Mercury Toxicity
This website is a combination of my own opinions, experiences and information I came across due to recent health issues. It is intended to raise awareness and provide easier access to information available through other sources. It is not a substitute for medical advice. Irene Smith cannot be responsible for any action or lack of action on the part of any individual reading this information. Appropriate advice from qualified practitioners should be sought should you be concerned that you may be experiencing symptoms of amalgam illness. Information included on this site is believed to be accurate. Links to other resources are included and should be read should you be concerned about this issue. Some people have successfully managed their own amalgam symptoms with the support of a sympathetic dentist who has organised safe removal, while others have needed the help and advice of a mercury free dentist. Each individual is personally responsible for their own health should they decide to take further action and Irene Smith cannot be held liable for any choices another makes if the resouces listed are not read and considered.
Mercury poisoning has no typical presentation. Symptoms can range from slight to incapacitating. A person may experience a host of apparently unrelated health issues. Poisoning will accumulate slowly over time, giving a changing symptom picture dependant on where the mercury is active in the body.
The World Health Organisation reports that human studies and experiments on laboratory animals indicates that dental amalgam significantly contributes to the mercury body burden in humans. A study was done by Richardson et al estimating the total mercury exposure on Canadian populations of different age groups. Amalgam was estimated to contribute 50% to the total mercury in adults and 30-42% in other age groups. Mercury in dental amalgam is the greatest source of mercury vapour in non industrialised settings. Contrary to what some dentists may want you to believe, dental amalgam is a potentially significant source of exposure since it can contain up to 50% elemental mercury.
A 2009 consultation by the World Health Organisation concluded that a global ban on amalgam would be problematic for public health and the dental health sector, but advised that a phase down should be pursued. This should include promoting disease prevention and alternatives to amalgam, research and development of cost effective alternatives and education of dental professionals with raising public awareness. Their current data and statistics record they are glad to report this is being implemented in England and Wales.
While the N.I.C.E. guidelines in this country say there is not enough known about mercury toxicity to say whether or not it crosses the palcenta, information from America and other sources state that it most certainly does. The FDA changed their view in 2008 in this area and amended their website to read "Dental amalgams contain mercury, which may have neurotoxic effects on the nervous systems of developing children and fetus." Children are being affected if either parent has amalgam, making them more prone to be affected adversely by the effects of mercury. Dental professionals acknowledge some people will be sensitive to mercury, although the percentage is actually higher than admitted. More importantly dentists were originally taught that once the mercury was the mixed with other filling materials it was "locked" in and could not escape. It is now acknowledged that it does in fact escape. There are many factors that cause mercury to escape from fillings leading to people being poisoned without having a sensitivity to mercury. I felt completely well as any symptoms had either passed or were well controlled by dietary changes. I simply stumbled across a possible connection to the tinnitus I was experiencing and unexpectedly started experiencing mild symptoms of dementia. I've included many links on the resource page if you need to look further into this for yourself. Mercury is a cumulative poison and may give many apparently unrelated symptoms.
Mercury poisoning has no typical presentation. Symptoms can range from slight to incapacitating. A person may experience a host of apparently unrelated health issues. Poisoning will accumulate slowly over time, giving a changing symptom picture dependant on where the mercury is active in the body.
The World Health Organisation reports that human studies and experiments on laboratory animals indicates that dental amalgam significantly contributes to the mercury body burden in humans. A study was done by Richardson et al estimating the total mercury exposure on Canadian populations of different age groups. Amalgam was estimated to contribute 50% to the total mercury in adults and 30-42% in other age groups. Mercury in dental amalgam is the greatest source of mercury vapour in non industrialised settings. Contrary to what some dentists may want you to believe, dental amalgam is a potentially significant source of exposure since it can contain up to 50% elemental mercury.
A 2009 consultation by the World Health Organisation concluded that a global ban on amalgam would be problematic for public health and the dental health sector, but advised that a phase down should be pursued. This should include promoting disease prevention and alternatives to amalgam, research and development of cost effective alternatives and education of dental professionals with raising public awareness. Their current data and statistics record they are glad to report this is being implemented in England and Wales.
While the N.I.C.E. guidelines in this country say there is not enough known about mercury toxicity to say whether or not it crosses the palcenta, information from America and other sources state that it most certainly does. The FDA changed their view in 2008 in this area and amended their website to read "Dental amalgams contain mercury, which may have neurotoxic effects on the nervous systems of developing children and fetus." Children are being affected if either parent has amalgam, making them more prone to be affected adversely by the effects of mercury. Dental professionals acknowledge some people will be sensitive to mercury, although the percentage is actually higher than admitted. More importantly dentists were originally taught that once the mercury was the mixed with other filling materials it was "locked" in and could not escape. It is now acknowledged that it does in fact escape. There are many factors that cause mercury to escape from fillings leading to people being poisoned without having a sensitivity to mercury. I felt completely well as any symptoms had either passed or were well controlled by dietary changes. I simply stumbled across a possible connection to the tinnitus I was experiencing and unexpectedly started experiencing mild symptoms of dementia. I've included many links on the resource page if you need to look further into this for yourself. Mercury is a cumulative poison and may give many apparently unrelated symptoms.