On Amalgam, broadcast by the BBC.

Title : POISON IN THE MOUTH : Broadcast June 1994.

I realise that the quality of TV coverage on scientific issues such as
these is variable, however this program presented studies from the World
Health Organization (W.H.O), and other quality sources. In the program's
opening statement: "Mercury is so toxic that at certain levels, it drives
people mad, but even the tiniest amounts are regarded as unsafe. At lower
levels, and no-one knows how low they are, mercury attacks the brain, and
the central nervous system, producing symptoms that include nervousness
and irritability, lack of concentration, loss of memory and self
confidence, mood swings, anxiety, depression, fatigue and insomnia.
Because there can be other causes for these symptoms, nobody has
associated amalgam with it"

Dr Lars Friburg is probably the worlds leading authority on mercury
poisoning, and was chief advisor to the World Health Organization on
mercury safety. He is the author of recognised standard textbooks on the
subject. Upto this point in time, he has remained neutral in the debate -
however he has carried out intensive research into the subject, and has
arrived at a conclusion. When interviewed on the program he states that
there is NO safe level, and that he is of the opinion that amalgam should
not be used. The program then quotes research conducted 10 years ago, that
showed that mercury is NOT safely locked into the amalgam, but leaks away.
Electron microscope pictures of old fillings showed holes where the
mercury has evaporated - typically 40% of the mercury can be released over
a ten year period. Picking up on this research, Fritz Lorscheider
(Professor of Medical Physiology at University of Calgary) and Murray Vimy
(World Health Organization consultant) conducted an experiment, where a
Sheep was give amalgam fillings prepared with a radioactive isotope of
mercury that shows up on X-rays. It was shown that large amounts of the
mercury leaked and was absorbed by the body. Dental experts raised an
objection - a sheep chews and grinds its food a lot more that a human - so
the research was re-conducted with monkeys, with the same results. They
found that the mercury actually damaged the kidneys of the sheep. [My note
- if anything humans are put at greater risk of exposure than the sheep in
this experiment - humans can have thier amalgams drilled/replaced
continously over a 70 year lifetime.] Murray Vimy was asked "When you look
at all the current scientific evidence, what do you think its trying to
tell you?" He replied "It tells me very succinctly that there is a chronic
low-dose exposure to a toxic heavy metal that 80-85 percent of the
industrialised world have implanted in their teeth, and its a situation of
timed-release poisoning."

Professor Vasken Aposhian, world-renowned head at the Dept of molecular
and Cellular biology of the University of Arizona, conducted a study of
humans, using chelating agents (DMSA) to flush mercury from the body of
volenteers. He established that on average two-thirds of the mercury in
the body comes from amalgam fillings - disproving the dentist's claims
that none of the mercury from amalgam is absorbed by the body. Dr David
Eggelston of the University of Southern California, an eminent dentist,
has conducted post-mortem research that showed that dental mercury
accumulated and stayed in the brain - for around 40 years. His research
again confirmed that mercury is released from amalgam fillings. Quoting
him: "My greatest worry would be among children. Children are going to
school, they are being taught things, they are being taught how to handle
everyday situations, they're being given information that we hope they'll
keep in their minds for a better way of life. It is concievable that, as
they're being educated and as they're being trained to do something, their
training will not stay with them as long, they may not be able to do
things as quickly, and therefore they will not be able to be judged
proficient in certain tasks"

Dr Boyd Haley, head of medicinal and biochemistry at the University of
Kentucky is conducting research into the link between dental mercury and
Alzheimer's disease. He is quoted as saying that while he would not like
to specifically say (yet) that mercury causes Alzheimer's disease, there
is no doubt in his mind that low levels of mercury present in the brain
cause neural cell death that causes a dementia similar to Alzheimer's. He
has just made a dramatic breakthrough, that establishes that dental
mercury inhibits the production of vital chemicals (tubilin), leading to
changes identical to the changes that occur with Alzheimer's disease. He
considers that amalgam is a time-bomb. (A quote from him from another
source: "If I was diagnosed as having alzheimers, I would start taking
DMSA (anti-mercury chelator) like it was going out of fashion).

The program then had an interview with Professor Gustav Drasch, of the
University of Munich. He has examined the brains of dead babies and
foetuses and found mercury deposits had appeared in their skulls. He said
"I think the implications are serious. It is a question fo whether or not
we have to restrict the application of dental amalgam for women, not only
of childbearing age, but even before - because if, for instance, a girl of
15 gets an amalgam filling, this filling lies in her mouth for ten years,
all the time releasing some mercury. If this girl gets pregnant, say five
years after she has a mercury filling, the mercury goes to the baby. So
really the question now being discussed in Germany today is, not to forbid
it, but to restrict amalgam fillings for women from, say, 15 to 50 years"

Dr Diana Echeverria, a neuro-toxicologist, has completed a remarkable new
study. It tested the reaction times of Dentists to do specific manual
tasks, and showed losses in manual dexterity and concentration. She is
quoted as saying that the exposure of mercury for patients with a large
number of fillings and Dentists overlap - ie. patients are at the same
risk. The US environmental protection safety limits for mercury vapour are
10 Micrograms per day, yet research shows that fillings contribute between
1 and 29 ug/day - 3 times the limit. Dr Steven Challacombe, Professor of
oral medicine at St Guys and one of Britian's leading dental researchers,
has followed this new research and is not satisfied amalgam is safe. He
believes that further action and research is required by the British
government.

Many countries in the world have now officially banned Amalgam fillings,
including Sweden and some mid-european countries. Other countries seem to
be replacing amalgam by stealth - without actually wanting to admit legal
liability. A number of other studies were quoted however the above
summarises the principle medical arguments put forward by the Program.