Metal Fillings in Your Mouth Could Make You Really Sick
Silver (amalgam) fillings were first used in 1800 in France, and they are still used worldwide today. In fact, they are such a darling of dentists- cheap to produce and cost effective- that you?ll not likely find a dentist who will admit that the material placed in your mouth is the cause of many diseases and disorders. Silver (amalgam) filling is dangerous and life-threatening, because it contains mercury-?54 percent mercury.
What is amalgam?
Amalgam is a combination of metals that has been the most popular and effective filling material used in dentistry for the last 150 years. Although it sometimes is called “silver amalgam,” amalgam actually consists of a combination of metals. These include silver, mercury, tin and copper. Small amounts of zinc, indium or palladium also may be used.
Why is mercury used in amalgam?
Mercury is used in amalgam because it helps make the filling material pliable. When it is mixed with an alloy powder, it creates a compound that is soft enough to mix and press into the tooth. But it also hardens quickly and can withstand the forces of biting and chewing.
Why the concern about mercury in amalgam?
Mercury is a metal that occurs naturally in the environment. Mercury can exist as a liquid, as in many thermometers. When heated, it becomes a gas. It also can be combined with many other materials.
Everyone is exposed to mercury through air, drinking water, soil and food. Concerns have been raised, for instance, about the amount of mercury building up in fish as a result of pollution. Mercury enters the air from industries that burn mercury-containing fuels. Mercury from all sources can build up in body organs.
Discover more about mercury and how you can get this toxic, bioaccumulative substance from your dentist through our infographic” Mercury Dental Fillings: By the Numbers.” Use the embed code to share it on your website.
As with most substances, the degree of harm caused by mercury in the body is related to the amount. Very low levels don’t cause any ill effects. At higher levels ? for instance, when workers are exposed to mercury through their jobs ? mercury can cause several symptoms. These include anxiety, irritability, memory loss, headaches and fatigue.
The controversy over amalgam centers on how much mercury fillings released and how much the body absorbs. In the past, amalgam fillings were thought to be inert. This would mean that no mercury was released once the filling was placed in the tooth. In recent years, sophisticated tests have changed this view. Mercury, in the form of vapor, can be released as the amalgam filling wears.
A single dental amalgam filling may release as much as 15 micrograms of mercury per day. The average individual has eight amalgam fillings and could absorb up to 120 micrograms of mercury per day. In contrast, eating mercury-tainted seafood will expose you to about 2.3 micrograms per day — and that alone was enough for scientists to call for a worldwide warning back in 2006.
Thankfully many experts explain how extremely dangerous and irresponsible it is for dentists to use cheap mercury fillings (that?s right- over 50% mercury admits the FDA right on their site!) and most responsible dentists (say experts) have stopped using cheap poison to save a buck and risk their patients? health.
This conventional way of doing things has contributed to an increase in chronic fatigue (some believe the biggest cause is mercury in the oral cavity), emotional instability, depression, birth defects, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer?s disease, and many other degenerative diseases. Yet?many dentists and the World Health Organization have denied claims that point to the dangers of these fillings.
The first person to question their safety was Dr. Hal Huggins. He said that even the slightest amount of mercury in the human body could be life-threatening. It will come as no surprise that he was immediately in conflict with most of his colleagues.
?To explain his theory, he gave the example of an experiment that involved egg cells. When the egg cells came in contact with mercury, the cells failed to connect with the uterus, although the fertilization was effective. Huggins claimed that the mercury in the oral cavity emits gases 24 hours a day, which can be the cause of many life-threatening diseases.
Huggins dedicated his life to providing free assistance to people who are poisoned with mercury from the amalgam fillings in their teeth. After publishing his study, and the truth about silver fillings came out, he was fired and went through a lot of harassment, but he remained loyal to his mission.?
If you have filings or someone you love does, take the time to educate yourself and even have them removed as quickly as you can. Also, if you have time, check out this ITV special on the subject:
