Dentistry is quite a mystery to me.
Until about a year ago, I had no idea it was mercury that is so commonly used to fill our cavities. Mercury can be found is what is called an Amalgam Filling, which is composed of “elemental mercury, silver, tin, copper and possibly other metallic elements,” according to the American Dental Association. It is the most common filling used today, and according to the ADA, also one of the most researched and tested. What that means, I’m not sure. Did the ADA research and test its durability, its safety, or both? What were the conclusions of their studies? I can’t say, but I know the amalgam filling is neither durable nor safe.
Lets take a look at what the World Health Organization has to say about exposure to elemental mercury, the type of mercury being used in these fillings:
“Following exposure to mercury vapor the element is found in blood as physically dissolved elemental mercury. Within a few minutes, the mercury is oxidized to mercuric mercury in the erythrocytes, a reaction catalyzed by the enzyme catalase. Thus, following short term exposure to mercury vapor, the maximum concentration of mercury in erythrocytes is seen after less than one hour, whereas plasma levels peak after about ten hours. Before oxidation, [elemental mercury] readily crosses cell membranes, including the blood-brain and placental barriers. Following oxidation, [its] ions (or complexes) are distributed in the body via blood. The kidneys and the brain are the main targets for deposition of mercury following exposure to mercury vapor; absorbed inorganic mercury salts are mainly deposited in the kidneys.”
I suspect the only place to make the debate about mercury fillings worth having is whether or not the fillings do indeed make their way into our system. The ADA states that although concern has risen over the amalgam’s mercury content, ”the mercury in amalgam combines with other metals to render it stable and safe for use in filling teeth.” As someone who was very susceptible to cavities as a child and has had at least 8 of these fillings, I know this information to be inaccurate. Amalgam fillings are slowly (over the course of years) ground away into vapor as you chew, and thus consumed along with food or breathed into the lungs. But don’t take my word for it: according to this article, the FDA has already admitted this phenomenon. And yet, the FDA says that mercury fillings aren’t harmful (read: the FDA says that the most toxic metal on earth making its way into your body isn’t harmful.) Amazing, isn’t it?
The World Health Organization has admitted the dental amalgam as a major source of mercury contamination in the human body. No matter what kind of silver amalgam filling you receive, they are all 50% Mercury. According to a 1991 study by the W.H.O.,they release 3-17 micrograms of Mercury into the bloodstream everyday. The safe level established by the EPA for Mercury exposure is 10 micrograms/day. Many countries in Europe (as well as Canada) have already banned the use of mercury in dental fillings. (The number of countries varies with the source, but the common countries include Germany, Austria, Norway and Sweden.)
Can we please just agree that putting one of the most toxic elements in our mouth isn’t safe?
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