Finding Dental Products That Are Less Toxic

Some dental products used by dentists are more toxic than others. Dentists have not had the best track record when it comes to the use of non-toxic products in their practice of dentistry. Many dentists still use amalgam, which contains mercury and other heavy metals. It is well worth your time and effort to research what they are going to inject into your blood stream or install into your mouth. Many of these products are carcinogenic and/or leech into your saliva the entire duration of their life in your mouth. Beyond Amalgams, there are materials for fillings, crowns, inlays, onlays, bridges, anesthetics, bonding agents, cements, seals and more. This article is written to let you know you that you can choose less toxic options and avoid dangerous substances such as mercury, and that you can choose the least toxic materials for fillings, crowns, inlays, onlays, bridges, anesthetics, bonding agents, cements, seals and more.

"Currently, dental amalgams are composed of 43% to 54% by weight of mercury and the remaining powder is made up of mainly silver (~20-35%) and some tin, copper (~10%), and zinc (~2%)."

Dr. Cook (http://www.dentistryhealth.com/) has been studying dental health for many many years. What should I know about mercury in fillings? According to Dr. Cook "Mercury (silver amalgam), after being placed in the mouth as a filling, is known to give off damaging toxic fumes while chewing or drinking something hot. Silver amalgam, the most commonly used filling in general dentistry, is largely composed of mercury. See the Material Safety Data Sheet on "MERCURY" that explains the dangers of mercury to patient health."

Mercury Still toxic after all these years...

What should I know about metals in the mouth? According to Dr. Cook "Metals, used to restore or make crowns and bridges for the replacement of teeth, are not good for your health. Often used Nickel beryllium or nickel gallium, is believed to be a related cause of cancer, and patients need to be aware of this issue. Dental gold contains palladium, platinum, silver and other metals, making a gold hard enough to withstand chewing forces. Gold crowns, bridges and inlays are a mixture of 2% and higher pure gold to make an alloy. These metals, along with Mercury amalgams cause an electrical current called galvanic current. Read more by clicking http://www.metalpoison.com

Amalgam Mercury, silver, tin, copper, zinc etc...

World Health Organization (WHO):

"Mercury is highly toxic, especially when metabolized into methyl mercury. It may be fatal if inhaled and harmful if absorbed through the skin. Around 80% of the inhaled mercury vapor is absorbed in the blood through the lungs. It may cause harmful effects to the nervous, digestive, respiratory, immune systems and to the kidneys, besides causing lung damage. Adverse health effects from mercury exposure can be: tremors, impaired vision and hearing, paralysis, insomnia, emotional instability, developmental deficits during fetal development, and attention deficit and developmental delays during childhood. Recent studies suggest that mercury may have no threshold below which some adverse effects do not occur."

"Dental amalgam is the most commonly used dental filling material. It is a mixture of mercury and a metal alloy. The normal composition is 45-55% mercury; approximately 30% silver and other metals such as copper, tin and zinc. In 1991, the World Health Organization confirmed that mercury contained in dental amalgam is the greatest source of mercury vapour in non-industrialized settings, exposing the concerned population to mercury levels significantly exceeding those set for food and for air. (Source: http://www.who.int/ipcs/publications/cicad/en/cicad50.pdf)"

Treatment Options: (DAMS)

According to an article on the DAMS web site: The most important thing is to determine toxic exposures and eliminate or reduce the exposure. If mercury from amalgam is a problem, it is extremely important to get work done by a specially trained dentist who uses protective equipment to reduce exposure to patient and staff. It is documented that the equipment and training of the dentist makes as much as 90% difference in your mercury exposure when amalgam is being dealt with. See the lists below for dentists with special training and call and ask questions.

It is important to provide proper nutrition and supplements since those with toxicity have high free radical activity and essential mineral imbalances, deficiencies.

People should take a good multivit/min, extra vit C, antioxidants like CoQ10, most need extra magnesium, zinc, etc. and many are deficient in iodine, lithium, etc.

Some options for those with high exposures who need chelation include DMSA(www.vrp.com), N acetyl cysteine(NAC)- available from health food stores, but start with low doses to assess adverse effects and build up if ok, DMPS(by prescription- oral or IV- start low level, especially if weakened system- and lots of nutritional support, Vit C), (Porphrazyme and cilantro- cilantro opens cell membranes to allow passage of mercury, chelators chelate).

New options - Biocleanse or Ioncleanse footbath with ionizer (biocleanse.com or ioncleanse.com)

Homeopathy and The Materia Medica

Homeopathy is such an interesting study. Homeopathy is also a very interesting way to study metal toxicity by symptoms. If you have not read The Materia Medica you will find the book a real treat for your studies. The symptoms presented range broadly, usually for a number of people, and might be symptoms for a proving or a toxic dose or both. Example of a symptom: "Skin.─Yellow colour of the skin, with perspiration which imparts a yellow colour to linen". Here are examples from the Materia Medica by William BOERICKE Merc and Merc from Clarke.

Porcelains Contain

• Cobalt
• Barium
• Cadmium
• Aluminum oxide
• Other metal oxides

ANTIMONY

Is found in a number of non metallic dental materials~concentrations.

TITANIUM IMPLANTS

RELEASE METAL IONS 24 hrs A DAY: Dr. Joseph Mercola mercola.com

LOCAL ANESTHETICS

The products now used by most dentists (lidocaine, prilocaine, procaine) are all compounds containing Analine, an aromatic hydrocarbon used to manufacture rubber, varnishes, photographic chemicals and other pharmaceuticals. Other members of the family include benzene, phenols, hydroquinone and naphthalene. These substances, also used in household products and pesticides, are known to accumulate and damage bone marrow, causing depressed immune function (townsend letter, April 1998). American researcher Dr. Alfred Nickel, who has studied these substances in depth, say that Analine compounds are "well documented" human poisons, classic carcinogens and neuro-toxins.

Non-Dental Mercury:

Elemental mercury is sold in North America under the name “azogue” in stores called “botanicas.” Botanicas are common in Hispanic and Haitian communities, where azogue may be sold as a herbal remedy or for spiritual practices. The elemental mercury is often sold in capsules or in glass containers. It may be placed in a sealed pouch to be worn on a necklace or carried in a pocket, or it may be sprinkled in the home or car. Some store owners may also suggest mixing azogue in bath water or perfume, and some people place azogue in devotional candles. The use of elemental mercury in a home or apartment not only threatens the health of the current residents, but also poses health risks to future residents who may unknowingly be exposed to further release of mercury vapours from contaminated floors, carpeting, or walls.

Clean Dental Materials:

Radicalmedicine.com offers a Clean Dental Materials List that is very helpful for choosing better dental products. Additional advice from radicalmedicine.com: "It is important to always be conservative and leave the tooth as intact as possible. Thus, the best holistic dentists will avoid crowning a tooth until it is absolutely necessary. For example, when a regular filling is no longer sufficient, first an inlay should be considered. If that is not sufficient than a larger onlay may be necessary. Finally, if these restorations are not enough, then a crown should be placed--but only as a last resort. Therefore, always consider getting a second opinion if your dentist doesn't offer inlays or onlays, but immediately recommends crowns to replace your fillings. (And similarly, also always get a second opinion if your dentist recommends a root canal.)"

* A least toxic Crown, Bridge, & Veneer material, Premise Indirect, known also as Bell Glass, now Contains a Fruity Ester Odor from some providers.

LINKS

1IAOMT International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology.

2Dentistryhealth.com: PDF By Dr. Cook.

3DAMS: Dental Amalgam Mercury Syndrome.

4Eco: http://ecodentistry.org.

5Mint: http://www.mintdentalworks.com.

6WHO: Mercury In Health Care.

7National Health Federation: Amalgums Banned In Norway.

8Wikipedia: Amalgam.

9IAOMT: Mercury Toxicity Presentation and Treatment.