Dental group agrees with FDA and EPA on issue of toxic mercury
A group called the Environmental Dental Association (distinct from the American Dental Association) recently recommended that mercury be banned from use in silver (amalgam) dental fillings. There has been controversy over possible health risks from the chance that this element may leach out of the fillings and into the body. The Environmental Dental Association claims that there is scientific proof that mercury does leach out of the fillings and build up in body tissues, and recommends that dentists inform patient of this risk before using fillings containing mercury. Mercury is known to be toxic, causing adverse effects in the nervous system, kidneys, and other systems. Those who are concerned about mercury in fillings have said that unborn babies may be at special risk, yet women who are currently pregnant or breast-feeding should not have these fillings removed, as that process greatly increases mercury exposure over the short term. The Environmental Dental Association advises all patients receiving new dental fillings to request plastic, porcelain or gold materials, instead of the usual silver fillings. The group believes that the latter will eventually be discontinued because of patient concern. The Food and Drug Administration recently announced that it needs to reevaluate the health risks of amalgam, and may develop new regulations regarding its use. In a related issue, the Environmental Protection Agency has banned the use of mercury in latex paints used inside buildings, and has required the labeling of any exterior paints that contain mercury. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: Holistic Medicine
The 1990 Florida dental investigation: theory and fact
Historical analyses of medical cases may not be able to provide all the details, but their conclusions should not be dismissed because they cannot be proven absolutely. A physician supports the controversial Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) investigation of the case of a Florida dentist who was presumed to have infected six of his patients with HIV. The CDC concluded that the dentist did infect these patients, although it could not determine how. The dentist died before the investigation was completed. The physician refutes the points of the CDC investigation that were questioned on the television show, "60 Minutes,". The CDC may not have included all the data in their investigation, but they proved beyond a reasonable doubt that the dentist was the common source of all the infections.
Publication Name: Annals of Internal Medicine
A tragic reminder about organic mercury
The case of a patient who died from mercury poisoning illustrates that some forms of mercury can be extremely toxic. The patient was exposed to a small dose of dimethylmercury and had taken precautions to prevent skin exposure. Nevertheless, the patient died from nervous system toxicity despite aggressive treatment with drugs called chelators. The US Public Health Service has found that mercury in dental fillings poses no serious health risk but amalgam mercury is in elemental form. Dimethylmercury is an organic form of mercury, which could cause it to be absorbed more easily.
Publication Name: The New England Journal of Medicine
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