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Medical Forum / General / Dentistry / February 2005Legal Position of the ADA
http://www.testfoundation.org/adaamalgam.htm The American Dental Association and Mercury "Silver" Amalgam The legal position of the American Dental Association (ADA) on the safety of mercury containing dental amalgam and the use of the material by dentists in the United States was recently stated as follows: "The ADA owes no legal duty of care to protect the public from allegedly dangerous products used by dentists. The ADA did not manufacture, design, supply or install the mercury-containing amalgams. The ADA does not control those who do. The ADA's only alleged involvement in the product was to provide information regarding its use. Dissemination of information relating to the practice of dentistry does not create a duty of care to protect the public from potential injury". Source: Legal brief filed in 1995 by attorneys for the ADA in W.H. Tolhurst vs. Johnson and Johnson Consumer Products, Inc.; Engelhard Corporation; ABE Dental, Inc.; the American Dental Association, et al., in the Superior Court of the State of California, in and for the County of Santa Clara, CA, Case No. 718228. This legal position adopted by the ADA seems to contradict the organization's publicly stated mission. According to their own web site (www.ada.org): "The ADA is the professional association of dentists dedicated to serving both the public and the profession of dentistry. The ADA promotes the public's health through commitment of member dentists to provide quality oral health care, accessible to everyone. The ADA promotes the profession of dentistry by enhancing the integrity and ethics of the profession, strengthening the patient/dentist relationship and making membership the foundation of successful practice. The ADA fulfills its public and professional mission by providing services and through its initiatives in education, research, advocacy and the development of standards." Somehow the ADA's stated mission of promoting public health does not require the organization to protect the public even when their own member dentists are following ADA guidelines and standards of care for the use of mercury containing dental amalgams. For the uninformed public, most dental amalgam contains approximately 50% elemental mercury by weight (see amalgam composition) To find out what the ADA "really meant" by its statements regarding the use and safety of dental amalgam in the Tolhust case see http://www.ada.org/prac/position/bioprobe.html In contrast to what they say, the American Dental Association has endorsed Crest toothpaste and at least 1,300 other products. (NYT, 8/13/97) according to the Integrity in Science project of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a non-profit group in Washington, D.C. CSPI is funded largely by its many members and somewhat by philanthropic foundations; CSPI receives no corporate or government funds. The project is directed by Ronald Collins (r...@cspinet.org).. http://www.cspinet.org/integrity/corp_funding.html. In the class-action lawsuit recently brought by 500,000 smokers in Florida against the tobacco industry, Robert Heim, the lead attorney for Philip Morris, stated the tobacco industry could not be held accountable for the health consequences caused by cigarettes because of the following: "The basic common sense of the American people for the most part is: You knew the risk, you took the choice and you should be responsible".* *Source: Associated Press article, dated 10/20/98, written by Tracy Fields. Maybe someone should ask the American people these same three questions concerning the health consequences resulting from the mercury released from dental amalgam fillings. Did you know there was a risk? Were you given a choice? Who should be held responsible? What Does the ADA Seal of Acceptance Really Stand For? For more than 125 years, the ADA has sought to ensure the safety and effectiveness of dental products. As early as 1866, an ADA committee prepared a statement on dentifrices (toothpaste). The first Seal of Acceptance was awarded in 1931. Although it is strictly voluntary, about 350 companies participate in the Seal program. The ADA Seal generally is awarded for a three-year period. More than 100 consultants, including members of the ADA's Council on Scientific Affairs and ADA staff scientists, review and declare oral care products safe, effective and worthy of the ADA Seal. The Seal on a product is an assurance for consumers and dentists against misleading or untrue statements concerning a product, its use, safety and effectiveness. http://www.ada.org/public/topics/seal.html Don't remove amalgam fillings, urges American Dental Association The Lancet, Volume 360, Number 9330, 03 August 2002 http://www.thelancet.com/journal/journal.isa The American Dental Association (ADA) has launched a media campaign aimed at discouraging patients from having amalgam [silver-coloured] fillings removed and physicians from recommending the intervention, says Frederick Eichmiller (Paffenbarger Research Center, Gaithersburg, MD, USA). "We're seeing more and more patients with multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, and autism thinking that the conditions can be corrected by removing amalgams. Their physicians don't know how to advise them, and so they say 'go ahead and try it' when the evidence isn't there. So patients are being given false hope, plus there are risks and often huge costs associated with removing and replacing the fillings", he warns. Concerns about amalgam arose in large part because the material contains mercury, explains Eichmiller. But when mercury is mixed with such metals as silver, "it forms a stable alloy, similar to the way that sodium and chlorine--both hazardous in their pure state--combine to form ordinary table salt." Although a "minute" amount of mercury vapour may be released by amalgam fillings as a result of vigorous chewing and grinding, "a person would have to have almost 500 amalgam fillings in his mouth to see subtle symptoms, even if he were the most mercury-sensitive patient", asserts Eichmiller. The ADA Code of Ethics prohibits member dentists from telling patients that removal of any type of dental filling will cure various diseases because such a statement cannot be substantiated scientifically, Eichmiller continues. Furthermore, "every time you remove fillings, you risk damaging the teeth. Each time you replace a filling it has to be a little bit larger. And the more often we surgically intervene on a tooth, the higher the risk of adverse reactions or the need for a root canal. Plus, it could cost tens of thousands of dollars to do this in some cases. So patients are making this large investment and not really seeing any relief", he emphasises. The US National Institutes of Health are 2 years into a 7-year, multicentre clinical trial of children aged 6 to 10 years to see whether any adverse health effects result from amalgam fillings (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov; search on "amalgam"). "Of course, they can't release any findings yet, but they have told us that there are no indications right now that would cause them to discontinue the trial", says Eichmiller. "And we know from the recent oestrogen trial [see Lancet 2002; 360: 146] that if there were any adverse responses, they'd pull the plug in a hurry, especially in children." Marilynn Larkin ADA Statement on Dental Amalgam Revised Oct 14, 2002 http://www.ada.org/prof/prac/issues/statements/amalgam.html Dental amalgam (silver filling) is considered a safe, affordable and durable material that has been used to restore the teeth of more than 100 million Americans. It contains a mixture of metals such as silver, copper and tin, in addition to mercury, which chemically binds these components into a hard, stable and safe substance. Dental amalgam has been studied and reviewed extensively, and has established a record of safety and effectiveness. Issued in late 1997, the FDI World Dental Federation and the World Health Organization consensus statement on dental amalgam stated, "No controlled studies have been published demonstrating systemic adverse effects from amalgam restorations." The document also states that, aside from rare instances of local side effects of allergic reactions, "the small amount of mercury released from amalgam restorations, especially during placement and removal, has not been shown to cause any … adverse health effects." The ADA’s Council on Scientific Affairs’ 1998 report on its review of the recent scientific literature on amalgam states: "The Council concludes that, based on available scientific information, amalgam continues to be a safe and effective restorative material." The Council’s report also states, "There currently appears to be no justification for discontinuing the use of dental amalgam." In an article published in the February 1999 issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association, researchers report finding "no significant association of Alzheimer’s Disease with the number, surface area or history of having dental amalgam restorations" and "no statistically significant differences in brain mercury levels between subjects with Alzheimer’s Disease and control subjects." The U.S. Public Health Service issued a report in 1993 stating there is no health reason not to use amalgam, except in the extremely rare case of the patient who is allergic to a component of amalgam. This supports the findings of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Institutes of Health Technology Assessment Conference and the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, that dental amalgam is a safe and effective restorative material. In addition, in 1991, Consumer Reports noted, "Given their solid track record . . . amalgam fillings are still your best bet." In 1991, the FDA’s Dental Products Panel found no valid data to demonstrate clinical harm to patients from amalgams or that having them removed would prevent adverse health effects or reverse the course of existing diseases. The FDA's most recent reaffirmation of amalgam's safety was published in March 2002 The reaffirmation reads, “FDA and other organizations of the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) continue to investigate the safety of amalgams used in dental restorations (fillings). However, no valid scientific evidence has ever shown that amalgams cause harm to patients.” It continues, “Also, USPHS scientists analyzed about 175 peer-reviewed studies submitted in support of three citizen petitions received by FDA after the 1993 report. They concluded that data in these studies did not support claims that individuals with dental amalgam restorations will experience problems, including neurologic, renal or developmental effects, except for rare allergic or hypersensitivity reactions.” The U.S. Public Health Service found in 1993 "no persuasive reason to believe that avoiding amalgams or having them removed will have a beneficial effect on health." In fact, it is inadvisable to have amalgams removed unnecessarily because it can cause structural damage to healthy teeth. The ADA supports ongoing research in the development of new materials that it hopes will someday prove to be as safe and effective as dental amalgam. However, the ADA continues to believe that amalgam is a valuable, viable and safe choice for dental patients and concurs with the findings of the U.S. Public Health Service that amalgam has "continuing value in maintaining oral health." Page Updated: December 20, 2002 More on Amalgam from the ADA http://www.ada.org/prof/prac/issues/topics/amalgam.html ADA Statements/Comments ADA Daily News The Journal of the American Dental Association ADA Resources for the New Dentist Member ADA Health Foundation ADA Statements/Comments Statement by the ADA to the Government Reform Committee United States House Of Representatives on "Mercury In Dental Amalgams: An Examination Of The Science " 11/2002 ADA Statement on Dental Amalgam in Dental Office Wastewater 6/ 2002 ADA Statement on Dental Amalgam Revised 10/2002 Statement by American Dental Association Executive Director Dr. James B. Bramson on H.R.4163, the Mercury in Dental Fillings Disclosure and Prohibition Act 4/2002 American Dental Association's Comments on FDA's Proposed Rule and Special Control Guidance on Dental Amalgam Products 2/2002 Back to Top ADA Daily News Dental amalgam in the spotlight (Nov. 27, 2002) Study finds no link between dental amalgam and cognitive dysfunction (Nov. 15, 2002) Ongoing amalgam studies show 'no harmful effects' in children: Dr. Tabak (Nov. 15, 2002) ADA talks amalgam on the Hill (Nov. 14, 2002) Amalgam is safe, says health-fraud watchdog (Oct. 11, 2002) ADA takes action: New initiative on amalgam in wastewater (Oct. 10, 2002) Idaho congressman speaks for safety, efficacy of dental amalgam (June 21, 2002) Restoratives: Trend data show shift in use of materials (June 4, 2002) ADA backs proposed FDA amalgam regulations (May 22, 2002) ADA sues 'self-promoting' L.A. lawyer for defamation (May 15, 2002) ADA, NDA decry amalgam phase-out legislation (May 1, 2002) California defeats amalgam bill (April 26, 2002) ADA seeks dialogue on proposed amalgam legislation (April 16, 2002) Maryland amalgam suit dismissed (April 5, 2002) Oregon repeals amalgam policy (March 19, 2002) Amalgam guidance: Packaging, labeling among FDA's proposed changes (February 27, 2002) ADA launches dental restoratives education campaign (February 19, 2002 >The American Dental Association and Mercury "Silver" Amalgam Hi-Yo Silver amalgam .... and break dancers unite! >"The ADA owes no legal duty of care to protect the public from allegedly >dangerous products used by dentists. Its a club Jan. Nothing more. >In the class-action lawsuit recently brought by 500,000 smokers in Florida >against the tobacco industry, Robert Heim, the lead attorney for Philip >Morris, stated the tobacco industry could not be held accountable for the >health consequences caused by cigarettes because of the following: So far every legal challenge has been tossed out as bogus science! >>In the class-action lawsuit recently brought by 500,000 smokers in Florida >>against the tobacco industry, Robert Heim, the lead attorney for Philip >>Morris, stated the tobacco industry could not be held accountable for the >>health consequences caused by cigarettes because of the following: > >So far every legal challenge has been tossed out as bogus science! Jan can provide links to the bogus science ........ Sci.med.barbers sci.med.insurance.salesmen the tobacco industry, Robert Heim, the lead attorney for Philip > >>Morris, stated the tobacco industry could not be held accountable for the > >>health consequences caused by cigarettes because of the following: > > > >So far every legal challenge has been tossed out as bogus science! So you agree, there is no proof cigarettes are harmful according to the ADA and Philip Morris! > Jan can provide links to the bogus science ........ > > Sci.med.barbers > sci.med.insurance.salesmen Weren't the first dentists also barbers? Isn't this list really a barbershop? Sci.med.dentistry(barbershop) Hey, that explains a lot. No wonder no one gets the science straight! >So you agree, there is no proof cigarettes are harmful >according to the ADA and Philip Morris! DO prove that Jan! Indeed. >>So you agree, there is no proof cigarettes are harmful >>according to the ADA and Philip Morris! > >DO prove that Jan! > >Indeed. JAN is a membere ofe thee goode olde girle clubbe. > Weren't the first dentists also barbers? > Isn't this list really a barbershop? > Sci.med.dentistry(barbershop) > Hey, that explains a lot. No wonder > no one gets the science straight! What is your level of scientific training? You seem to have a rather smug attitude of superiority regarding the ability to discern what is real science...so I would just like to know. Thanks T > > Weren't the first dentists also barbers? > > Isn't this list really a barbershop? [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > T Hey look who started it: Joel Eichen wrote: "Jan can provide links to the bogus science ........ Sci.med.barbers sci.med.insurance.salesmen" He who throws stones shouldn't live in a glass house! I'm pleased that my post was able to communite a strong sense of condensension. I'll have to remember how to keep that tone. My level of training, well that is a difficult question because the trajectory of my life was affected by amalgam and I still have neurological damage from it, but when all hell broke loose I was actually 2 and a half years in a Phd physics program. Hg slows your brain down and when I was in graduate school I started to have trouble finishing the homework. My proffessors couldn't figure out what was happening and thought I was being funny/lazy becaue I had been a good undergraduate at the same school. For example one even, said, we know you can do the work based on your entrance exam and another said, "physics isn't just a hobby", you've got to have fire in your belly?". Four additional toxic years later after I left, (and got worse) I finally figured out it was the filling and had it removed, by then I was working in silicon valley and as you know my original dentist had left practice under unusal circumstances. I'd probably be a professor now if it wasn't for amalgam. Now I'm wasting my time on this list arguing about whether Hg is a toxin. Pretty pathetic isn't it? One visit to the dentist turned me into a loon and an idiot, and an outcast when no one "believed" amalgam could do that. No one told me the dentist could do that to you! I suppose I'm lucky though. At least I figured out what was happening. Many people never would. Thanks for the reply. T >I'm pleased that my post was able to communite a strong sense >of condensension. I'll have to remember how to keep that tone. And to remember to use a spell checker. -- W_B Take out the G'RBAGE wubbabubbazG@RBAGEyahoo.com Truth is spelling was never my strong suit. Equations don't care how you spell them. > Truth is spelling was never my strong suit. Equations don't care how > you > spell them. Anyone who tackles physics is okay by me. It means you know logic. I think an inability to look at things logically is what scares most people when it comes to physics. T > > Truth is spelling was never my strong suit. Equations don't care how > > you [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > T Physics is supposed to be logical, but what we are finding is that the closer we look at the atom, the more counter-intuitive it is. One time in a quantum mechanics class I was taking one student said to another (good) student, "I don't understand this" to which the other student replied, " What you have to understand about quantum mechanics, is that it doesn't make any sense." Indeed, right now there is a lot that isn't understood about how atoms bond and how metals work because there is a real gap in our understanding of quantum mechanics, and that is where the controversy about amalgam begins. It's not so much an application of false logic as it is the fact the we still don't undertand the basic laws the govern the atom and metallic bonds. >>>Truth is spelling was never my strong suit. Equations don't care > [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] > don't undertand the basic laws the govern the atom and metallic > bonds. Just read in the NY Times Tuesday about plans to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Einstein's death. Steve  SignatureMark & Steven Bornfeld DDS http://www.dentaltwins.com Brooklyn, NY 718-258-5001 > Just read in the NY Times Tuesday about plans to commemorate the 50th >anniversary of Einstein's death. > >Steve They should commemorate his life... -- W_B Take out the G'RBAGE wubbabubbazG@RBAGEyahoo.com > It's not so much an application of > false logic as it is the fact the we still > don't undertand the basic laws the govern the atom and metallic > bond But, as I have said many times, we STILL have to fill teeth with the best material that will do the particular job. Further, I would like to know why your quantum mechanical reservations regarding Am would not be applicable to gold or chrome/cobalt or titanium as well. Thanks SP SignatureNot a real Addy, yet >Joel Eichen wrote: > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > >He who throws stones shouldn't live in a glass house! Ok, then remove the "insurance" and replace it with used.auto. "The filling"?? Looking for excuses for burnout? Can't face the facts that you failed? How much dope were you smoking? We all make mistakes in life. I know when I make one, it's really *my* fault. Fawks > My proffessors couldn't figure out what was happening and thought > I was being funny/lazy becaue I had been a good undergraduate [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > as you know my original dentist had left practice under > unusal circumstances. > "The filling"?? > [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Fawks You jackass. You don't know me. I don't do drugs. Take another look at these pictures http://www.cfsn.com/maz/tooth1.jpg http://www.cfsn.com/maz/tooth3.jpg What was your explanation? No proof it was reacting with the immune system? Gee where did all those chunks go? How do we know the material that came off was pure Hg and not combined with the silver. Anything could cause charring? No proof that bacteria above it could mehtylize it? I'd prefer to see more incrimminating pictures and make up an even more dippy dumbassed excuse? Look at that crap dentist put in peoples mouths. That CRAP. The ONLY reason I had to leave school was becasue of amalgam and organized dentistry. That's not an exucuse that is fact. I lost EVERYTHING thanks to your profession. E--V--E --- R --Y ---T----H---I --N --G to that pack of liars called organised dentistry. and ended up with chronic OM to boot. It was so bad that I couldn't even remember the begining of long sentences when I would read. It also apparently got into my pituatry (which affects kidney concentration) so that I was running around like some kind of moron pissing 10-30 times a day for years until 6 months after I had the amalgam removed. (you know when that stated? I saw from the canceld checks (the idiot dentist "removed my records before skippin town) that I had a doctors appointment to address those symptoms a couple weeks after a dentist appointment.) Imagine that. spend $30 dollars at the dentist (in the 80's) then in a few weeks $100 dollars at the doctors becasue you can't understand why you are pissing so much and won't know for another 10 years. (freshly packed amalagam as you know gives off a lot of Hg))) Now I come on this list and am pissed on again by the lying corps of organized dentistry. What an idiot I was to let the dentist lie to my face and put that stuff in, then end up pissing every half hour for 5 years and lose my ability to read, while wondering what could be going on, when it was sitting right there in my mouth? You and people like you made a real jackass out of me. The fact that I lived so healthy was what ALLOWED me to know something was really wrong. I used my scientific training to implement a long process of emlimination. Not diabetes? Not a tumor? Not a thyroid problem? Don't do drugs Don't drink or even smoke (Don't party or even drive late on Friday) No history of gentic illness No lasting food sensivity No infection or other explanation? Wait....is there a corrodoed copper filling on my tooth with a tremendous amount of decay above it, that has been sitting there since 82 and will be paid for by insurance at the insistance of the dentist who removes it even after initially insisting that the x-ray show it to be good and only drilling it out after I force him to? . What a smug pretentious moron you are to come on here and say that stuff is a stable alloy. Even phd's find amalgam chemistry difficult. No one understands that material. I know THAT. I took Solid state physics and quantum mechanics. You think that your stupid quotes from the ADA claiming that experts have shown amlgam safe fool me? Are you mesmorized by people who have advanced scientific training and are paid for by the ADA. NO ONE UNDERSTANDS AMALGAM and how it reacts with saliva and the immune system. Take it from someone who knows science and was poisoned. We don't understand sh.t about amalgam. We didn't even know it had a vapor pressure until the 80's. That's why no one can even write A SIMPLE EQUATION to predict Hg release or the Hg content in the copper phase after many years or say after being asked dozens of times on this list, what the upper rates on Hg release are under all circumstances. And I now know that no manufacturer even bothered to test the newer forumlations in large populations which even react with acid. If you don't understand amalgam then you should stop acting like a cheerleadear for the ADA and pretending you do. Believe me I take personal offense at you attacking my story after I took risk in posting personal details and you use sh.t science and sh.t statistics as your rationale. How dare you attack me personally do defend your organiztions crimminal use of that material PROVE its save a.shole. The burden is on you .. and other dentists who stick that untested copper sh.t in 12 year olds and shove them into the grave when it comes apart years later, That also goes for the lying phds who are paid for by the ADA to spin the safety of amalgam by idiotically trying to show it can't be absorbed and where lucky enough to complete their eduction without being poisoned. Leave school? Dr. FAWKs I'm lucky to be ALIVE. You seem willing to wholly dismiss the fact that your case is not representative of how the vast majority will respond to this material. I don't know enough about you to figure out what really happened to you, but even if it is exactly what you say, it is an aberration. People become ill or even die from adverse reactions to many things...do you go to your grocery store and call the stock boy a killer because he puts potential deadly allergens on the shelf? T >do you >go to your grocery store and call the stock boy a killer because he puts >potential deadly allergens on the shelf? > >T Yes, especially on the rat poison aisle. -- W_B Take out the G'RBAGE wubbabubbazG@RBAGEyahoo.com >From: W_B no_one@nowhere.net >"Tony Bad" >>do you >>go to your grocery store and call the stock boy a killer because he puts >>potential deadly allergens on the shelf? More stupid skeptic tricks. Anything to dodge the issue of mercury poisoning from amalgams. Two words for both of you. DD >Anything to dodge the issue of mercury poisoning from amalgams. > >Two words for both of you. Jan you are looney. Rat Poison in a Grocery Store. Yuk !!! >Rat Poison in a Grocery Store. Yuk !!! They got roach poison too ! -- W_B Take out the G'RBAGE wubbabubbazG@RBAGEyahoo.com > >Rat Poison in a Grocery Store. Yuk !!! > > They got roach poison too ! > -- > > W_B ...and people poison too! T I have seen people on PBS eat both Rats and Roaches. Food For The Soul according to some. MC >I have seen people on PBS eat both Rats and Roaches. Food For The Soul >according to some. MC Depends how hungry one is ..... http://www.testfoundation.org/adaamalgam.htm The American Dental Association and Mercury "Silver" Amalgam The legal position of the American Dental Association (ADA) on the safety of mercury containing dental amalgam and the use of the material by dentists in the United States was recently stated as follows: "The ADA owes no legal duty of care to protect the public from allegedly dangerous products used by dentists. The ADA did not manufacture, design, supply or install the mercury-containing amalgams. The ADA does not control those who do. The ADA's only alleged involvement in the product was to provide information regarding its use. Dissemination of information relating to the practice of dentistry does not create a duty of care to protect the public from potential injury". Source: Legal brief filed in 1995 by attorneys for the ADA in W.H. Tolhurst vs. Johnson and Johnson Consumer Products, Inc.; Engelhard Corporation; ABE Dental, Inc.; the American Dental Association, et al., in the Superior Court of the State of California, in and for the County of Santa Clara, CA, Case No. 718228. This legal position adopted by the ADA seems to contradict the organization's publicly stated mission. According to their own web site (www.ada.org): "The ADA is the professional association of dentists dedicated to serving both the public and the profession of dentistry. The ADA promotes the public's health through commitment of member dentists to provide quality oral health care, accessible to everyone. The ADA promotes the profession of dentistry by enhancing the integrity and ethics of the profession, strengthening the patient/dentist relationship and making membership the foundation of successful practice. The ADA fulfills its public and professional mission by providing services and through its initiatives in education, research, advocacy and the development of standards." Somehow the ADA's stated mission of promoting public health does not require the organization to protect the public even when their own member dentists are following ADA guidelines and standards of care for the use of mercury containing dental amalgams. For the uninformed public, most dental amalgam contains approximately 50% elemental mercury by weight (see amalgam composition) To find out what the ADA "really meant" by its statements regarding the use and safety of dental amalgam in the Tolhust case see http://www.ada.org/prac/position/bioprobe.html In contrast to what they say, the American Dental Association has endorsed Crest toothpaste and at least 1,300 other products. (NYT, 8/13/97) according to the Integrity in Science project of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a non-profit group in Washington, D.C. CSPI is funded largely by its many members and somewhat by philanthropic foundations; CSPI receives no corporate or government funds. The project is directed by Ronald Collins (r...@cspinet.org).. http://www.cspinet.org/integrity/corp_funding.html. In the class-action lawsuit recently brought by 500,000 smokers in Florida against the tobacco industry, Robert Heim, the lead attorney for Philip Morris, stated the tobacco industry could not be held accountable for the health consequences caused by cigarettes because of the following: "The basic common sense of the American people for the most part is: You knew the risk, you took the choice and you should be responsible".* *Source: Associated Press article, dated 10/20/98, written by Tracy Fields. Maybe someone should ask the American people these same three questions concerning the health consequences resulting from the mercury released from dental amalgam fillings. Did you know there was a risk? Were you given a choice? Who should be held responsible? What Does the ADA Seal of Acceptance Really Stand For? For more than 125 years, the ADA has sought to ensure the safety and effectiveness of dental products. As early as 1866, an ADA committee prepared a statement on dentifrices (toothpaste). The first Seal of Acceptance was awarded in 1931. Although it is strictly voluntary, about 350 companies participate in the Seal program. The ADA Seal generally is awarded for a three-year period. More than 100 consultants, including members of the ADA's Council on Scientific Affairs and ADA staff scientists, review and declare oral care products safe, effective and worthy of the ADA Seal. The Seal on a product is an assurance for consumers and dentists against misleading or untrue statements concerning a product, its use, safety and effectiveness. http://www.ada.org/public/topics/seal.html Don't remove amalgam fillings, urges American Dental Association The Lancet, Volume 360, Number 9330, 03 August 2002 http://www.thelancet.com/journal/journal.isa The American Dental Association (ADA) has launched a media campaign aimed at discouraging patients from having amalgam [silver-coloured] fillings removed and physicians from recommending the intervention, says Frederick Eichmiller (Paffenbarger Research Center, Gaithersburg, MD, USA). "We're seeing more and more patients with multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, and autism thinking that the conditions can be corrected by removing amalgams. Their physicians don't know how to advise them, and so they say 'go ahead and try it' when the evidence isn't there. So patients are being given false hope, plus there are risks and often huge costs associated with removing and replacing the fillings", he warns. Concerns about amalgam arose in large part because the material contains mercury, explains Eichmiller. But when mercury is mixed with such metals as silver, "it forms a stable alloy, similar to the way that sodium and chlorine--both hazardous in their pure state--combine to form ordinary table salt." Although a "minute" amount of mercury vapour may be released by amalgam fillings as a result of vigorous chewing and grinding, "a person would have to have almost 500 amalgam fillings in his mouth to see subtle symptoms, even if he were the most mercury-sensitive patient", asserts Eichmiller. The ADA Code of Ethics prohibits member dentists from telling patients that removal of any type of dental filling will cure various diseases because such a statement cannot be substantiated scientifically, Eichmiller continues. Furthermore, "every time you remove fillings, you risk damaging the teeth. Each time you replace a filling it has to be a little bit larger. And the more often we surgically intervene on a tooth, the higher the risk of adverse reactions or the need for a root canal. Plus, it could cost tens of thousands of dollars to do this in some cases. So patients are making this large investment and not really seeing any relief", he emphasises. The US National Institutes of Health are 2 years into a 7-year, multicentre clinical trial of children aged 6 to 10 years to see whether any adverse health effects result from amalgam fillings (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov; search on "amalgam"). "Of course, they can't release any findings yet, but they have told us that there are no indications right now that would cause them to discontinue the trial", says Eichmiller. "And we know from the recent oestrogen trial [see Lancet 2002; 360: 146] that if there were any adverse responses, they'd pull the plug in a hurry, especially in children." Marilynn Larkin ADA Statement on Dental Amalgam Revised Oct 14, 2002 http://www.ada.org/prof/prac/issues/statements/amalgam.html Dental amalgam (silver filling) is considered a safe, affordable and durable material that has been used to restore the teeth of more than 100 million Americans. It contains a mixture of metals such as silver, copper and tin, in addition to mercury, which chemically binds these components into a hard, stable and safe substance. Dental amalgam has been studied and reviewed extensively, and has established a record of safety and effectiveness. Issued in late 1997, the FDI World Dental Federation and the World Health Organization consensus statement on dental amalgam stated, "No controlled studies have been published demonstrating systemic adverse effects from amalgam restorations." The document also states that, aside from rare instances of local side effects of allergic reactions, "the small amount of mercury released from amalgam restorations, especially during placement and removal, has not been shown to cause any … adverse health effects." The ADA’s Council on Scientific Affairs’ 1998 report on its review of the recent scientific literature on amalgam states: "The Council concludes that, based on available scientific information, amalgam continues to be a safe and effective restorative material." The Council’s report also states, "There currently appears to be no justification for discontinuing the use of dental amalgam." In an article published in the February 1999 issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association, researchers report finding "no significant association of Alzheimer’s Disease with the number, surface area or history of having dental amalgam restorations" and "no statistically significant differences in brain mercury levels between subjects with Alzheimer’s Disease and control subjects." The U.S. Public Health Service issued a report in 1993 stating there is no health reason not to use amalgam, except in the extremely rare case of the patient who is allergic to a component of amalgam. This supports the findings of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Institutes of Health Technology Assessment Conference and the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, that dental amalgam is a safe and effective restorative material. In addition, in 1991, Consumer Reports noted, "Given their solid track record . . . amalgam fillings are still your best bet." In 1991, the FDA’s Dental Products Panel found no valid data to demonstrate clinical harm to patients from amalgams or that having them removed would prevent adverse health effects or reverse the course of existing diseases. The FDA's most recent reaffirmation of amalgam's safety was published in March 2002 The reaffirmation reads, “FDA and other organizations of the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) continue to investigate the safety of amalgams used in dental restorations (fillings). However, no valid scientific evidence has ever shown that amalgams cause harm to patients.” It continues, “Also, USPHS scientists analyzed about 175 peer-reviewed studies submitted in support of three citizen petitions received by FDA after the 1993 report. They concluded that data in these studies did not support claims that individuals with dental amalgam restorations will experience problems, including neurologic, renal or developmental effects, except for rare allergic or hypersensitivity reactions.” The U.S. Public Health Service found in 1993 "no persuasive reason to believe that avoiding amalgams or having them removed will have a beneficial effect on health." In fact, it is inadvisable to have amalgams removed unnecessarily because it can cause structural damage to healthy teeth. The ADA supports ongoing research in the development of new materials that it hopes will someday prove to be as safe and effective as dental amalgam. However, the ADA continues to believe that amalgam is a valuable, viable and safe choice for dental patients and concurs with the findings of the U.S. Public Health Service that amalgam has "continuing value in maintaining oral health." Page Updated: December 20, 2002 More on Amalgam from the ADA http://www.ada.org/prof/prac/issues/topics/amalgam.html ADA Statements/Comments ADA Daily News The Journal of the American Dental Association ADA Resources for the New Dentist Member ADA Health Foundation ADA Statements/Comments Statement by the ADA to the Government Reform Committee United States House Of Representatives on "Mercury In Dental Amalgams: An Examination Of The Science " 11/2002 ADA Statement on Dental Amalgam in Dental Office Wastewater 6/ 2002 ADA Statement on Dental Amalgam Revised 10/2002 Statement by American Dental Association Executive Director Dr. James B. Bramson on H.R.4163, the Mercury in Dental Fillings Disclosure and Prohibition Act 4/2002 American Dental Association's Comments on FDA's Proposed Rule and Special Control Guidance on Dental Amalgam Products 2/2002 Back to Top ADA Daily News Dental amalgam in the spotlight (Nov. 27, 2002) Study finds no link between dental amalgam and cognitive dysfunction (Nov. 15, 2002) Ongoing amalgam studies show 'no harmful effects' in children: Dr. Tabak (Nov. 15, 2002) ADA talks amalgam on the Hill (Nov. 14, 2002) Amalgam is safe, says health-fraud watchdog (Oct. 11, 2002) ADA takes action: New initiative on amalgam in wastewater (Oct. 10, 2002) Idaho congressman speaks for safety, efficacy of dental amalgam (June 21, 2002) Restoratives: Trend data show shift in use of materials (June 4, 2002) ADA backs proposed FDA amalgam regulations (May 22, 2002) ADA sues 'self-promoting' L.A. lawyer for defamation (May 15, 2002) ADA, NDA decry amalgam phase-out legislation (May 1, 2002) California defeats amalgam bill (April 26, 2002) ADA seeks dialogue on proposed amalgam legislation (April 16, 2002) Maryland amalgam suit dismissed (April 5, 2002) Oregon repeals amalgam policy (March 19, 2002) Amalgam guidance: Packaging, labeling among FDA's proposed changes (February 27, 2002) ADA launches dental restoratives education campaign (February 19, 2002 Is it Leagal to Poison People ??? I guess it depends on what lawyer you have..MC >Is it Leagal to Poison People ??? I guess it depends on what lawyer you >have..MC If we do not, then social security will get completely out of hand. Joel >>Rat Poison in a Grocery Store. Yuk !!! > >They got roach poison too ! >-- > >W_B ......but none of that is bad as mercurrrrrry fillings! A Little Pot once in awhile though by any name can be a good thing..So I have heard..MC > You seem willing to wholly dismiss the fact that your case is not > representative of how the vast majority will respond to this material. I [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > T Actually I had some recent conversations where it seemd some people may have an immune reaction to amalgam, in that they may have some enzyme or something which allows their immune system to literally take the newer copper filling apart. I'm not an expert on biochemistry but that could explain why many people lead relatively healthy lives with amalgam and others are more seriously affected. As far as being an aberration, I admit that most aren't poisoned to the extent I was, but I'm sure the manufacturer and NIDCR had data at least hinting there could be problems or realized they weren't testing the amalgam in real biological systems. I would be very interested to see the manufacturer trials. As you know my Dad works for the FDA and this type of question comes up all the time. Did company X know their product could cause harm and could they have stopped it. Who is at fault. Realistically (from my own observation) it is very difficult to test drugs for adverse reactions before they are used on the public but companies usually know there could be problems. In the case of amalgam many amalgams do give off elevated levels of Hg which patients should be informed about at a minium. It's not like 99% of fillings are perfectly stable and 1/1000 come apart. There is a gradient of behavior, not a straight line with a sudden drop off. As for blame, I suppose I could blame my own grandfather for knowing amalgam had Hg and not realizing that some of it may leak. That's the frustration for the victims. Everybody points the finger at someone else, and yes, there is some legiticamcy to that becaue most in the public do not believe or understand amalgam can be dangerous, while most dentists rely on what they are taught in school whose policies are set by organizations that are political in nature and respond to what the public wants or thinks. Part of the reason I am on the list is to answer that exact question, "who knows what about amalgam", and I'm still not sure how much the risk and science is appreciated within "organized dentistry". So there remains, from my viewpoint, a lot of unanswered questions about both the science of amalgam and the psychology that surrounds it. > Actually I had some recent conversations where it seemd > some people may have an immune reaction to amalgam, in that [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > systems. I would be very interested to see the manufacturer > trials. I think today there are far more stringent risk/reward assessments than there used to be. In our litigous world, a few bad reactions, which may be a fraction of a percent, will keep a product from reaching the market. Hard to say what is right, especially if you are the one hurt. > So there remains, from my viewpoint, a lot of unanswered questions > about both the science of amalgam and the psychology that > surrounds it. That is my view also...where we differ is that you, perhaps because of your experience, have come down on one side of the fence, while I remain on the other, probably because of my experiences. T > You seem willing to wholly dismiss the fact that your case is not > representative of how the vast majority will respond to this material. I [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > T Actually I had some recent conversations where it seemd some people may have an immune reaction to amalgam, in that they may have some enzyme or something which allows their immune system to literally take the newer copper filling apart. I'm not an expert on biochemistry but that could explain why many people lead relatively healthy lives with amalgam and others are more seriously affected. As far as being an aberration, I admit that most aren't poisoned to the extent I was, but I'm sure the manufacturer and NIDCR had data at least hinting there could be problems or realized they weren't testing the amalgam in real biological systems. I would be very interested to see the manufacturer trials. As you know my Dad works for the FDA and this type of question comes up all the time. Did company X know their product could cause harm and could they have stopped it. Who is at fault. Realistically (from my own observation) it is very difficult to test drugs for adverse reactions before they are used on the public but companies usually know there could be problems. In the case of amalgam many amalgams do give off elevated levels of Hg which patients should be informed about at a minium. It's not like 99% of fillings are perfectly stable and 1/1000 come apart. There is a gradient of behavior, not a straight line with a sudden drop off. As for blame, I suppose I could blame my own grandfather for knowing amalgam had Hg and not realizing that some of it may leak. That's the frustration for the victims. Everybody points the finger at someone else, and yes, there is some legiticamcy to that becaue most in the public do not believe or understand amalgam can be dangerous, while most dentists rely on what they are taught in school whose policies are set by organizations that are political in nature and respond to what the public wants or thinks. Part of the reason I am on the list is to answer that exact question, "who knows what about amalgam", and I'm still not sure how much the risk and science is appreciated within "organized dentistry". So there remains, from my viewpoint, a lot of unanswered questions about both the science of amalgam and the psychology that surrounds it. >Actually I had some recent conversations where it seemd >some people may have an immune reaction to amalgam, in that >they may have some enzyme or something which allows their immune >system to literally take the newer copper filling apart. Is this science or did Jan Drew tell you this? Joel What makes an amalgam tatto disappear? The immune system carries it away! An amalgam is just really a lot of amalgam tattos, billions and trillions of them. clint...@prodigy.net wrote: > What makes an amalgam tatto disappear? The immune system carries it > away! An amalgam is just really a lot of amalgam tattos, billions and > trillions of them. OK, Buddy (since you don't like 'sweetheart'), What kills me is that you post pictures that show that you have *NO* idea of which you speak. The residual infection from a piss-poor apico can cause a lot of grief. I had a lady a few years ago with *FOUR* of these on all of her upper incisors. She had been putting up with them for years, though she hadn't blamed them for any real life failures. What you need to get a grip on is that it was not the amalgam that caused your problem. By showing those pictures, you showed the world that you are totally off base. I wouldn't be surprised if some trigeminal problems were not also involved. But, IT WAS NOT THE FILLING! BTW, in case you forgot, I haven't used amalgam in twenty (yes 20!) years. I prefer composites for fillings, and I don't like apicoectomies (the way they used to be done, new techniques with MTA may change my opinion). Sorry to ruin your whole life all over again, Fawks Fawks, trigeminal problems, now your are grasping those are not my pictures, I already posted that. Understand. Those not my fillings. go to Jeff clark's main site for more pictures of obviously corroded amalgam and the more complete story (although his main site seemed to be down last time I checked). He certainly was sufferintg from amalgam poisoning. How on earth did you determine that it was not the filling whether or not there was also infection (leaking Hg kills bone and promotes infection btw),that Hg had not leaked from the apio amalgam or that chunks where not missing. Where did the pieces of the amalgam go and how do you explain the charring on the tooth .(There are many other pictures of corroded amalgam on his site not from the apio.) Ahh yes I posted those before and you said that was normal. I guess in your book a filling completely charred through and missing half it contents is normal. Next I'm going to show you a picture of more severly charred corroded amalgam and measure how deep it goes into the surface from the picture so even you cant get around it. Think I'll find one with 10% corrosion. Want to bet your house on it? Course not. But you'll try to flush amalgam victims down the toilet. If just 10% of that is mehtyalized by nearby infection/bacteria which is 100% times more toxic that's the equivalent of 100 x 1 x .1 x .1 = having the whole filling emptied into the nervous system. Your not going to sit here and say those pictures don't exist when you've obviously seen many corroded and charred amalgams are you, or are you going to revert back to your Hg isn't toxic argument. Now let me explain something else to you. In my case in addition to Hg in the hair there was Cu (elevated) in my blood. That was right before I had the amalgam removed. The copper ALONE was enough to be toxic. You need to a grip and get it through your head that that was coming off the amalgam and that your kindergarten conception of amalgam as stable alloy isn't real science. And btw As for the fact that you haven't used amalgam since 1985 mine was placed in 1982. >go to Jeff clark's main site for more pictures of obviously >corroded amalgam and the more complete story (although >his main site seemed to be down last time I checked). >He certainly was sufferintg from amalgam poisoning. OK we will try to cheer him up! Joel > clint...@prodigy.net wrote: > > What makes an amalgam tatto disappear? The immune system carries it [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > you have *NO* idea of which you speak. The residual infection > from a piss-poor apico can cause a lot of grief. I had a lady okay repost from server error, if the first doesnt get through. I hate writing a whole message and the system freezes for 2 minutes then some dinky server error message pops up and dumps your post. Can't they saved the text. Geez that's screwed. Here is the origianl site with more infromation http://www.cfspages.com/apical.html Notice that the original x-ray is included so you can see how much amalgam is missing. MISSING, and corroded, get it? >>clint...@prodigy.net wrote: >> [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > you can see how much amalgam is missing. > MISSING, and corroded, get it? Clinton: I think Fawks and I see these photos a little differently. Clearly the apical filling was placed sloppily. However, the gap between the filling and the root end is almost certainly caused by external root resorption, which is a well-known phenomenon. It is probable that some of the staining is from the amalgam, but I have extracted chronically inflamed roots with this kind of discoloration with no history of apicoectomy. As far as amalgam tatoos, I haven't seen them disappear, though I have seen them spread out in the tissues somewhat over time. Steve Steve > lady > > [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > filling and the root end is almost certainly caused by external root > resorption, which is a well-known phenomenon. Well, I just posted those pictures as a talking point. In fact it is hard to find any pictures of extracted amalgam on the internet. Being an engineer I would guess that if JC observed material was missing, based on comparision of x-rays or some other method he is probably correct. I'll have to look at the pictures again taking into account the phenomena of root absorbtion. Interstingly he has other pictures of corroded amalgam from other parts of his mouth that I think where put in by a different dentist. So I'm not sure what role poor condensation or placement technique would play in that. > It is probable that some of the staining is from the amalgam, but I as I posted to steve Fawks one thing that really concerns me is the ability of some of the amalgam to methylized in this process where poor placement/condensation or, nfection/reabsorbtion/immune system interactions may set the stage for bacteria to interact with some of the Hg from the amalgam. Obviously since there is disagreement on the state of the amalgam even from the pictures and testing for methyl hg is difficult that tells me that conducting any real life safety trials for amalgam in a large population would be difficult, which is even more worrisome, but not surprising based on my experience. > What kills me is that you post pictures that show that > you have *NO* idea of which you speak. The residual infection > from a piss-poor apico can cause a lot of grief. I had a lady Here is a more detailed explantion. The origianl x-ray is included so you can see how much amalgam is missing. Where did the missing amalgam ago? only you could look at a pictures of missing corroded amalgam and proclaim it "normal". http://www.cfspages.com/apical.html >c He wrote, After great trepidation, in January 1997, I had an incisor with just such an apical amalgam extracted from my lower jaw. The tooth and the jaw were giving me pain, a burning sensation, and I was having mental concentration problems like I suffered during my many years of CFS. REPLY I agree with the mental problems ........ Joel You are beyond hope and reason. I never declared this 'normal'. I did say that I have seen it several times over my 25 years of dental practice. If it comes down to a choice between and apicoectomy and an extraction, I would recommend the extraction (results that are just now being determined may offer higher success with a material called MTA). Twenty-five years of practice in the midwest have exposed me to amalgams of all kinds. I have seen very good work that is over 50 years old. I have seen crappy work that is a few months old. I have seen everything inbetween. I quit using amalgam in 1985, but I have never seen a patient with any major health problems from its use. That doesn't mean that it is absolutely impossible, but it sure is proof that it is highly improbable. BTW, trigeminal neuralgias (and such) are way more common than any imagined amalgam symptoms. I've seen quite a few of these cases first hand. You are the one that is grasping for straws. Fawks >>What kills me is that you post pictures that show that >>you have *NO* idea of which you speak. The residual infection [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > http://www.cfspages.com/apical.html > You are beyond hope and reason. I never declared this > 'normal'. I did say that I have seen it several times [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > I quit using amalgam in 1985, but I have never seen a patient > with any major health problems from its use. Well, I have no doubt that if someone did show symptoms you would say it couldn't be from the amalgam, even if the amalgam was corroded, so your personal observations are meaningless. Also hidden in this discussion as I've mentioned before is the question of whether Hg can be methylized near the filling in some cases. I haven't seen you NIDCR or anyone else provide any sound studies in this areas. Since that is the most potential for toxic load and only requires a fraction of a filling to lose its Hg that makes all these discussions speculative. That doesn't mean > that it is absolutely impossible, but it sure is proof that it > is highly improbable. These are inexact terms, highly improbable, not absolutely impossible. If that new stuff has been tested in real biological systems for 10+ years with all forms of Hg uptake including mehtyl Hg accounted for then show me the data, otherwise these discussions will only be about opinions. > BTW, trigeminal neuralgias (and such) are way more common than > any imagined amalgam symptoms. Another opinion. I've seen quite a few of these > cases first hand. You are the one that is grasping for straws. You don't know me. Yet you "know" it couldn't be amalgam. Becasue you "know" amalgam is safe. You don't know anything. > You are beyond hope and reason. I never declared this > 'normal'. I did say that I have seen it several times [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > I quit using amalgam in 1985, but I have never seen a patient > with any major health problems from its use. Well, I have no doubt that if someone did show symptoms you would say it couldn't be from the amalgam, even if the amalgam was corroded, so your personal observations are meaningless. Also hidden in this discussion as I've mentioned before is the question of whether Hg can be methylized near the filling in some cases. I haven't seen you NIDCR or anyone else provide any sound studies in this areas. Since that is the most potential for toxic load and only requires a fraction of a filling to lose its Hg that makes all these discussions speculative. That doesn't mean > that it is absolutely impossible, but it sure is proof that it > is highly improbable. These are inexact terms, highly improbable, not absolutely impossible. If that new stuff has been tested in real biological systems for 10+ years with all forms of Hg uptake including mehtyl Hg accounted for then show me the data, otherwise these discussions will only be about opinions. > BTW, trigeminal neuralgias (and such) are way more common than > any imagined amalgam symptoms. Another opinion. I've seen quite a few of these > cases first hand. You are the one that is grasping for straws. You don't know me. Yet you "know" it couldn't be amalgam. Becasue you "know" amalgam is safe. You don't know anything. > You are beyond hope and reason. I never declared this > 'normal'. I did say that I have seen it several times [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > I quit using amalgam in 1985, but I have never seen a patient > with any major health problems from its use. Well, I have no doubt that if someone did show symptoms you would say it couldn't be from the amalgam, even if the amalgam was corroded, so your personal observations are meaningless. Also hidden in this discussion as I've mentioned before is the question of whether Hg can be methylized near the filling in some cases. I haven't seen you NIDCR or anyone else provide any sound studies in this areas. Since that is the most potential for toxic load and only requires a fraction of a filling to lose its Hg that makes all these discussions speculative. That doesn't mean > that it is absolutely impossible, but it sure is proof that it > is highly improbable. These are inexact terms, highly improbable, not absolutely impossible. If that new stuff has been tested in real biological systems for 10+ years with all forms of Hg uptake including mehtyl Hg accounted for then show me the data, otherwise these discussions will only be about opinions. > BTW, trigeminal neuralgias (and such) are way more common than > any imagined amalgam symptoms. Another opinion. I've seen quite a few of these > cases first hand. You are the one that is grasping for straws. You don't know me. Yet you "know" it couldn't be amalgam. Becasue you "know" amalgam is safe. You don't know anything. Gee, had to post three times? Guess that makes you feel more validated. ;-) Fawks > so your personal observations are meaningless. BTW, so are yours. >From: Steven Fawks <snip insults> >> so your personal observations are meaningless. That because it is impossible to observe what he thinks is non existent. >BTW, so are yours. Wrong. One's body is very observant. So are mercury levels. So is peripheral neuropathy. Jan >One's body is very observant. > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > >Jan >>IF* you have an unanswered health problem,,,,,,,,CHECK THE TEETH! >> [quoted text clipped - 180 lines] > >Rich ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- Best defense to logic is ignorance The only insults came from CZ. If you want to snip those, that's OK. Fawks > >From: Steven Fawks > > <snip insults> >The only insults came from CZ. If you want to snip those, >that's OK. > >Fawks What is this about snipping CZ? >From: Steven Fawks > imagined amalgam symptoms. ZZzz. Poisoning proven by high mercury levels is far from imagined Neurological as in PN comes with poisoning from amalgams. http://home.online.no/~reiersol/bund.htm == http://www.home.earthlink.net/~berniew1/damspr16.html http://www.home.earthlink.net/~berniew1/damspr1.html http://tinyurl.com/6yyb3 Ned Tijdschr Tandheelkd. 1993 Apr;100(4):179-82. Related Articles, Links [Amalgam. IV. Metabolism of mercury] [Article in Dutch] Gladys S, van Meerbeek B, Vanherle G, Lambrechts P. Afdeling Conserverende Tandheelkunde en Tandheelkundige Materialen, School voor Tandheelkunde, Mondziekten en Kaakchirurgie, Katholieke Universiteit te Leuven, Belgie. After absorption in the body by four ways, each type of mercury undergoes a specific metabolism. Elementary mercury as mercury vapour becomes rapidly oxidized to Hg2+ and, afterwards, is metabolized as an inorganic mercurial compound. From the blood circulation mercury reaches target organs like the kidneys, the central nervous system, the liver and the hypophysis, in which mercury accumulates. The retention time varies by organ and is longest in the brain. Mercury is mainly eliminated with urine and faeces, to a lesser degree with transpiration and mother's milk and sometimes by respiration. Publication Types: Review Review, Tutorial PMID: 11822127 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] http://www.greenfacts.org/mercury/l-2/mercury-2.htm .1.2. Elemental mercury is also poisonous to the nervous system. Humans are mainly exposed by inhaling vapours. These are absorbed into the body via the lungs and move easily from the bloodstream into the brain. However, when elemental mercury is ingested, little is absorbed into the body. The inhalation of elemental mercury vapours can cause neurological and behavioural disorders, such as tremors, emotional instability, insomnia, memory loss, neuromuscular changes and headaches. They can also harm the kidneys and thyroid. High exposures have also led to deaths. http://www.positivehealth.com/permit/Articles/Dentist/dental.htm Dental Amalgam Fillings is the Number One Source of Mercury in People and Exposure Exceeds Government Health Standards for Inorganic mercury (vapor) Supplied by one of our readers Government agencies and medical studies have found that the number one source of mercury in people is from dental amalgam fillings2-20. Exposure from fillings amounts to from 50 to 90 percent of exposure, with the average being about 80 % of total exposure5-9,12-15,19,20. The studies found that mercury amalgams are unstable due to mercury's low vapor pressure and galvanic action, leaking mercury vapor continuously into the lungs and saliva at levels exceeding health standards. Mercury exposure of most people with fillings was found to exceed government health standards and levels found to cause adverse health effects(see below). The U.S.EPA mercury health standard1 for elemental mercury exposure(vapor) is 0.3 micrograms per cubic meter of air(0.3 ug/M3). For the average adult breathing 20 M3 of air per day2, this amounts to an exposure of 6 micrograms(ug) per day. The corresponding tolerable daily exposure developed in a report for the Canadian Health Agency, Health Canada, is .014 ug/kg body weight or 1 ug/day for average adult2. The U.S. Agency for toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ASTDR) standard (MRL) -for acute inhalation exposure to mercury vapor is 0.02 micrograms Hg/m3, which translates to approx. 1.2 ug/day for the average adult. The range of mercury exposure levels found in people with amalgam fillings by the World Health Organization Scientific Panel on Mercury was 3 to 70 micrograms per day3, with other medical studies finding up to 200 ug/day in gum chewers or people who grind their teeth6,11,16,17,18. The average exposure was above 10 ug/day3-18. The average mercury exposure for a Canadian adult with amalgam fillings was found in the Health Canada study to be 9 ug/day2. In a large German study with 20,000 tested subjects at a University Medical Clinic, the average exposure from fillings was over 10 ug/day and over 50 % of all those with 6 or more amalgam fillings had daily exposure exceeding the EPA health guideline17. Studies have consistently found modern high copper non gamma-two amalgams have greater release of mercury vapor than conventional silver amalgams21-23. Recent studies have concluded that because of the high mercury release levels of modern amalgams, mercury poisoning from amalgam fillings is widespread throughout the population"17,22,18. Common levels found in persons with amalgam fillings are over 10 times the Health Canada TDE, and more than the EPA health standard for mercury vapor. Thus persons with amalgam fillings have levels of intraoral mercury vapor and body exposure levels higher than the level considered to have significant health risk. The studies found that Total mercury intake is proportional to the number and extent of amalgam surfaces, but other factors such as chewing gum and drinking hot liquids influence the intake significantly increasing exposure as much as 500%. ). A World Health Organzation Scientific Panel concluded that a safe level of mercury exposure below which no adverse effects occur has never been established3. >ZZzz. > >Poisoning proven by high mercury levels is far from imagined > >Neurological as in PN comes with poisoning from amalgams. ...and causes lack of break dancing skills .... >Subject: Re: Legal Position of the ADA >From: clintonz@prodigy.net [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > >http://www.cfspages.com/apical.html Pictures don't lie. http://www.cfsn.com/maz/ Jan I agree Steve .... 100% Joel >clint...@prodigy.net wrote: >> What makes an amalgam tatto disappear? The immune system carries it [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > >Fawks >What makes an amalgam tatto disappear? The immune system carries it >away! An amalgam is just really a lot of amalgam tattos, billions and >trillions of them. I am not certain an amalgam tattoo disappears. The tattoo is below the epidemis ....... while an amalgam restoration is intra-toothal. Look at his pic's. It's a failed apicoectomy (I'm not a big fan of apico's, especially with amalgam). Fawks > You seem willing to wholly dismiss the fact that your case is not > representative of how the vast majority will respond to this material. I [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > T > Look at his pic's. It's a failed apicoectomy (I'm not > a big fan of apico's, especially with amalgam). > > Fawks I wasn't sure if those were his pictures, as they appear on a web site of a company selling nutritional supplements..I think it is the tooth of the guy that runs the company...look here http://www.cfsn.com/maz/. I agree it looks like a root undergoing resorption and a poorly condensed (aren't most?) apical fill. Not a big fan of the apico either...too many failures, and too many better alternatives. Why be a hero and risk losing bone, when an implant NOW might offer a far better long term prognosis. T http://www.testfoundation.org/adaamalgam.htm The American Dental Association and Mercury "Silver" Amalgam The legal position of the American Dental Association (ADA) on the safety of mercury containing dental amalgam and the use of the material by dentists in the United States was recently stated as follows: "The ADA owes no legal duty of care to protect the public from allegedly dangerous products used by dentists. The ADA did not manufacture, design, supply or install the mercury-containing amalgams. The ADA does not control those who do. The ADA's only alleged involvement in the product was to provide information regarding its use. Dissemination of information relating to the practice of dentistry does not create a duty of care to protect the public from potential injury". Source: Legal brief filed in 1995 by attorneys for the ADA in W.H. Tolhurst vs. Johnson and Johnson Consumer Products, Inc.; Engelhard Corporation; ABE Dental, Inc.; the American Dental Association, et al., in the Superior Court of the State of California, in and for the County of Santa Clara, CA, Case No. 718228. This legal position adopted by the ADA seems to contradict the organization's publicly stated mission. According to their own web site (www.ada.org): "The ADA is the professional association of dentists dedicated to serving both the public and the profession of dentistry. The ADA promotes the public's health through commitment of member dentists to provide quality oral health care, accessible to everyone. The ADA promotes the profession of dentistry by enhancing the integrity and ethics of the profession, strengthening the patient/dentist relationship and making membership the foundation of successful practice. The ADA fulfills its public and professional mission by providing services and through its initiatives in education, research, advocacy and the development of standards." Somehow the ADA's stated mission of promoting public health does not require the organization to protect the public even when their own member dentists are following ADA guidelines and standards of care for the use of mercury containing dental amalgams. For the uninformed public, most dental amalgam contains approximately 50% elemental mercury by weight (see amalgam composition) To find out what the ADA "really meant" by its statements regarding the use and safety of dental amalgam in the Tolhust case see http://www.ada.org/prac/position/bioprobe.html In contrast to what they say, the American Dental Association has endorsed Crest toothpaste and at least 1,300 other products. (NYT, 8/13/97) according to the Integrity in Science project of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a non-profit group in Washington, D.C. CSPI is funded largely by its many members and somewhat by philanthropic foundations; CSPI receives no corporate or government funds. The project is directed by Ronald Collins (r...@cspinet.org).. http://www.cspinet.org/integrity/corp_funding.html. In the class-action lawsuit recently brought by 500,000 smokers in Florida against the tobacco industry, Robert Heim, the lead attorney for Philip Morris, stated the tobacco industry could not be held accountable for the health consequences caused by cigarettes because of the following: "The basic common sense of the American people for the most part is: You knew the risk, you took the choice and you should be responsible".* *Source: Associated Press article, dated 10/20/98, written by Tracy Fields. Maybe someone should ask the American people these same three questions concerning the health consequences resulting from the mercury released from dental amalgam fillings. Did you know there was a risk? Were you given a choice? Who should be held responsible? What Does the ADA Seal of Acceptance Really Stand For? For more than 125 years, the ADA has sought to ensure the safety and effectiveness of dental products. As early as 1866, an ADA committee prepared a statement on dentifrices (toothpaste). The first Seal of Acceptance was awarded in 1931. Although it is strictly voluntary, about 350 companies participate in the Seal program. The ADA Seal generally is awarded for a three-year period. More than 100 consultants, including members of the ADA's Council on Scientific Affairs and ADA staff scientists, review and declare oral care products safe, effective and worthy of the ADA Seal. The Seal on a product is an assurance for consumers and dentists against misleading or untrue statements concerning a product, its use, safety and effectiveness. http://www.ada.org/public/topics/seal.html Don't remove amalgam fillings, urges American Dental Association The Lancet, Volume 360, Number 9330, 03 August 2002 http://www.thelancet.com/journal/journal.isa The American Dental Association (ADA) has launched a media campaign aimed at discouraging patients from having amalgam [silver-coloured] fillings removed and physicians from recommending the intervention, says Frederick Eichmiller (Paffenbarger Research Center, Gaithersburg, MD, USA). "We're seeing more and more patients with multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, and autism thinking that the conditions can be corrected by removing amalgams. Their physicians don't know how to advise them, and so they say 'go ahead and try it' when the evidence isn't there. So patients are being given false hope, plus there are risks and often huge costs associated with removing and replacing the fillings", he warns. Concerns about amalgam arose in large part because the material contains mercury, explains Eichmiller. But when mercury is mixed with such metals as silver, "it forms a stable alloy, similar to the way that sodium and chlorine--both hazardous in their pure state--combine to form ordinary table salt." Although a "minute" amount of mercury vapour may be released by amalgam fillings as a result of vigorous chewing and grinding, "a person would have to have almost 500 amalgam fillings in his mouth to see subtle symptoms, even if he were the most mercury-sensitive patient", asserts Eichmiller. The ADA Code of Ethics prohibits member dentists from telling patients that removal of any type of dental filling will cure various diseases because such a statement cannot be substantiated scientifically, Eichmiller continues. Furthermore, "every time you remove fillings, you risk damaging the teeth. Each time you replace a filling it has to be a little bit larger. And the more often we surgically intervene on a tooth, the higher the risk of adverse reactions or the need for a root canal. Plus, it could cost tens of thousands of dollars to do this in some cases. So patients are making this large investment and not really seeing any relief", he emphasises. The US National Institutes of Health are 2 years into a 7-year, multicentre clinical trial of children aged 6 to 10 years to see whether any adverse health effects result from amalgam fillings (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov; search on "amalgam"). "Of course, they can't release any findings yet, but they have told us tha |
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