When the Cure Is Worse Than the Problem

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Thu, 26 May 2005 10:03:28 -0700 (PDT)

[sSRI-Research] When the Cure Is Worse Than the Problem

 

 

 

 

When the Cure Is Worse Than the Problem

 

by Al Sears, M.D.

 

You probably don't know that your " silver " fillings

(otherwise known as " dental amalgams " ) contain 50%

mercury by weight. And this may be contributing to an

increased risk of a host of diseases, including heart

disease.

 

Let me explain ...

 

Mercury is a powerful neurotoxin, having the deadly

distinction of being more poisonous than arsenic or

lead. Mercury vapors can penetrate human bone and

flesh. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency, less than one gram of mercury is enough to

contaminate a 10-acre lake. If you have 5 to 10

amalgams, you have SEVERAL GRAMS of mercury in your

mouth.

 

For decades, the American Dental Association (ADA) has

claimed that the mercury in a filling is " locked in "

and unable to escape. Yet, when you read their

regulations regarding the disposal of unused dental

amalgam, they advise that it be stored in airtight

containers and treated as a hazardous material!

 

Over the years, a growing mountain of research from

leading universities has continued to show that

mercury does indeed escape from dental fillings - and

it does so with astonishing regularity. Heat,

abrasion, and pressure associated with drinking hot

drinks and chewing gum especially exacerbate (see

" Word to the Wise, " below) this process. In fact, in a

1991 report, the World Health Organization claimed

that dental amalgam is the number one source of human

exposure to mercury.

 

A now famous German study, conducted in 1995 by the

University of Tubingen, found that 43% of the 17,500

participants had a level of mercury in their saliva

that was 10 to 100 times over the acceptable limit.

They also found a statistical correlation between the

mercury concentration in saliva and the number of

amalgam fillings present in each person. In other

words, the more fillings you have, the higher the

concentration of mercury in your saliva. Not

surprisingly, the same correlation has been found in

blood and urine.

 

A year earlier, the United States Public Health

Service (USPHS) published a report by the Agency for

Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) on the

" Toxicological Profile for Mercury. " In their

conclusion, they stated that the mercury exposure from

dental amalgams far exceeded their Minimal Risk Level

(MRL).

 

In the face of this overwhelming information, the ADA

continues to defend dental amalgams by saying that the

current formula has been around for 150 years, so it

must be safe. (So much for scientific findings.)

 

That said, there is strong evidence that good dental

hygiene, in general, contributes to a healthy heart.

 

For openers, studies have shown that people with gum

disease suffer heart attacks more often than those

with healthy gums and teeth. In many cases, the

bacteria in your mouth can invade diseased gums and

enter the bloodstream. This triggers an immune

response, causing inflammation. The chronic infection

activates white blood cells, which can cause arterial

lesions and encourage plaque build-up on the walls of

the artery. This process, known as atherosclerosis,

greatly increases your risk of heart attack and

stroke.

 

In the case of dental amalgams, a group of doctors

discovered a similar phenomenon during a landmark

study in 1998. Researchers implanted dental amalgams

into the teeth of animals. This triggered a rapid

activation of the immune system, with significantly

increased appearance of immune complex deposits in the

vessel walls of the internal organs, including the

heart.

 

The effects of mercury toxicity on the heart are

already well known. Some of these symptoms include

irregular heartbeat, alterations in blood pressure,

pain or pressure in the chest, and an irregular pulse.

 

Fortunately, there is good news for patients with

mercury toxicity and symptoms of heart disease. An

analysis of 1,569 people who had their dental amalgams

removed showed a significant reduction of their

symptoms. Blood pressure was reduced by 54%, chest

pains by 87%, irregular heartbeat by 87%, and

tachycardia by 70%.

 

Needless to say, I have had all the mercury removed

from my mouth. I recommend that you do it too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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