor (or more wi...
- 3. Is It Possible That Dental Amalgam Can Cause These Symptoms?
- 3.1 Are we exposed to toxic levels of mercury from our amalgam fillings? Dental amalgam consists of approximately 50% (inorganic) mercury (by weight) ( DHHS 1993 page I - 2). Besides mercury the am...
- 3.2.3 Did These Individuals Get A Symptom Reduction After Amalgam Removal?
- Reports stating that groups of people, suspecting that they have a (non-allergic-) amalgam-related illness, have reduced their symptoms, by up to 80%, after removing their amalgam-fillings have been p...
- 4. Do I Have A (Non-Allergic-) Amalgam-Related Illness?
- 4.1 No approved diagnostic tests exists. As stated above (see sections 3.1-3.2.1): if there is a (non-allergic-) amalgam-related illness, it seems, at least on a group level in people who suspect t...
- 5. I Believe I Have A (Non-Allergic-) Amalgam-Related Illness - What Do I Do?
- 5.1 Read. As long as (non-allergic-) amalgam-related illness is not an accepted diagnosis, very few dentists will minimise your mercury exposure during amalgam removal more than what standard proced...
- 5. I Believe I Have A (Non-Allergic-) Amalgam-Related Illness - What Do I Do? P2
- 5.3.2 As long as there are amalgam fillings in your mouth. These are some of the factors that has been proposed to raise the mercury efflux from amalgam fillings in amalgam-bearers over the base-li...
- 5. I Believe I Have A (Non-Allergic-) Amalgam-Related Illness - What Do I Do? P3
- 5.7 Ethanol. The Swedish Association of Dental Mercury Patients ( Tandvardsskadeforbundet 1993) states: The intake of 5-6 cl of alcohol (40%) 1/2 to 1 hour prior to dental treatment can protect yo...
- 5. I Believe I Have A (Non-Allergic-) Amalgam-Related Illness - What Do I Do? Concluded
- 5.9 Chelators, for example DMSA and DMPS. A mercury antidote. Captures mercury and forces the captured mercury to be excreted, thereby lowering the body burden of mercury. Can cause unwanted side-...
- 6. Alternative Restorative Materials
- Neither amalgam nor alternative filling materials has been biocompatibility tested or side effect reported in the same way as pharmaceutics has been for a long time. Although it is unusual, people can...
- 7. Mercury Sources. Is Amalgam Really The Biggest Mercury-Source?
- 7.1 Mercury sources, overview. According to WHO (WHO 1991) these are the general sources of mercury in the body (ug / day): Air: 0.040 Fish 2.34 Non-fish food 0.25 Drinking-water 0.0035 Merc...
- 7. Mercury Sources. Continued
- 7.3 Mercury dose/day from amalgam vs. toxic dose. The WHO Study Group writes about occupational exposure to mercury vapour in the air: Exposure in the range of 25 to 80 ug/m3... increases the inc...
- 8.1 Amalgam And Women In And Before Childbearing Age
- At present, there is not scientific support for saying if amalgam is or isn't safe. A continued use of amalgam (as well as other materials) must be based on a calculation of risks and here a special c...
- 9. Personal Remarks On The Amalgam-Controversy
- I (Leif Hedegard) am not a doctor or a scientist. However, I have, some years ago, studied medicine for two and a half years. I am not an expert on this subject, and therefore I have tried, even th...
- 10. Where Can I Get More Information?
- 10.1 Official review / toxicology handbook. The WHO report from 1991. It is over 5 years since the meeting that this WHO-report is grounded on was held, but it still is a good source of knowledge in...
- 10.5 Other information on Internet.
- MSDS The firm Fisher Scientific is a place to get Material Safety Data Sheets. For more MSDS: University of California Material Safety Data Sheets Resources at http://www.ucop.edu/riskmgt/ohp/m...
- 10.8 Dental associations.
- 10.8.1 ADA At the American Dental Association (ADA) you have the possibility to search their www-pages. (In March 1997 I got links to 40 ADA documents when I searched for: mercury OR toxic. Howeve...
- 11. References
- Abraham JE, Svare CW & Frank CW. The Effect of Dental Amalgam Restorations on Blood Mercury Levels. J Dent Res 63(1):71-73 (1984) Ahlqwist M, Bengtsson C, Furunes B, Hollender L & Lapidus L. Number o...
- 11. References. Continued
- Haeney MR, Carter G F, Yeoman W B & Thompson R A. Long-term parental exposure to mercury in patients with hypogammaglobulinaemia. Br Med J 2:12-14 (1979) Hadsund P. The tin-mercury mirror: its manuf...
My Books
