I've done a LOT of research on this, including reading several books. As usual it depends on the individual. I read one story of a man who was a super triathlete, who just happened to have a problem with dental decay. Year after year he would get new amalgam fillings, until he had about 15-20 or so.
One day, he got two more, and he became very sick. He had to quit training, and I think got to the point of hardly being able to function. In the following weeks, he noted that this change in health occurred shortly after his last dental visit.
So he decided to have those two amalgams removed. Lo and behold, his health returned. He realized they were toxic to him, and he eventually had all the others replaced. His extraordinary physical health had allowed him to live with so many in his mouth for years. HOWEVER, he eventually reached his "tipping point". -- I believe everybody has their own tipping point. For people with CFS and/or compromised detoxification ability, that tipping point could be very, very much less than the average person.
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I once read a book, written by a dentist who always considered himself to be in supurb health. He had always used amalgams in his practice, had several in his mouth, and scoffed at those who suggested there was any problem with it. But, he decided to do an experiment, and have his removed and replaced.
Within days, every single thing he did to keep himself in such great shape became FAR easier for him to do. He was all of a sudden able to bench press way more than he had been able to do. He could run farther, in less time, with much greater comfort. The list was endless, and for him, irrefutable evidence that amalgams and mercury outgassing can significantly impact the physical body. He became passionate about these new insights. Besides writing a book, he completely changed his dental practice.
One more story I like to share (below), which vividly demonstrates how amalgam removal can change a person's life. I myself don't believe I'd be alive today had I not removed all the amalgams and metal crowns from my mouth.
My Mercury Story
In the mid 90s, despite being athletic and energetic, I began experiencing various health ailments. These ailments worsened and grew in number year-by-year. By 2000, I had acquired 17 specific physical ailments ranging from fatigue to immune weakness to constant ringing in my ears. I could only work about 4 hours per day and had to take daily naps. I knew that something was seriously wrong.
I finally stumbled upon the cause of my problems while speaking to a friend about her health issues. She told me she had Chronic Fatigue and had healed herself after 5 years of visiting doctors and getting nowhere. She told me that she had her amalgam ("silver") dental fillings removed one-by-one, as she could afford it, and it had changed her from a bed-ridden state to a normal, working person. She told me something no dentist ever had:
Amalgam dental fillings contain mercury, the world's most toxic, non-radioactive metal.
I started conducting research on the Internet and found that I was not alone. Many other people were suffering just as I was and they had determined the problem was their dental fillings as well.
After spending numerous hours researching this issue, I had my amalgam fillings removed in couple weeks and my life changed forever, and it happened virtually overnight. A few years later, I realized that not only had my physical symptoms gone away, but a number of phobias vanished as well. My relationships improved, I became more social, my memory improved dramatically, and I realized how life is supposed to be lived.
Now, looking back, I realize that I lived most of my life with a number of negative personality traits and emotional ailments that were actually caused by mercury. My bad memory, extreme shyness, very low self esteem, fear of commitments (especially in relationships), history of suicidal thoughts and fear of confrontations is now gone, not to mention horrible depression, and all of these changes have dramatically improved the quality of my life.