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FDA: People with neurological conditions should avoid mercury dental fillings

Pyrrhus

Senior Member
Messages
4,172
Location
U.S., Earth
The amount of mercury that is very slowly released from mercury dental fillings is very low, so health agencies have generally considered mercury dental fillings to be safe.

Therefore, I was surprised to hear that the US FDA now recommends that people with neurological conditions should avoid mercury-containing dental fillings:
https://www.fda.gov/news-events/pre...tent&eId=c93b0298-63e5-4177-b6cc-ccb6dd3e0f28

FDA said:
The FDA has found that certain groups may be at greater risk for potential harmful health effects of mercury vapor released from the device. As a result, the agency is recommending certain high-risk groups avoid getting dental amalgam whenever possible and appropriate.

These groups that may be at a greater risk for potential harmful health effects include:
  • Pregnant women and their developing fetuses;
  • Women who are planning to become pregnant;
  • Nursing women and their newborns and infants;
  • Children, especially those younger than six years of age;
  • People with pre-existing neurological disease such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease
  • People with impaired kidney function; and
  • People with known heightened sensitivity (allergy) to mercury or other components of dental amalgam.
For over 20 years, the FDA has been reviewing scientific literature, monitoring reports and holding public discussions regarding the public health effects of dental amalgam and amalgam-related mercury vapor. Dental amalgam is a mixture of mercury and a powdered alloy made up of silver, tin and copper. The amalgam releases small amounts of mercury vapor over time. While low-levels of inhaled mercury vapor are generally not harmful to most people, these high-risk individuals may be at increased risk of adverse health outcomes. How much vapor is released can also depend on the age of the filling as well as a person’s habits such as teeth grinding.
 

IThinkImTurningJapanese

Senior Member
Messages
3,492
Location
Japan
I've had Dentists become very hostile when I politely request that they offer some other solution than mercury-amalgam fillings. They then proceeded to lecture me on the dangers of the internet and me believing I KNOW something because of a computer. I feel vindicated.

It reminds me of when I was 7 years old, several adults would say to me "You think you know something because you can read?"

Yeah, yeah, I do. :D
 

Wishful

Senior Member
Messages
5,684
Location
Alberta
I feel vindicated.

The FDA recommendation applies to a small percentage of the population, and implies that amalgam fillings are still considered safe for the general population. Are you in the small percentage that is unusually sensitive to mercury?

To me it's like peanuts: some people have an unusually severe reaction to them and should avoid them, but they're still a generally safe food for the rest of the population.
 

pamojja

Senior Member
Messages
2,384
Location
Austria
..a small percentage of the population, and implies that amalgam fillings are still considered safe for the general population

Rather the vast majority, if one considers how many women are planning to become pregnant, and the percentage of the population which will suffer fromAlzheimers or Parkisons alone.

I already had CKD stage 1, though in remission again, I wouldn't want to experiment how long that would last by adding amalgam again.

And good luck getting the mercury savely removed again, once these neurological diseases of old age strike.
 

Rufous McKinney

Senior Member
Messages
13,251
The FDA recommendation applies to a small percentage of the population, and implies that amalgam fillings are still considered safe for the general population. Are you in the small percentage that is unusually sensitive to mercury?

How would these neurologically impaired individuals be located so they can be protected?

Nobody protected me. I was subject to endless mercury amalgam fillings. My friends has written a whole book on the mercury poisoning of his family.

So its just too late for most of us. I've been refusing those types of fillings for over 35 years...but too many occurred as a child.
 

pamojja

Senior Member
Messages
2,384
Location
Austria
...but too many occurred as a child.

Sometimes life takes ironic turns. In my case I already experienced as child such medical malpractice, by being given tetracycline injections as new-born. A few years later such treatment was officially discouraged, because found it would cause bad mineralisation of teeth (chalky teeth).

Already at age 28 had only 12 teeth left. With the rotten all the countless amalgams gone :_
 

Victronix

Senior Member
Messages
418
Location
California
Thanks for posting this!

I have one copy of the APOE4 gene (Alz) and a lot of amalgam fillings from years ago. I'm incredibly sensitive to pain and things like dental procedures so have avoided trying to have them replaced. Does anyone know of anything one can do to offset the presence of mercury? It seems complicated.

Speaking of mercury, some of this year's flu shots (multi-dose vials) will have thimerosal in them, but the CDC says:

Thimerosal has a different form of mercury (ethylmercury) than the kind that causes mercury poisoning (methylmercury). It’s safe to use ethylmercury in vaccines because it’s processed differently in the body and it’s less likely to build up in the body — and because it’s used in tiny amounts. Even so, most vaccines do not have any thimerosal in them.”

Do we know what type of mercury is in amalgams, since there is apparently this distinction?

I'm hoping to be able to get a shot from a single dose vial, but I haven't yet tried to find out if that can be done. I normally don't get the flu shot but it's required by my work this time, because of COVID. Having the Alzheimer gene does put me in the category of greater risk (even if thimerosal is minimal risk), so now that this FDA statement came out that's really helpful.
 
Last edited:

Rufous McKinney

Senior Member
Messages
13,251
Already at age 28 had only 12 teeth left. With the rotten all the countless amalgams gone

Gosh thats awful. Yes, that was a common mistake back in the 1950s', 60s.

Well, my husband feels that by ending up with full dentures- he now has no issues with pleomorphic bacteria.

My brother told me that he discovered we have folds on the top of our molars- so just about every one got fillings and drilled to death when we were kids. It turns out these folds can be smoothed, and the tops sealed and then you end up with probably zero cavities.

We will do it all right, in our next lives!:_:_:yuck:
 

Wishful

Senior Member
Messages
5,684
Location
Alberta
Do we know what type of mercury is in amalgams, since there is apparently this distinction?

Yes, it's metallic mercury. The wiki page has plenty of information about amalgams.

Rather the vast majority, if one considers how many women are planning to become pregnant,

Yes, but the recommendation is only about getting or removing a filling during the period in which the elevated exposure from that process would cause a temporary elevation of mercury in the blood. It doesn't say that having an existing amalgam filling is dangerous during that time. So, get your amalgam filling well in advance of parenthood, or go with one of the alternatives that are more expensive and less durable.

I'm not saying that amalgam fillings are guaranteed to be 100% harm-free. I'm just pointing out that the FDA recommendations doesn't say that amalgam fillings are proven to be a health hazard for the average human. The level of possible hazard and the benefits of having existing amalgam fillings removed is still under study and debate.
 

gbells

Improved ME from 2 to 6
Messages
1,491
Location
Alexandria, VA USA
The FDA recommendation applies to a small percentage of the population, and implies that amalgam fillings are still considered safe for the general population. Are you in the small percentage that is unusually sensitive to mercury?

To me it's like peanuts: some people have an unusually severe reaction to them and should avoid them, but they're still a generally safe food for the rest of the population.

It's also a cost issue. Mercury amalgam fillings are low cost and durable. Alternatives like gold or crowns are much more expensive and crowns require removing more tooth surface. I think the exposure problems are overblown. At one pre-ME time I had the mercury fillings removed and it didn't improve my health one bit.
 

Pyrrhus

Senior Member
Messages
4,172
Location
U.S., Earth
Here's a quote from the CDC that might clarify things:
https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/PHS/PHS.asp?id=112&tid=24#bookmark04
CDC said:
When you breathe in mercury vapors, however, most (about 80%) of the mercury enters your bloodstream directly from your lungs, and then rapidly goes to other parts of your body, including the brain and kidneys. Once in your body, metallic mercury can stay for weeks or months. When metallic mercury enters the brain, it is readily converted to an inorganic form and is "trapped" in the brain for a long time. Metallic mercury in the blood of a pregnant woman can enter her developing child. Most of the metallic mercury will accumulate in your kidneys, but some metallic mercury can also accumulate in the brain. Most of the metallic mercury absorbed into the body eventually leaves in the urine and feces, while smaller amounts leave the body in the exhaled breath.


Does anyone know of anything one can do to offset the presence of mercury?

You can try to boost your glutathione levels, to increase the capacity of your liver and kidney to remove toxins, and to prevent toxin-mediated damage, but I'm not fully sure if this applies to metallic mercury.

Some people do "chelation protocols" to remove mercury from the blood. However, these chelation protocols come with their own problems. Trying a chelation protocol to remove trace amounts of mercury may be like trying to kill a fly with a bulldozer.

It doesn't say that having an existing amalgam filling is dangerous during that time.

...Unless if you seriously grind your teeth over the filling. But yeah, the FDA advisory is advising people to avoid getting mercury fillings in the first place, they are not saying to remove existing mercury fillings.

As you might have mentioned, the reason they are not addressing existing fillings is because the physical act of removing the filling might expose the person to more mercury vapor than if they just left the filling in place.

We will do it all right, in our next lives!:_:_

That's what I say every time I look back on my life.
I say "this life is just a trial run for the real thing next time!"
 
Messages
67
My fatigue started after amalgam removal, possibly anesthetic too, the timing is right but hard to know.
Started with neurological effects,
 

IThinkImTurningJapanese

Senior Member
Messages
3,492
Location
Japan
Are you in the small percentage that is unusually sensitive to mercury?

Well, I've never considered myself particularly vulnerable to anything, but according to the FDA I am. I have a pre-existing neurological disorder, ME/CFS.

People with pre-existing neurological disease such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease
 

Rvanson

Senior Member
Messages
312
Location
USA
How would these neurologically impaired individuals be located so they can be protected?

Nobody protected me. I was subject to endless mercury amalgam fillings. My friends has written a whole book on the mercury poisoning of his family.

So its just too late for most of us. I've been refusing those types of fillings for over 35 years...but too many occurred as a child.

Mercury is more poisonus to the human body then lead. Its not allowed to be used as a filling in at least thre European contries. Many dentists and doctors are all about the money and dont care about you at all. When I
became a legal adult at 18 I gave the famiily dentist the finger and never looked back. He called my parents up about it, the stupid mary-sue. Previous to that he wanted to send me to one of his buddy dental surgeons to have my wisdom teeth pulled out at $250 USD per tooth. I declined and still have three of them left 50 years later.
 

Rvanson

Senior Member
Messages
312
Location
USA
Here's a quote from the CDC that might clarify things:
https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/PHS/PHS.asp?id=112&tid=24#bookmark04





You can try to boost your glutathione levels, to increase the capacity of your liver and kidney to remove toxins, and to prevent toxin-mediated damage, but I'm not fully sure if this applies to metallic mercury.

Some people do "chelation protocols" to remove mercury from the blood. However, these chelation protocols come with their own problems. Trying a chelation protocol to remove trace amounts of mercury may be like trying to kill a fly with a bulldozer.



...Unless if you seriously grind your teeth over the filling. But yeah, the FDA advisory is advising people to avoid getting mercury fillings in the first place, they are not saying to remove existing mercury fillings.

As you might have mentioned, the reason they are not addressing existing fillings is because the physical act of removing the filling might expose the person to more mercury vapor than if they just left the filling in place.



That's what I say every time I look back on my life.
I say "this life is just a trial run for the real thing next time!"

Use vitamin C to slowly remove toxins from your body. I have been using it since I was 12 years old. It's cheap but you must take it throughout your lifetime. If you decide to have any mercury amalgam fillings removed, up need to use extremely high doses before the amalgams are removed as well as flooding your body with water. This will help ensure that the mercury and vapor are flushed out fast, and it won't have time to move to other parts of your body to reside in.
 

gbells

Improved ME from 2 to 6
Messages
1,491
Location
Alexandria, VA USA
>Unless if you seriously grind your teeth over the filling. But yeah, the FDA advisory is advising people to avoid getting mercury fillings in the first place, they are not saying to remove existing mercury fillings.

Get a nightguard if you grind your teeth. I have one.

Reduced glutathione is cheap if you get it from China at Aliexpress. My favorite supplement vendor there is New-Health-Store. Vit C is also good to help detoxification. We have to watch intake also, ie. tuna and other large fish.
 

Wishful

Senior Member
Messages
5,684
Location
Alberta
But yeah, the FDA advisory is advising people to avoid getting mercury fillings in the first place,

More precisely, they're advising people to avoid exposing themselves to the process of getting or removing amalgam fillings during times of unusual sensitivity, such as pregnancy and breastfeeding, or certain other medical conditions. They aren't actually advising women to avoid getting an amalgam filling at other times. The risk factor for having amalgam fillings is still undetermined. It's not zero, but it's also not high enough that all the studies done so far have come up with a clear conclusion that it's a significant risk.

Here's the wiki bit on amalgam toxicity:

"Concerns have been raised about the potential for mercury poisoning with dental amalgam when used in a dental filling. Major health and professional organizations regard amalgam as safe[45][46][47] but questions have been raised[48] and acute but rare allergic reactions have been reported.[49]

Critics argue that it has toxic effects that make it unsafe, both for the patient and perhaps even more so for the dental professional manipulating it during a restoration.[50] A study by the Life Sciences Research Office found that studies on mercury vapor and dental amalgam "provided insufficient information to enable definitive conclusions."[51] They identified several "research gaps", including: "well-controlled studies using standardized measures that evaluate whether low level [mercury vapor exposures] produce neurotoxic and/or neuropsychological effect", studies on "co-exposure to HgO and methylmercury", studies on "in utero exposure to HgO", "occupational studies on [pregnant workers] with well-defined HgO exposure", studies on the absorption of Hg2+ by the "human neonatal gut from breast milk", studies on "whether dental professionals have increased incidences of kidney disease, emotional instability, erethrism, pulmonary dysfunction, or other characteristics of occupational HgO exposure", studies on whether there exist "potential gender differences" or "genetic basis for sensitivity to mercury exposure."[51] The removal of amalgam fillings is not recommended for reasons other than a true hypersensitivity to mercury.[52] Mercury levels in blood and urine have been shown to rise for a short period of time following the removal of amalgam restorations and no studies have demonstrated any health gain from restoration removal.[52] Removal involves exposure to mercury vapor released during the removal process.[45] Amalgams also contribute to mercury toxicity in the environment.[53] With regard to amalgam placement and removal in pregnancy, research has not shown any adverse effects for the mother or fetus. However, research is inadequate to determine the chance of harm occurring and therefore placement and removal should be avoided during pregnancy if possible.[54]

In response to The Minamata Convention on Mercury, the European Commission has confirmed its position that individual nations should work to gradually scale down the use of dental amalgam.[55]"

I haven't read the Minamata Convention, but I'm guessing that it isn't recommending scaling down amalgam use because fillings have been proven a health hazard; it might just be to minimize the release of mercury to the environment, where it could accumulate to harmful levels in hotspots, such as apex predators.
 
Messages
12
My doctor wants me to remove my mercury fillings for over a year now. I'm still doubting whether to do it. My doctor thinks it is toxic, my dentist basically thinks it is nonsenses.

There are some papers that link it to the thyroid and even red blood cell deformation, but there are few stories where it actually helped it seems. Most arguments say that the amount of mercury is too little to make a difference. I have NO idea who to believe anymore.

An urine test (ICP-MS) shows high mercury (and strontium). I'm not sure how to interpret. When I looked at the microgram/mg results it didn't seem that high as some values I could find with google (in contrast to the percentile). Any help is welcome.
- column 1 is the name of the heavy metal (kwik = mercury)
- column 2: not sure what the "-2" means (could be microgram/l as in the second table)
- column 3: results (microgram/mg creatin)
- column 4: reference values
- right side percentile

My last thought was to just do it (I have 6 mercury fillings left), but starting to doubt again thanks to this thread. I had one mercury filling removed for other reasons about 2 years ago, maybe this test is just a result of that and it is just a temporary elevation (and not a real problem).

2020.09.28_mercury2.jpg