DENTAL
AMALGAM MERCURY SYNDROME ............................ www.dams.cc
DAMS Intl.
1043 Grand Ave, #317. St Paul, Mn, 55105
Mercury Vapor Causes Neurological Developmental
and Behavioral Effects at Lower Levels than Other Forms of Mercury.
1. Mercury
vapor is lipid soluble and has an affinity for red blood cells and Central
Nervous System(CNS) cells.
Mercury vapor is the most significant exposure from dental amalgam
fillings and dental office exposures.
(506,303)
2. Only a
few micrograms of mercury severely disturb cellular function and inhibits nerve growth.
Prenatal or neonatal exposures have been found to have life long
effects on nerve function and other toxic developmental effects.
3. Elemental mercury vapor is more rapidly transmitted throughout
the body than other
forms of mercury and has more toxic effects on the CNS and other parts of the
body.
4. Exposure to mercury vapor causes
rapid transmittal across the blood-brain barrier and
through the placenta of pregnant women to the fetus and significant
developmental effects.
5. Developmental learning and behavioral effects have been found
from mercury vapor at much lower levels than for exposure to methyl mercury.
6. More
people have immune reactions to mercury vapor/inorganic mercury than to methyl
mercury. Immune
reactions to mercury are documented to cause autoimmunity and autoimmune
conditions like chronic fatigue syndrome(CFS),
fibromyalgia, lupus, multiple sclerosis(MS), rheumatoid arthritis, ALS, etc.
7. Mercury vapor and inorganic mercury are methylated
in the body to methyl mercury by bacteria, yeast, and other methyl donors. (53,506,51)
8. Dental amalgam fillings are the largest source of both inorganic
and methyl mercury in most people with amalgam. (506)
Documentation:
There is a lot of misunderstanding about the toxic effects significance
of the various types of mercury people are exposed to: vapor, inorganic, organic(methyl) mercury. The American Dental Assoc., some at
Gov't agencies, and other
researchers have argued that methyl mercury is much more toxic than other
forms, and mercury from fish thus a more important problem than vapor from
fillings. However the pharmakinetics of mercury in
the body is complex and the evidence seems contrary to that.
Mercury vapor may be the biggest problem even for equal exposures, in
addition to the fact it is well documented that mercury from fillings is the
number one source of both inorganic and methyl mercury in most people(506), since elemental and
inorganic mercury in the body are methylized to
methyl mercury by bacteria in the mouth and intestines, and by yeast and other
methyl donors (51,53,54,225). Some people tested who do not eat fish have
been found to have high levels of methyl mercury . An
interesting finding is evidence that indicates that mercury vapor is 10 times
more toxic to the fetal brain than methyl mercury(287,305). Richardson(paper for
Swedish Scientific Panel FRN-1999) has estimated that about 20% of the
population suffers a subclinical impairment of kidney or CNS function related
to amalgam mercury.
Some references from the paper (500) on this are the following:
Mercury
vapor is lipid soluble and has an affinity for red blood cells and CNS cells
(21,303). Only a few micrograms of
mercury severely disturb cellular function and inhibits
nerve growth (175,147,226,255,303,305,149).
Prenatal or neonatal exposures have been found to have life long effects
on nerve function and susceptibility to toxic effects. Prenatal mercury vapor exposure that results
in levels of only 4 parts per billion in newborn rat brains was found to cause
decreases in nerve growth factor and other effects(305). Elemental mercury vapor is more rapidly
transmitted throughout the body than most other forms of mercury and has more
toxic effects on the CNS and other parts of the body according to the World
Health Organization and other studies(38,183,265,282,287).
Exposure to mercury vapor causes rapid transmittal across the
blood-brain barrier and through the placenta of pregnant women to the fetus (38,85,113,146,162,262,
265, 281,287)-much more
damage to the fetus than for maternal exposure to inorganic mercury(265,281,287,38) and significant developmental
effects(305).
The risk of
impact on fetal development from exposure to mercury vapor was pointed out in
the government risk analysis of 1997. Later results pointed out an increased
risk for women who are exposed to mercury in their workplace to give birth to
children that are small compared to the time of pregnancy. Adding to this are
animal experiments indicating a restriction on the development of the brain.
The results of these experiments are a restricted cognitive and motor function.
Such effects fall within the normal variation of the population. These animal experiments
resembles those seen after exposure to methyl mercury. The dose of mercury giving this effect has however
been approx. 10 times lower compared to the dose of mercury giving this effect
when exposed to methyl mercury (4). It is only through epidemiologic
studies, utilizing neuropsychiatric test batteries and possibly neurophysiologic
methods that it is possible to show these effects .
A doctor with extensive experience in
researching and treating mercury toxicity has found
that blocked nerve ganglions are a
common cause of seizures, migraines, and other chronic neurological
problems(5). Based on his
experience Dr. Klinghardt has found that the largest
cause of such conditions are due to dental metals (303). He finds that after treatment to unblock the
ganglions and mercury detox, most patients rapidly recover from such
conditions. Numerous other doctors whom he has trained through seminars and
courses have had similar experience. He finds that mercury vapor from dental
amalgam can cause such ganglion blockages at very low levels of exposure.
Developmental learning and behavioral effects
have been found from mercury vapor at much lower levels than for exposure to
methyl mercury. (287,304,276e,etc.). The OSHA
health standard level for mercury vapor in air is 50% lower than for organic
mercury in air, as is the ATSDR MRL(217).
More people have autoimmune reactions,
related to chronic autoimmune conditions, to mercury vapor/inorganic mercury
than to methyl mercury(60,303,313). Immune reactions to mercury are documented
to cause autoimmunity and autoimmune conditions like chronic fatigue
syndrome(CFS), fibromyalgia, lupus, mutiple sclerosis(MS),
rheumatoid arthritis, ALS, etc.(500,303)
References
(4) Mats Berlin, “Dental Materials and Health” , SOU 2003:53, appendix 2, page 264,
(5) Migraines,
Seizures, and Mercury Toxicity; Klinghardt D. Alternative Medicine Magazine, Issue 21 Dec, 1997 / Jan, 1998. http://www.healingartscenter.com/Library/articles/art10.htm
(21) R.A.Goyer,”Toxic
effects of metals”in: Caserett
and Doull’s Toxicology- TheBasic
Science of Poisons, McGraw-Hill Inc., N.Y., 1993;
(38) Ziff S. and Ziff M. Infertility
and Birth Defects: Is Mercury from Dental Fillings a Hidden Cause?, Bio-Probe, Inc. ISBN: 0-941011-03-8.1987
(51) Methylation
of Mercury from dental amalgam and mercuric chloride by oral Streptococci. Heintz,
Edwardson, Derand, Birkhed Scan. J. Dent.
Res. 1983, 91:150‑152; & W.A.Sellars et al, Univ. Of Texas Southwestern Medical
School, "Methyl Mercury in the Human Mouth from Dental Amalgams",
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Mercuric Chloride by Human Intestinal
Bacteria. Rowland,
Grasso, Davies Experientia. Basel 1975 ,31: 1064‑1065
(53) Guzzi G, Minoia
C, Pigatto PD, Severi G. Methylmercury, amalgams, and children’s health. Environ Health Perspect.
2006; 114:149;
(54) Formation of methyl
Mercury Compounds from
inorganic Mercury . by Chlostridium cochlearium
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(225) S. Yannai
et al, "Transformationss of inorganic mercury by
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by human intestinal bacteria", Experentia,
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mercury common.
www.melisa.org
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al, Maternal-fetal distribution of mercury released from amalgam
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et al, "Health Risks from Increases in Methylmercury
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(175) F. Monnet-Tschudi et al, “Comparison of the
developmental effects of 2 mercury compounds on glial
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Clarkson et al, in Biological
Monitoring of Toxic Metals, 1988,Plenum Press, N.Y., “The prediction
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Lorscheider et al, Lancet, 1991, 337,p1103.
(217) Apr 19,1999 Media
Advisory, New MRLs for toxic substances, MRL:elemental
mercury vapor/inhalation/chronic & MRL:
methyl mercury/ oral/acute; & http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/mrls.html
&
Occupational Safety
and Health Administration(OSHA), www.osha-slc.gov/SLTC/pel/
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triggers apoptosis, and potentiates NMDA toxicity in cerebral granule
neurons. Cell Death and Differentiation
1997; 4(4):317-24.
& Goering PL, Thomas D, Rojko JL, Lucas AD.
Mercuric chloride-induced apoptosis is dependent on protein
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Lett 1999; 105(3): 183-95;
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& M.D.Martin et al, “Validity of urine
samples for low-level mercury exposure
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distribution in neonatal cortical areas ...after exposure to mercury vapor",Environmental Research, 1994, 67:196-208.
(304) M.J.Vimy et al, “Mercury from Maternal Silver Tooth
Fillings: a source of neonatal exposure”, Biological Trace Element Research,
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CC, Syed NI, Lorscheider
FL. Retrograde
degeneration of neurite membrane structural integrity
of nerve growth cones following in vitro exposure to mercury. Neuroreport 2001 Mar 26;12(4):733-7
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(500)
B.Windham, Health
Effects of amalgam fillings and results of replacement of amalgam filings. Over 2000 medical
study references(most in Medline)
documenting common high mercury exposures from amalgam, mechanisms by which
mercury causes over 30 chronic conditions, and that vapor from amalgam is the
most dangerous form of mercury to the fetus, along with results of approx. 60,000 clinical cases of those
conditions of amalgam replacement followed by doctors; www.flcv.com/amalg6.html
(503) Center for Chemical Hazard Assessment, Potential
Occupational Hazards: Dentistry, Syracuse Research, Contract No.210-78-0019,
1980; & Merck Manuel, 14th Edition, p1552.
(506) Leistevuo J et al, Dental amalgam fillings and the amount
of organic mercury in human saliva.
Caries Res 2001 May-Jun;35(3):163-6; & www.myflcv.com/damspr1.html
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National contact person: Bernie Windham berniew1@embarqmail.com 850-878-9024
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