After reading a fair portion of all the stuff about heavy metals, detoxification and the reasoning for replacing your amalgam fillings, I'm starting to doubt the benefit of replacing my amalgam fillings.

I reach this "conclusion" assuming that I continue, permanently, to detoxify myself, e.g., taking chlorella supplement daily.

Here's why:

The total amount of mercury in your body is a function of two effects:

1) the source rate, or supply, of it, and
2) the drain rate, or removal, of it.

Ad (1) - this would be due to your amalgam fillings, consumption of fish, breaking mercury thermometers in your mouth, etc.

Ad (2) - this would be due to your taking mercury detoxifying supplements, such as chlorella, as well as the natural removal/depletion of mercury by your body. Others?

So if the rate of (2) exceeds the rate of (1), then we should be able to keep the mercury level way below the max limit.

No?

There also seems to be some uncertainty about the dynamics of how, and to which degree, mercury enter our body from amalgam fillings, and from fish for that matter.

Though, I have not much doubt in my mind that my "very elevated" mercury level from DoctorsData is in fact from my fillings, which I've had for 25 years!

It remains to be seen how effectively I can remove the mercury by going through the chilation-DMSA detox program, which I just started.

Comments?

Michael

quote:

---

Originally posted by cave76:
Maybe.

Maybe not.

---

Maybe.

Maybe not.

Cave, you heretic. INCOMING!!!!!

But, to the matter at hand: cmichealo, I dunno the answer to your specific question. What I do know is that, when I talked to my dentist about amalgam removal, he said:

1) He'd read some of the literature about mercury leaching from amalgams, pro and con, and was not sure where he stood on the mercury issue but was willing to err on the side of safety (ie, removal).

2)When he had removed old amalgams he'd almost always found decay underneath. For that reason alone, he felt that amalgam replacement was important to overall health.

DMSA while fillings are still in the body is not common practice. First rule in toxicology - eliminate the source of the toxin which are the fillings. Then comes the rest. By taking DMSA you are removing it from the brain only to make room for more to move out of your teeth with the next bite into the brain. Neither makes sense.

I didn't know about the decay under the fillings. That is very interesting. What trouble can this decay give rise to?

Can the mercury leak into the body from inside the tooth (as Gigi sort of implied)?

Gigi, I can see what you're saying if you think that I'm saturated by mercury in my body. But I'm pretty sure I am not. I only had 5 times the accepted level. I'm sure there's room for more...

Thus I have to come to the conclusion that at this point in my life, there's sort of an equilibrium of mercury in my body and that any detoxification program I undertake will only improve the situation...regardless of whether my fillings are replaced or not.

I often think of things in terms of input/output, and I do understand about non-linear systems too, which this mercury thingy could be.

But I just don't see any unambiguous evidence on the benefit of replacing amalgam fillings.

Not trying to start a fight here. Just a skeptic and asking questions.

Will let you know what I learn next week when I see the dentist.

cmichaelo, here is an article about tooth decay and periodontal disease and the risk of stroke.

I don't know what the specific link is between gum disease and decay -- I assume there is one(DocDave, you there?) I decided to eliminate any source of unfriendly bacteria and potential infection that I can.

Plus I can definitely tell you -- my breath smells much better.
Source:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/02/050211090820.htm

Columbia University College Of Physicians And Surgeons
Date:

2005-02-17

Columbia Study Suggests Brushing Your Teeth May Reduce Risk Of Stroke And Heart Attack

NEW YORK, NY, February 2, 2005 - A new study by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center provides the most direct evidence to date that preventing gum disease could significantly improve your chances of avoiding vascular problems.

The study, which appears in the February 8 edition of the American Heart Association's publication Circulation, shows that people with gum disease are more likely to suffer from atherosclerosis - a narrowing of blood vessels that can lead to stroke or heart attack.

Previous studies have suggested a relationship between periodontal disease and vascular disease, but they have relied on surrogate markers for periodontal disease, such as tooth loss or pocket depth. This is the first study to examine the microbiology of periodontal infection and positively connect it to atherosclerosis.

"This is the most direct evidence yet that gum disease may lead to stroke or cardiovascular disease," said Mo�se Desvarieux, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of Epidemiology at Columbia University Medical Center's Mailman School of Public Health and lead author of the paper. "And because gum infections are preventable and treatable, taking care of your oral health could very well have a significant impact on your cardiovascular health."

Columbia researchers measured the bacteria levels in the mouths of 657 people who had no history of stroke or myocardial infarction. They also measured the thickness of the subjects' carotid arteries - the artery that are measured to identify atherosclerosis. The researchers found that people with a higher level of the specific bacteria that causes periodontal disease also had an increased carotid artery thickness, even after taking other cardiovascular risk factors into account.

Desvarieux and his colleagues showed that in these people, atherosclerosis is associated specifically with the type of bacteria that causes periodontal disease, and not with other oral bacteria. They confirmed this by assessing the levels of three different groups of microbes - those that are known to cause periodontal disease, those that are thought to possibly cause periodontal disease, and those that are not connected to the disease. The relationship between atherosclerosis and oral bacteria only existed for bacteria causally related to periodontitis. The research is part of the NIH- funded INVEST (Oral INfections and Vascular Disease Epidemiology STudy) at Columbia University Medical Center and the University of Minnesota and the NINDS-funded Northern Manhattan Study.

According to Dr. Desvarieux, one possible explanation for the link is that the bacteria that cause the gum disease may migrate throughout the body via the bloodstream and stimulate the immune system, causing inflammation that results in the clogging of arteries.

"It is important that we have shown an association between specific periodontal pathogens and carotid artery thickness that is unique and unrelated to other oral bacteria", said Panos N. Papapanou, D.D.S., Ph.D., professor and chair of the Section of Oral and Diagnostic Sciences and director of the Division of Periodontics, Columbia University School of Dental & Oral Surgery, and a co-author on the study whose laboratory performed the periodontal microbiological analysis.

"The measurement of carotid arteries thickness, which has been shown to be a strong predictor of stroke and heart attacks, was performed in our ultrasound lab without knowledge of the subjects' periodontal status to ensure an unbiased evaluation of cardiovascular health," said Ralph L. Sacco, M.D., M.S, associate chair of Neurology, professor of Neurology and Epidemiology, and director of the Stroke and Critical Care Division of the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and a co-author of the study.

"This study is an example of the multidisciplinary alliance of strong epidemiologic design and methods, microbiology and imaging," said Dr. Desvarieux, who is principal investigator of the study. "We will continue to study these patients to determine if atherosclerosis continues over time and is definitively associated with periodontal disease."

Also participating in the study were David Jacobs, Ph.D. professor of Epidemiology at the University of Minnesota, Tatjana Rundek, MD, and Bernadette Boden-Albala, assistant professors of neurology at Columbia and Ryan Demmer, a doctoral student at the University Of Minnesota who works with Dr. Desvarieux.

Thanks for the article. Very interesting. Good luck convincing the ducks about the link between oral health and cardio problems.

I've heard before that poor dental heatlh, wrt bacteria, can cause all sorts of illnesses in the body. I believe it.

The article, however, doesn't address the issue of decay under the fillings, as far as I can tell.

Is the decay under the fillings, i.e. at the tooth interface, bacterial in nature or are we talking about some other sorts of decay, e.g. chemically related?

See http://dentalcarestamford.com/options.htm

and

From http://www.geocities.com/drkhosla1/caries.html:

Decay that is unique to adults:
- Root cavities - As you age, your gums can recede, leaving parts of your tooth root exposed. Since there is no enamel covering your tooth roots, these exposed areas easily decay. Most people over 60 have root cavities as a result of gum disease.
- Repeated decay around existing fillings - Decay can form around existing fillings and crowns. This is because these areas are not as smooth as a natural tooth surface and can decay easier.
- Cavities from dry mouth - dry mouth is present due to a decrease in saliva."

a decay. Thats why they USE fillings.

MErcury has a 15 year half life IN THE BRAIN.

I am not doing this all at once because I too can not afford a biological dentist. My dentist is doing this over a very long period of time, one filling at a time. The original fillings are so deep (bad,bad drill happy dentist from Childhood) that I am having each tooth capped.

We are allowing at least a month or 2 between removals so that the release of mercury, if any, during the proceedure, has time to work it's way out of my system (to some extent). I use green food supplemets, vitamin C and psyllium to help with the detox of anything I might have swallowed. Although, my dentist has all sorts of vacuum things that she uses while doing the removal.

So far, I have not felt worse or better. But, I am happy that my teeth are white instead of metalic. Looking good is always a plus.

I read of a case where a man developed lung problems after having plaque removed due to plaque particles being inhaled during his cleaning!

Hate to think of all those mercury particles floating around in someone who is already immune compromised...

I think the best option would be to have them removed one at a time over time-

I would be interested to know average mercury levels of those without the fillings as compared to those with-

thanks for bring this topic up Michael-

Sarah

The dangers of releasing ADDITIONAL mercury into the system are too great.

It has to be done very, very carefully and a very limited # of doctors are qualified to do this.

It is very expensive if one has a lot of fillings.

IF your bowel is healthy and IF you have enough bile salts, they remove the heavy metals from the body. IF the bowel is not healthy (a common problem with abx use), then the likelihood of mercury being recirculated increases. One word: PROBIOTICS. Get your gut healthy!

We need to ask WHY these harmful metals are pulled from storage or others are stored (Al)in the first place.

When the "good" minerals are depleted, I believe the bad ones surface/show up.

Get your intracellular mineral levels tested at a GOOD lab. Doctor's Data in Illinois is one. There are others. They will also measure the "bad" minerals too. This is done by an easy urine sample that one ships immediately via Fed Ex.

Unfortunately, it will cost you...as insurance does not pick up the cost.

It is worth every cent to know which minerals are low, which ones are high, so you can adjust...and begin the "rebalancing".

Some minerals will chelate (pronounce KEY LATE and means remove) others. Overdoing calcium, over time, will decrease Mg levels. Most acids will do this too (chelate the minerals).

It is a very delicate balance.

P.S. Research chelation *ingredients* in depth. You are going to be blown away. Kelp or cracked cell wall chorella anyone?

I assume the "scattered" or "lost" pieces of amalgam end up in the stomach and subsequently become absorbed during digestion.

But what if you eat a large meal say 1/2 hr before the dentist visit. Wouldn't that trap most of the amalgam pieces in your stomach as it is still half full after the visit?

...and then after the visit you just stick a finger in your mouth.

Voila, amalgam pieces gone. No?