Generally, when a person has a true mercury toxicity, I've read they can experience neurological symptoms. Now, I don't kow for sure, but it would be really coincidental for these mercury-caused problems to pop up just as we are also experiencing a drop in estrogen and other hormones. And wouldn't men who had a mouthful of fillings (and were sensitive to mercury) begin experiencing these similar menopause symptoms? The mercury thing just has a lot of holes for me.
Anyway, from the site Quack Watch, Stephen Barrett, M.D. states:
"An extensive review published in 1993 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services concluded that 'there is scant evidence that the health of the vast majority of people with amalgam is compromised or that removing fillings has a beneficial effect on health.' [11] In January 1998, the American Dental Association Council on Scientific Affairs issued a report on dental amalgam safety, with emphasis on studies that had been published since the 1993 review. The report concluded:
'Millions of people have amalgam restorations in their mouths, and millions more will receive amalgam for restoring their carious [decayed] teeth. Over the years, amalgam has been used for dental restorations without evidence of major health problems. Newly developed techniques have demonstrated that minute levels of mercury are released from amalgam restorations, but no health consequences from exposure to such low levels of mercury released from amalgam restorations have been demonstrated. Given the available scientific information and considering the demonstrated benefits of dental amalgams, unless new scientific research dictates otherwise, there currently appears to be no justification for discontinuing the use of dental amalgam [12].'"
I printed this because I am such a worrier and didn't want other women to start worrying needlessly. We need to be aware of some less than ethical and "fringe" practitioners out there who might try to scam us. But it's a good idea, as you say, to get checked out by a physician on all levels, including heavy metal testing. I'm certainly not saying this toxcity does't exist, and I'm sure some people are more highly sensitive to these toxicity problems, and may need treatment.
I wish you the best with your health concerns, Crow.
There are also a whole host of physical and psychological disorders / conditions that can cause so many of the symptoms women experience during menopause. It's been my experience in communicating with tens of thousands of women that in most cases it's menopause that is causing the symptoms.
However, as you said in your message, My point: get checked out on all levels before you blame all of your physical, mental, and emotional problems on menopause, this is the number one caution always given by Power Surge and included in the Power Surge Disclaimer -- In all health-related issues, Power Surge encourages women to seek the advice of their personal physician or health care provider. With special regard to menopause, one's doctor or other health professional should always be consulted before attributing physical and/or psychological complaints to menopause.
Dearest
The American Dental Association ADMITS that mercury is a poison; ADMITS that mercury leaches out of fillings; ADMITS that mercury is a hazardous material that must be handled by your dentist with the utmost care BEFORE it is placed in your mouth; and ADMITS that AFTER a mercury filling is removed from your mouth, it is hazardous waste that must be disposed of according to regulations set forth by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
It seems, according to the ADA, that the only safe place for mercury is in your mouth !
I, like many patients, dentists, and physicians understand why the ADA has taken this view. If the ADA were to admit that mercury does cause physical harm, the resulting flood of litigation would make the tobacco lawsuits look like small claims court.
If you have doubts about mercury toxicity, I invite you to do the following:
Ask your dentist if he uses mercury fillings in his own mouth - and in the mouths of his children.
Next time you are having a silver filling placed in your mouth, ask the dentist if you can look at the filling material, hold it in your bare hand, after it is mixed, but before it is placed in your tooth.
Ask yourself . . . if mercury fillings are safe, why does California law require the following warning to be posted in all dentists' offices? WARNING: THIS DENTAL OFFICE USES AMALGAM FILLING MATERIALS WHICH CONTAIN AND WILL EXPOSE PATIENTS WHO USE THEM TO MERCURY, A CHEMICAL KNOWN TO THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TO CAUSE BIRTH DEFECTS AND OTHER REPRODUCTIVE HARM. PLEASE CONSULT YOUR DENTIST FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Ask yourself . . . if mercury fillings are safe, why has Germany outlawed its use? Ask yourself . . . if mercury fillings are safe, why did the Swedish Council for Planning and Coordinating Research, (commissioned by the Swedish Government to review the literature on amalgams) state that MERCURY FROM AMALGAM MAY DAMAGE THE BRAIN, KIDNEYS AND THE IMMUNE SYSTEM OF A GREAT NUMBER OF PEOPLE. THE EFFECTS IN FETUS AND CHILDREN ARE OF MOST CONCERN. (February 19, 1998).
Ask your dentist if you can see the Materials Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) on mercury amalgam. Dentists are required by federal law to keep this information on file and must allow you to read it.
Ask yourself . . . if mercury is so safe, why is there a Bill before the U.S. Congress right now to ban the use of mercury in dental fillings in the U.S.?
Obviously, I could go on and on. But I will spare you more details. Instead, I have attached a list of resources that you can use to conduct your own research into this very important issue. One last thought . . . to those of you who have silver mercury amalgam fillings in your mouth, I ask you, were you ever given a choice? Were you ever told that there was even a possibility of a health risk? Were you ever told that there are alternative filling materials? There are. And now you know.
P.S. Men too suffer from mercury poisoning.
These are just SOME of the resources available:
WEB SITES:http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts46.htmlTHIS IS A U.S. GOVERNMENT WEBSITE. SEE WHAT OUR OWN GOVERNMENT SAYS ABOUT THE TOXICITY OF DENTAL MERCURY, AND YET THE FDA ALLOWS MERCURY TO BE PLACED IN OUR MOUTHS!
http://www.iaomt.org/index.htmlhttp://www.bioprobe.com/http://www.algonet.se/~leif/AmFAQigr.htmlhttp://www.tf.nu/indexeng.htmlhttp://www.talkinternational.com/legal_registry_mercury.htmhttp://www.lichtenberg.dk/http://www.thorne.com/townsend/oct/mercury.htmlhttp://info.ki.se/index_en.htmlhttp://diss.kib.ki.se/1998/91-628-2791-X/
BOOKS:What You Don't Know May be Killing You, by Don Colbert, M.D.
Tooth Truth, by Frank J. Jerome, D.D.S.
150 Years of Amalgam by Fredrik Berglund, M.D., Ph.D.
ABC's of Mercury Poisoning from Dental Amalgam Fillings Handbook for Victims of Mercury Poisoning by Mats Hanson, Ph.D.
Chronic Fatigue - Poisoned By The Mercury In Your Mouth? by Annika and John McClintock and Christer Malmström DDS
Dental Mercury Detox (2001 Edition) by Sam Ziff, Michael F. Ziff, D.D.S., and Mats Hanson, Ph.D.
Dentistry Without Mercury by Sam Ziff and Michael F. Ziff, D.D.S.
Does Mercury From Dental Amalgams Influence Systemic Health? by Gary A. Strong, D.D.S.
Environmental Health Criteria 118: Inorganic Mercury by Published by the World Health Organization Geneva, 1991.
How To Save Your Teeth, 2nd Edition by David Kennedy, D.D.S.
Infertility & Birth Defects - Is Mercury From Silver Dental Fillings A Hidden Cause? by Sam Ziff and Dr. Michael F. Ziff
Mercury Bibliography by Mats Hanson, Ph.D.
Mercury Bibliography Update by Mats Hanson, Ph.D.
Mercury Poisoning from Dental Amalgam - A Hazard to Human Brain by Patrick Störtebecker, M.D., Ph.D.
Oral Health and Heart Disease by Sam Ziff and Michael F. Ziff, DDS
Silver Dental Fillings - The Toxic Time Bomb (1994 Revised Edition) by Sam Ziff
Solving The Puzzle of Mystery Syndromes by Mary Davis, DAMS of Des Moines, Iowa(DAMS is an organization for people suffering from Dental Amalgam Mercury Syndrome).
The Key To Ultimate Health by Ellen H. Brown, JD & Richard T. Hansen, DMD,FACAD
The Law and Mercury-Free Dentistry by Pamela D. Ousley
The Missing Link? - A Persuasive New Look At Heart Disease As It Relates To Mercury by Michael F. Ziff, D.D.S. and Sam Ziff
WHOLE BODY DENTISTRY - Discover the Missing Piece to Better Health by Mark A. Breiner, D.D.S. with introduction by Robert C. Atkins, M.D.
Amalgam Illness, Diagnosis and Treatment : What You Can Do to Get Better, How Your Doctor Can Help by Andrew Hall Cutler
Uninformed Consent : The Hidden Dangers in Dental Care by Hal A. Huggins, Thomas E. Levy
It's All in Your Head: The Link Between Mercury Amalgams and Illness by Dr. Hal Huggins
Mercury-Free: The Wisdom Behind the Global Consumer Movement to Ban 'Silver' Dental Fillings by James Earl Hardy, et al
The Mercury in Your Mouth: The Truth About 'Silver' Dental Fillings by Quicksilver Associates
Elements of Danger: Protect Yourself Against the Hazards of Modern Dentistry, by Dr. Morton Walker, Julian Whitaker
Toxic Metal Syndrome by Dr. Casdorph, et al. Whole-Body Dentistry: Discover The Missing Piece To Better Health by Mark A. Breiner, D.D.S., Robert C. Atkins MD (Introduction)
Amalgam Illness, Diagnosis and Treatment: What You Can Do to Get Better, How Your Doctor Can Help, by Andrew Hall Cutler
HOW TO FIND A MERCURY-FREE DENTIST:International Academy of Oral Medicine and ToxicologyFoundation for Toxic Free DentistryP.O. Box 608531Orlando, Florida 32860-8531407-298-2450
The Academy of Biological DentistryP.O. Box 856Carmel Valley, California 93924831-659-5385
Environmental Dental Association1-800-388-8124
*** Board Moderator Note: Some commercial websites have been removed. For more information, please contact the author or this post.
Of course some people do get mercury poisoning. I'm sorry that you're one of them.
Interestingly, the government site didn't list dental fillings as something to avoid.
Carefully handle and dispose of products that contain mercury, such as thermometers or fluorescent light bulbs. Do not vacuum up spilled mercury, because it will vaporize and increase exposure. If a large amount of mercury has been spilled, contact your health department. Teach children not to play with shiny, silver liquids.
Properly dispose of older medicines that contain mercury. Keep all mercury-containing medicines away from children.
Pregnant women and children should keep away from rooms where liquid mercury has been used.
Learn about wildlife and fish advisories in your area from your public health or natural resources department.
The EPA has set a limit of 2 parts of mercury per billion parts of drinking water (2 ppb).
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has set a maximum permissible level of 1 part of methylmercury in a million parts of seafood (1 ppm).
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has set limits of 0.1 milligram of organic mercury per cubic meter of workplace air (0.1 mg/m3) and 0.05 mg/m3 of metallic mercury vapor for 8-hour shifts and 40-hour work weeks.
Best of luck to you - I hope that you're able to feel better soon, now that you know what the problem is. That's half the battle - figuring out the problem!
(Edited by DesRothchild at 3:38 pm on Sep. 23, 2002)
THIS IS A DIRECT QUOTE FROM THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL WEBSITE: (http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts46.html) "Exposure to mercury occurs from breathing contaminated air, ingesting contaminated water and food, and having dental and medical treatments. Mercury, at high levels, may damage the brain, kidneys, and developing fetus."
FROM THE SAME CDC WEBSITE:"How might I be exposed to mercury?
Eating fish or shellfish contaminated with methylmercury.
Breathing vapors in air from spills, incinerators, and industries that burn mercury-containing fuels.
Release of mercury from dental work and medical treatments . . . "
AS TO DesR's QUESTION:WHY WOULD DENTISTS DO THIS TO PEOPLE?
Dr. Don Colbert, M.D. probably says it best in his book, What You May Not Know May Be Killing You:
"The American Dental Association endorses mercury REMOVAL only in cases of cracks, chips, leaks or other structural problems. In my opinion, this raises the question as to why. Why is the second most toxic metal on earth still the most common material used to fill teeth today? I believe one of the reasons the ADA still supports amalgam fillings is because of the possible threat of lawsuits, which could affect them similarly to the tobacco industry. If the individual dentist recommends removal of amalgam fillings for reasons other than structural, he could face stiff fines or even the loss of his license to practice dentistry."
IN MY PERSONAL OPINION, I BELIEVE THERE ARE A FEW OTHER REASONS WHY DENTISTS STILL FILL TEETH WITH POISONOUS METAL: 1) IGNORANCE OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH; 2) HABIT; 3) GREED; AND 4) FEAR OF THE PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL CONSEQUENCES IF THEY FACE UP TO THE TRUTH.
DENIAL is a very effective psychological tool that allows people (even dentists) to believe whatever is convenient, familiar, and comfortable - even in the face of powerful evidence to the contrary.
I don't pretend to have all the answers. I am a victim of my dentist's failure to warn of the potential toxicity of mercury fillings. Perhaps other women can be helped by my experiences. I wanted to share what I have learned in order to help someone else. In that way, perhaps all my years of suffering will not have been in vain.
So, why am I being treated in a disrespectful manner here?
And to you, DesR: Why did you send a caustic email to me personally that contained words not included in your post on these boards? That's low.
And, yes, I did read the beginning of the article. I had been commenting only on what was said to avoid and what else could be responsible, not the entire article or other links.
As I said before...best of luck to you - I hope that you're able to feel better soon, now that you know what the problem is. That's half the battle - figuring out the problem!