Mercury fillings

Hi folks.

My father has come home from a new dentist with a tale that people with
some sleep disorders have been cured by removal of mercury fillings from
teeth.  He’s got a book by a dentist in Colorado which explains the
theory.

I couldn’t get any more information from him: my father’s organizational
skills rival the U.S. Government for efficiency!  However, I told him
that I would look into it.

Does anybody know what he’s talking about so that I can do some
research.  Just so that you know, I am interested to know whether it
claims to have any efficacy for Narcolepsy (and whether it really does
:)

Thanks
Lynn

24 Responses to “Mercury fillings”

  1. admin says:

    In article <CLypHw….@wti.com> k…@wti.com (Kathy Samec) writes:
    >In article <CLyDHC….@undergrad.math.uwaterloo.ca> ldsto…@undergrad.math.uwaterloo.ca (Lynn Stothers) writes:
    >>My father has come home from a new dentist with a tale that people with
    >>some sleep disorders have been cured by removal of mercury fillings from
    >>teeth.  He’s got a book by a dentist in Colorado which explains the
    >>theory.
    >>I couldn’t get any more information from him: my father’s organizational
    >On another note about mercury fillings. Is there any evidence that
    >mercury fillings are causing immune disorders? Or anything else for
    >that matter.

    Not unless you’re the one person in 100,000 who is allergic to
    mercury.  At least according to Consumer Reports, this notion that
    we’re all being poisoned by our amalgam fillings is 100% crapola and
    is primarily being used by unwitting or unscrupulous dentists to part
    customers with their money.

    >I know a girl who is getting all of her old fillings
    >replaced and is detoxing her system at the same time.

    Oh, "detoxing her system?"  Yeah.  (Sorry, not making fun of you, but
    this whole business of "toxins" is really getting to me lately.  Not
    that there aren’t plenty of toxic substances in this world, but the
    term is being badly abused.)

      — David Wright, Hitachi Computer Products (America), Inc.  Waltham, MA
         wri…@hi.com  ::  These are my opinions, not necessarily Hitachi’s,
         but you’re free to disagree, you poor deluded creature

  2. admin says:

    In article <CLyDHC….@undergrad.math.uwaterloo.ca> ldsto…@undergrad.math.uwaterloo.ca (Lynn Stothers) writes:

    >Hi folks.

    >My father has come home from a new dentist with a tale that people with
    >some sleep disorders have been cured by removal of mercury fillings from
    >teeth.  He’s got a book by a dentist in Colorado which explains the
    >theory.

    >I couldn’t get any more information from him: my father’s organizational

    On another note about mercury fillings. Is there any evidence that
    mercury fillings are causing immune disorders? Or anything else for
    that matter. I know a girl who is getting all of her old fillings
    replaced and is detoxing her system at the same time.

    Thanks


    *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
    Kathi Samec                     – Everything is beautiful and
    Santa Barbara Studios             Nothing hurt.
    k…@wti.com                                        -Stoney Stevenson

  3. admin says:

    Dentists love the mercury scare.  Big bucks in removing
    old fillings.  I don’t believe that there is much
    independent research on old fillings outgassing
    mercury.

    jon

  4. admin says:

    >Dentists love the mercury scare.  Big bucks in removing old fillings.

    >jon

            Pretty big-ass generalization, isn’t that?  (Maybe you think
    other indications of character are dependent upon the profession?)  My
    dad’s a dentist, and while he doesn’t use mercury fillings, he spends
    very little of his time replacing them, and then only if there’s a problem.
    The proportion of people whose chosen profession is dentistry who "love"
    bullshit (if indeed the mercury issue is that) is unknown, unknowable,
    and may be higher or lower than in any other profession.

  5. admin says:

    In article <2kucuvINN…@clam.hi.com>, wri…@clam.hi.com (David Wright) writes:

    |>
    |> Not unless you’re the one person in 100,000 who is allergic to
    |> mercury.  At least according to Consumer Reports, this notion that
    |> we’re all being poisoned by our amalgam fillings is 100% crapola and
    |> is primarily being used by unwitting or unscrupulous dentists to part
    |> customers with their money.

    |>
    |> Oh, "detoxing her system?"  Yeah.  (Sorry, not making fun of you, but
    |> this whole business of "toxins" is really getting to me lately.  Not
    |>
    |>   — David Wright, Hitachi Computer Products (America), Inc.  Waltham, MA
    |>      wri…@hi.com  ::  These are my opinions, not necessarily Hitachi’s,
    |>      but you’re free to disagree, you poor deluded creature

    Sure, Dave, start the day with a little spot o’ mercury.  (Sorry, not making
    fun of you, but people who a. get their health info from Consumer Reports and
    b. make light of mercury as a toxin are getting to _me_ lately, as is the
    overall presence of AMA-doctrinaire noise on this "alternative" newsgroup.)  

    Using Consumer Reports for info about health practices, esp. alternative, is
    like using Rush Limbaugh as your primary expert on social programs.

    r flood

  6. admin says:

    wri…@clam.hi.com (David Wright) writes:
    >>I know a girl who is getting all of her old fillings
    >>replaced and is detoxing her system at the same time.
    >Oh, "detoxing her system?"  Yeah.  (Sorry, not making fun of you, but
    >this whole business of "toxins" is really getting to me lately.  Not
    >that there aren’t plenty of toxic substances in this world, but the
    >term is being badly abused.)

    Last month in Guitar for the practicing Musician, they interviewed a guy
    named Jason Becker. Becker was a hot young guitarist and fast risin in the
    buisiness until he was diagnosed with ALS in 1991. In the article, he said
    he went to a clinic where all your fillings are removed as a way to treat
    ALS. He knew of someone who had her fillings yanked and improved.

    That failed him, but chelation therapy (EDTA, I assume) is helping.
    Chelation forcably removes accumulated metals in the system. So, there
    were two instances where he talked about metals causing ALS.

    (not taking sides in this argument, just repeating what I read)

    Andy Patrizio           |   Those too intelligent for politics are doomed
    a…@shell.portal.com       |   to be governed by someone dumber than them.

  7. admin says:

    In <2kucuvINN…@clam.hi.com>, wri…@clam.hi.com (David Wright) writes:

    >In article <CLypHw….@wti.com> k…@wti.com (Kathy Samec) writes:

    > >mercury fillings are causing immune disorders? Or anything else for
    > >that matter.

    > Not unless you’re the one person in 100,000 who is allergic to
    > mercury.  At least according to Consumer Reports, this notion that
    > we’re all being poisoned by our amalgam fillings is 100% crapola and
    > is primarily being used by unwitting or unscrupulous dentists to part
    > customers with their money.

    I’ve been told that in many European countries have banned
    amalgam fillings.  Is this true? (Any Europeans out there?)
    Is so, perhaps it’s not ’100% crapola’ where it’s just a new
    idea!

    >  – David Wright, Hitachi Computer Products (America), Inc.  Waltham, MA
    >     wri…@hi.com  ::  These are my opinions, not necessarily Hitachi’s,
    >     but you’re free to disagree, you poor deluded creature

    Robert W. Greene      -MPfH               ^    / \
    P.O. Box 25148                      /\  /   \ /   \
    Charlotte, NC 28229              _ /  \/     /  ^   \
    (704) 531-7654                  /     /    /  /   \   \
    71754.1…@compuserve.com     /   NHG Inc. New Horizions in
    rwgre…@vnet.ibm.com      /        Software Development
    (Don’t be fooled by the return address, my blue suit is made of denim!)
    +——————————————————————–+
    | When your only tool is a hammer,
    |   you tend to treat everything you find like a nail.
    +——————————————————————–+

  8. admin says:

    In article <2kucuvINN…@clam.hi.com>, David Wright <wri…@clam.hi.com> wrote:
    >Oh, "detoxing her system?"  Yeah.  (Sorry, not making fun of you, but
    >this whole business of "toxins" is really getting to me lately.  Not
    >that there aren’t plenty of toxic substances in this world, but the
    >term is being badly abused.)

    This brings up one of my own beefs re. alternative treatments.  It’s been
    my experience that whenever I experiment with vitamins or herbs and things
    get worse (I know I’m being vague here; ‘worse’ could mean developing a
    rash, getting a fever, losing energy, or any other number of ailments),
    the good folks at my HFS or herb shop invariably say that my body is
    ridding itself of toxins–thus the treatment is "working."  But surely
    there are times when the treatment itself is "toxic" and causing the
    worsening condition.  On the other hand, I’m sure there is something to
    the notion of detoxification and getting worse before getting better
    (this can happen with medication as well as alternative treatments).
    It’s just hard to know what symptoms are detox symptoms and what symptoms
    indicate a bad treatment.

    Dan

  9. admin says:

    Yeah, my dad’s a dentist also, and IMHO (and in MANY of his
    patient’s opinions) on of the best.  He’s also one of the few
    dentists that I know that loves his work.  A true artist that,
    even at 70, works almost a full work week and still attends
    classes to keep current on the latest technology.  The
    opinion expressed in my previous message was his.  One of the
    reasons that he feels dentists are hopping on the filling
    removal bandwagon is cuz there is less and less new filling
    business due to fluoridation…

    jon

  10. admin says:

    Homeopaths use something called "Herring’s Law of Cure" to determine
    if the change in symptoms of an illness indicate whether an illness is
    getting better or worse. Herring’s Law says that the illness is
    getting better if symptoms move from the inside to the outside, from
    above to below, and change from more recent symptoms to symptoms
    experienced in the past. The illness is getting worse if the reverse
    occurs. "From inside to outside" also includes changes from mental and
    emotional symptoms (which are considered interior) to physical
    symptoms.

    Bernie Simon                    Homeopathy: the safer medicine
    (bsi…@stsci.edu)

  11. admin says:

               rwgre…@rwgreene.raleigh.ibm.com "R.W.Greene -MPfH" writes:

    > I’ve been told that in many European countries have banned
    > amalgam fillings.  Is this true? (Any Europeans out there?)
    > Is so, perhaps it’s not ’100% crapola’ where it’s just a new
    > idea!

    I can confirm that they *haven’t* been banned here in the U.K. and are still
    quite widely used, except where cosmetic reasons or a particular reaction
    against the use of mercury dictates otherwise. They do seem to be being phased
    out though.

    Hope that helps,


    Gary Cooper

  12. admin says:

    Rich Flood (r…@letterman.NoSubdomain.NoDomain) wrote:

    : Sure, Dave, start the day with a little spot o’ mercury.  (Sorry, not making
    : fun of you, but people who a. get their health info from Consumer Reports and
    : b. make light of mercury as a toxin are getting to _me_ lately, as is the
    : overall presence of AMA-doctrinaire noise on this "alternative" newsgroup.)  

    : Using Consumer Reports for info about health practices, esp. alternative, is
    : like using Rush Limbaugh as your primary expert on social programs.

    Some of us are NOT reading this in misc.health.alternative.  I’m reading
    it in sci.med.  I suspect that this is because the original poster
    directed follow ups to both groups.  However, if you don’t want all
    us orthodox medical folks to repond to posts in your alternative
    group, then I strongly suggest you pay attention to the follow
    up headers.

    Those who direct posts meant for misc.health.alternative to sci.med
    are practically guaranteeing endless flame wars.

  13. admin says:

    In article 2kucuvINN…@clam.hi.com, wri…@clam.hi.com (David Wright) writes:

    >In article <CLypHw….@wti.com> k…@wti.com (Kathy Samec) writes:
    >>In article <CLyDHC….@undergrad.math.uwaterloo.ca> ldsto…@undergrad.math.uwaterloo.ca (Lynn Stothers) writes:

    >>>My father has come home from a new dentist with a tale that people with
    >>>some sleep disorders have been cured by removal of mercury fillings from
    >>>teeth.  He’s got a book by a dentist in Colorado which explains the
    >>>theory.

    >Not unless you’re the one person in 100,000 who is allergic to
    >mercury.  At least according to Consumer Reports, this notion that
    >we’re all being poisoned by our amalgam fillings is 100% crapola and
    >is primarily being used by unwitting or unscrupulous dentists to part
    >customers with their money.

    This topic is being discussed in Germany since quite a time and I have
    written several notes about that. Recently, the health insurances have admitted that
    mercury amalgam fillings are a health risk even for people who are
    not allergic. Of course, it is true that there are dentists who advise
    their clients to get rid of all the fillings, which gives them a substantial
    amout of $$ the work done, but why should that be bad? I think it is worse
    to get suspicious substances implanted into your mouth.

    –Micha


    Micha Meier                     ————————————————
    ECRC, Arabellastr. 17           The opinions expressed above are private
    D-81925 Munich 81               and may not reflect those of my employer.
    mi…@ecrc.de, Tel. +49-89-92699-108, Fax  +49-89-92699-170

  14. admin says:

    The Medline service lists 1,913 articles on Mercury; more than 100 of
    them concern mercury and fillings alone.

    I have excerpted a few here that tickled my interest;  you people may wish
     to explore further.

    1. Lorscheider FL; Vimy MJ.
         Evaluation of the safety issue of mercury release from dental fillings.
            Faseb Journal, 1993 Dec, 7(15):1432-3.  (UI:  94085716)

    2. Suzuki T; Hongo T; Abe T; Matsuo N; Inoue N.
         Urinary mercury level in Japanese school children: influence of
    dental
         amalgam fillings and fish eating habits.
       Science of the Total Environment, 1993 Aug 31, 136(3):213-27.
         (UI:  94053683)

    Abstract: The influence of dental amalgam fillings and fish eating
    3. Suzuki T; Hongo T; Abe T; Matsuo N; Inoue N.
         Urinary mercury level in Japanese school children: influence of dental
         amalgam fillings and fish eating habits.
       Science of the Total Environment, 1993 Aug 31, 136(3):213-27.
         (UI:  94053683)

    Abstract: The influence of dental amalgam fillings and fish eating frequency on
        the urinary mercury (Hg) level was evaluated in 1642 children (ages: 3-18)
        living in Tokyo. Geometric mean of the urinary Hg level was 1.9 microgram
        Hg/l and 1.9 micrograms Hg/g creatinine (Cr) for boys and 2.1 micrograms
        Hg/l and 2.0 micrograms Hg/g Cr for girls. Multiple regression analysis was
        conducted using: (1) urinary Cr concentration (only in the case of urinary
        Hg expressed as microgram Hg/l); (2) age; (3) gender; (4) number of dental
        amalgam fillings; and (5) fish eating frequency as independent variables.
        As a result, all the variables examined were significant and the
        explanatory powers (square of multiple correlation coefficient) of these
    frequency on variables were 17 or 7% for urinary Hg expressed as microgram Hg/l or
        microgram Hg/g Cr, respectively. Number of dental amalgam fillings or fish
        eating frequency explained only up to 1.5% of the total variance of urinary
        Hg. Contribution of Cr concentration, age and gender to urinary Hg level is
        also discussed.

    4. Siblerud RL; Kienholz E; Motl J.
         Evidence that mercury from silver dental fillings may be an etiological
         factor in smoking.
       Toxicology Letters, 1993 Jun, 68(3):307-10.
         (UI:  93296801)

    Abstract: The smoking habits of 119 subjects without silver/mercury dental
        fillings were compared to 115 subjects with amalgams. The amalgam group had
        2.5-times more smokers per group than the non-amalgam group, which was
        highly significant. Because mercury decreases dopamine, serotonin,
        norepinephrine, and acetylcholine in the brain, and nicotine has just the
        opposite effect on these neurotransmitters, this may help explain why
        persons with dental amalgams smoke more than persons without amalgams.

    5. Von Muhlendahl KE.
         [The toxicity of mercury in amalgam dental fillings].
       Padiatrie und Grenzgebiete, 1992, 31(1):21-5.
         Language:  German.
         (UI:  93288455)
         Pub type:  Journal Article; Review; Review, Tutorial.

    Abstract: 1. A survey on the literature concerning the toxicity of amalgam is
        presented. 2. Opinions from various sources are discussed. It is found that
        there are no conclusive experimental results of clinical importance.
        Existing results on adults cannot be applied to children, who are more
        sensitive to amalgam. 3. Research into the toxicity of amalgam in children
        has begun. Results are expected later in 1992.

    6. Summers AO; Wireman J; Vimy MJ; Lorscheider FL; Marshall B; Levy SB; Bennett
           S; Billard L.
         Mercury released from dental "silver" fillings provokes an increase in
         mercury- and antibiotic-resistant bacteria in oral and intestinal floras
         of primates.
       Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 1993 Apr, 37(4):825-34.
         (UI:  93263657)

    12. Siblerud RL.
          A comparison of mental health of multiple sclerosis patients with
          silver/mercury dental fillings and those with fillings removed.
        Psychological Reports, 1992 Jun, 70(3 Pt 2):1139-51.
          (UI:  92357881)

    Abstract: In this study was compared the mental health status of 47 multiple
        sclerosis patients with silver/mercury tooth fillings (amalgams) to that of
        50 patients with their fillings removed. On the Beck Depression Inventory
        the multiple sclerosis subjects with amalgams suffered significantly more
        depression while their scores on the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory
        indicated the former group also exhibited significantly more anger. On the
        SCL-90 Revised, subjects with amalgam fillings had significantly more
        symptoms of depression, hostility, psychotism, and were more
        obsessive-compulsive than the patients with such fillings removed. On a
        questionnaire containing 18 mental health symptoms multiple sclerosis
        subjects with amalgam fillings reported a history of 43% more symptoms than
        those without amalgam fillings over the past 12 months. These data
        suggested that the poorer mental health status exhibited by multiple
        sclerosis subjects with dental amalgam fillings may be associated with
        mercury toxicity from the amalgam.

    24. Hahn LJ; Kloiber R; Leininger RW; Vimy MJ; Lorscheider FL.
          Whole-body imaging of the distribution of mercury released from dental
          fillings into monkey tissues [see comments].
        Faseb Journal, 1990 Nov, 4(14):3256-60.
          (UI:  91032709)

    Abstract: The fate of mercury (Hg) released from dental "silver" amalgam tooth
        fillings into human mouth air is uncertain. A previous report about sheep
        revealed uptake routes and distribution of amalgam Hg among body tissues.
        The present investigation demonstrates the bodily distribution of amalgam
        Hg in a monkey whose dentition, diet, feeding regimen, and chewing pattern
        closely resemble those of humans. When amalgam fillings, which normally
        contain 50% Hg, are made with a tracer of radioactive 203Hg and then placed
        into monkey teeth, the isotope appears in high concentration in various
        organs and tissues within 4 wk. Whole-body images of the monkey revealed
        that the highest levels of Hg were located in the kidney, gastrointestinal
        tract, and jaw. The dental profession’s advocacy of silver amalgam as a
        stable tooth restorative material is not supported by these findings.

    29. Klemann D; Weinhold J; Strubelt O; Pentz R; Jungblut JR; Klink F.
          [Effects of amalgam fillings on the mercury concentrations in amniotic
          fluid and breast milk].
        Deutsche Zahnarztliche Zeitschrift, 1990 Mar, 45(3):142-5.
          Language:  German.
          (UI:  91078220)

    Abstract: Human amniotic fluid was gained from 95 pregnant women by
        amniocentesis (group 1) and from 20 women during delivery (group 2). The
        concentrations of inorganic mercury in amniotic fluid as assessed directly
        by cold-vapor atomic absorption spectrophotometry (CV-AAS) averaged 0.29
        +/- 0.1 microgram/l in group 1 and 0.86 +/- 0.25 microgram/l in group 2.
        Surface areas of dental amalgam fillings were also estimated in these women
        and ranged between 0 and 930 mm2. There was no correlation between the
        surface area of maternal amalgam fillings and the concentrations of
        inorganic mercury in amniotic fluid (r = -0.122 and -0.069, respectively).
        Furthermore, no positive correlation existed between amalgam fillings and
        the concentration of total mercury in maternal blood (4.48 +/- 2.33
        micrograms/l) and in neonatal blood (3.28 +/- 1.57 micrograms/l) as
        measured by CV-AAS in group 2 (r = -0.4 and -0.12, respectively).
        Concentrations of total mercury were also measured by CV-AAS in the breast
        milk of 86 women, five to ten days after delivery. These concentrations
        averaged 1.9 +/- 1.6 micrograms/l and were also not significantly
        correlated to the maternal amalgam surface areas (r = 0.188). In
        conclusion, maternal amalgam fillings are of no importance for the mercury
        load of the fetus and the neonate.

    31. Wirz J; Ivanovic D; Schmidli F.
          [Mercury loading from amalgam fillings].
        Schweizer Monatsschrift fur Zahnmedizin, 1990, 100(11):1292-8.
          Language:  German.
          (UI:  91089039)

    Abstract: Recently, the dental filling material amalgam has again been a target
        of criticism, especially within the mass media. The controversy has been
        further fueled by the combination of the patients’ desire for fillings to
        match tooth colouring and this latest wave of artificially created fear of
        the poison mercury. The investigation submitted here is seen as a
        contribution toward clearing up the issue of any risk. Using flameless atom
        absorption spectroscopy, blood and urine samples were taken from four test
        groups and examined for their mercury content. Two of the participating
        groups tested (dentists and assistants) were actively processing mercury
        while the other two, one with and one without amalgam fillings, served as
        control groups. In the daily preparation of amalgam, dental staff working
        in the dental office were subject to greater exposure to mercury vapours.
        Their blood readings, therefore, were double those of the control group,
        while their urine readings were much higher than those for people not
        working with mercury. The two control groups (with and without amalgam
        fillings) showed no significant difference in mercury levels, which implies
        that these slight traces of mercury can be attributed to food and the
        environment. Although the mercury readings of the dental office personnel
        were twice as high as that of the control group, there was no threat of
        mercury poisoning for any of the four groups. The continued use of amalgam
        fillings in teeth can be recommended without reservation and at no risk to
        the patient. Particular measures must be taken to guarantee the safety of
        office staff.

    and so on.  I suggest that

    read more »

  15. admin says:

    In article <2l2lijINN…@clam.hi.com>, wri…@clam.hi.com (David Wright) writes:

    |>
    |> So, you’re saying that obviously, the medical establishment is
    |> wrong about everything and nothing they say should be allowed on
    |> m.h.a.  Or would you be willing to make exceptions for cases where
    |> they happen to agree with whatever hobbyhorse you may be on?

    No, but the medical establishment is exactly that, an establishment, with
    the usual politics, human bias, and profit motive built in.  Consequently,
    their science is at times tilted, and then suspect.  Postings that
    point out clear alternative fallacies or dangers are welcomed, but I don’t
    think this is supposed to be an AMA soapbox.  

    My objection is less with your post than with the tendency for
    AMA-robots to fill this group with put-downs that most of us have heard many
    times.  People reading this group are not brainless sheep, so why
    fill the airwaves with articles about how homeopathy or vitamins or herbalism
    or acupuncture are just untested bunk?  This is just annoyance, and probably
    serves to support the stereotype that medical science is full of boring
    doctrinaire pinheads, a common belief among those interested in alternative
    health.  Do the guys out there pummeling Bernie Simon and homeopathy
    realize they’re just making enemies?  

    |>
    |> Mercury is bad for you if you ingest enough of it.  However, the
    |> notion that we’re ingesting enough from our fillings to do us any harm
    |> remains to be proven.

    According to some people who claim to be scientists, the toxicity of DDT
    on humans is also unproven.  There is enough scary "anecdotal" and scientific
    evidence that mercury causes a human beings problems, and
    the wise would probably not want it in their teeth.  On the other hand,
    seems to me like having all the mercury in your mouth drilled out without
    precautions could be dangerous itself.

    |> Suppose you tell me why I shouldn’t believe Consumer Reports on
    |> matters of alternative health.  (Hint:  saying "they get info from the
    |> MDs" is not a responsive answer.)
    |>

    CR is a helpful service when it comes to buying a car or washing machine,
    but they have clearly shown an ultra-conservative position on diet and
    health over the years.  Which is fine if you recognize this, but as with
    Rush, there is a clear bias one should be aware of.

    rhf

  16. admin says:

    In article <2l2lijINN…@clam.hi.com> wri…@clam.hi.com (David Wright) writes:
    >In article <CM05vJ….@walter.bellcore.com> r…@letterman.NoSubdomain.NoDomain (Rich Flood) writes:

    >>Using Consumer Reports for info about health practices, esp. alternative, is
    >>like using Rush Limbaugh as your primary expert on social programs.

    >Suppose you tell me why I shouldn’t believe Consumer Reports on
    >matters of alternative health.  (Hint:  saying "they get info from the
    >MDs" is not a responsive answer.)

    But the fact is that Consumer’s Reports relies on a very conservative board
    of medical advisors which provides establishment medical opinion. They have
    no expertise on alternative health matters. Hence there is no reason to
    believe them.

    ******************************************************************************
    Robert Greenstein           Orthodoxy is the death of intelligence.            
    gr…@srilanka.island.com            - Bertrand Russell                              

  17. admin says:

    In article <CLyDHC….@undergrad.math.uwaterloo.ca> ldsto…@undergrad.math.uwaterloo.ca (Lynn Stothers) writes:

       My father has come home from a new dentist with a tale that people with
       some sleep disorders have been cured by removal of mercury fillings from
       teeth.  He’s got a book by a dentist in Colorado which explains the
       theory.

    That would probably be Hal Huggins.

       Does anybody know what he’s talking about so that I can do some
       research.  Just so that you know, I am interested to know whether it
       claims to have any efficacy for Narcolepsy (and whether it really does
       :)

    Almost certainly this is not the cause for your fathers symptoms. All
    responsible dentists and dental organizations have roundly condemned
    ‘mercury amalgam toxicity’ as quackery.  If he were my father I would
    encourage him to find another dentist and report this guy to the local
    dental discipline board. Please consider doing so.

    This whole flap started when it was discovered that when we chew,
    small amounts of mercury vapor are released from our fillings. The
    claim is that this enters our bloodstream and poisons us. Huggins is
    the father of this sort of questionable dentistry and spends a lot of
    his time running around giving lectures (for a large fee) about it.
    Dentists that practice this sort of crap often use a machine that the
    chews and then blows into.  This device is calibrated to give readings
    for huge warehouses, not tiny mouths.  When it samples the air, it
    gives estimates 16 times higher than the actual dose – correct for the
    huge warehouse, but not for people.  However, this often frightens the
    patient into having the procedure performed.

    It’s a cash cow for dentists who perform it. Not only do they get paid
    for replacing all of the fillings in your mouth, they also get paid
    to replace them all again in 2-3 years time. An amalgam will last
    20-25 years, a composite filling will last only 2-3.

    In a recent case, a mid-western woman who was too poor to have her
    fillings replaced agreed to having all of her teeth removed in an
    attempt to cure her non-dental related symptoms. The symptoms remained
    even after her teeth were gone.

    As a final point, dentists are far more at risk from mercury than
    their patients, since they have to handle the stuff directly, and
    tests do indicate that they have a larger percentage of mercury than
    the average population. Yet dentist’s life spans are not shorter than
    the general population – they also do not suffer from more diseases
    than they should.

    sdb

    s…@ssr.com

  18. admin says:

    In article <2l2lijINN…@clam.hi.com> wri…@clam.hi.com (David Wright) writes:
    >> Suppose you tell me why I shouldn’t believe Consumer Reports
    >> on matters of alternative health. (Hint: saying "they get info
    >> from the MDs" is not a responsive answer.)

    From article <1994Mar3.212554.4…@island.COM>, by gr…@island.COM (Robert Greenstein):

    > But the fact is that Consumer’s Reports relies on a very
    > conservative board of medical advisors which provides
    > establishment medical opinion. They have no expertise on
    > alternative health matters. Hence there is no reason to believe
    > them.

    In other words, you would distinguish truth from fiction by judging the
    political persuasion of a speaker.  Wouldn’t you achieve more reliable
    results by relying on facts and logic?

    The fact of the matter is that acrylic composite, the material
    that’s most widely recommended by "alternative" dentists as a
    suitable replacement material for amalgam, often causes pulpal
    injury. Pulpitis isn’t a bad thing for alternative practitioners
    because it permits them to sell an alternative-style of root
    canal therapy called "sargenti" to their unsuspecting and
    gullible patients. Teeth that are treated with sargenti materials
    often abscess over time, and this leads to extraction. Now then,
    is this the kind of "natural" outcome that you wish us to endure?


    Russell Lawrence, WP Group, New Orleans (504) 443-5000
    r…@wpg.com

  19. admin says:

    In article <2l50g1$…@network.ucsd.edu>,

    Brian Kantor <br…@nothing.ucsd.edu> wrote:

    >Abstract: The smoking habits of 119 subjects without silver/mercury dental
    >    fillings were compared to 115 subjects with amalgams. The amalgam group had
    >    2.5-times more smokers per group than the non-amalgam group, which was
    >    highly significant. Because mercury decreases dopamine, serotonin,
    >    norepinephrine, and acetylcholine in the brain, and nicotine has just the
    >    opposite effect on these neurotransmitters, this may help explain why
    >    persons with dental amalgams smoke more than persons without amalgams.

    What was the control group? People with equal number of cavities and
    non mercury fillings, or people with no cavities.
    If the control group was people with no cavities it could also be the
    case that the cravings that lead to smoking also lead to eating sweets.


    —— Call the skeptic hotline 1-900-555-5555 talk to your own personal .
    \    / skeptic 24 hours/day.     Just say no to victimless crimes.      . .
     \  / High quality Linux application development available.            . . .
      \/ The true theory of everything will run on a finite turing machine. . . .

  20. admin says:

    In article <BSIMON.94Mar2071…@elvis.stsci.edu>,
    Bernie Simon <bsi…@stsci.edu> wrote:
    >Homeopaths use something called "Herring’s Law of Cure" to determine
    >if the change in symptoms of an illness indicate whether an illness is
    >getting better or worse. Herring’s Law says that the illness is
    >getting better if symptoms move from the inside to the outside, from
    >above to below, and change from more recent symptoms to symptoms
    >experienced in the past. The illness is getting worse if the reverse
    >occurs. "From inside to outside" also includes changes from mental and
    >emotional symptoms (which are considered interior) to physical
    >symptoms.
    >–
    >Bernie Simon                        Homeopathy: the safer medicine

                                    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

    While taking small doses of water is very definitly safe its not
    very effective :)


    —— Call the skeptic hotline 1-900-555-5555 talk to your own personal .
    \    / skeptic 24 hours/day.     Just say no to victimless crimes.      . .
     \  / High quality Linux application development available.            . . .
      \/ The true theory of everything will run on a finite turing machine. . . .

  21. admin says:

    In article <19940301.163237….@almaden.ibm.com>,

    - Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

    R.W.Greene -MPfH <rwgre…@rwgreene.raleigh.ibm.com> wrote:
    >In <2kucuvINN…@clam.hi.com>, wri…@clam.hi.com (David Wright) writes:
    >>In article <CLypHw….@wti.com> k…@wti.com (Kathy Samec) writes:
    >…
    >> >mercury fillings are causing immune disorders? Or anything else for
    >> >that matter.

    >> Not unless you’re the one person in 100,000 who is allergic to
    >> mercury.  At least according to Consumer Reports, this notion that
    >> we’re all being poisoned by our amalgam fillings is 100% crapola and
    >> is primarily being used by unwitting or unscrupulous dentists to part
    >> customers with their money.

    >I’ve been told that in many European countries have banned
    >amalgam fillings.  Is this true? (Any Europeans out there?)
    >Is so, perhaps it’s not ’100% crapola’ where it’s just a new
    >idea!

    Well they have not banned them at least here in Finland, as I just today
    got one.  There has been some discussion about limiting the use of
    amalgam because of the environment hazards it causes. The mercury gets
    into the environment either directly when teeth are filled or through
    the pipes of crematories.

    I find it ironic that I should not put used batteries into garbage
    because they have some (very little compared to fillings) mercury.

    - Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

    >…
    >>  – David Wright, Hitachi Computer Products (America), Inc.  Waltham, MA
    >>     wri…@hi.com  ::  These are my opinions, not necessarily Hitachi’s,
    >>     but you’re free to disagree, you poor deluded creature

    >Robert W. Greene      -MPfH               ^    / \
    >P.O. Box 25148                      /\  /   \ /   \
    >Charlotte, NC 28229              _ /  \/     /  ^   \
    >(704) 531-7654                  /     /    /  /   \   \
    >71754.1…@compuserve.com     /   NHG Inc. New Horizions in
    >rwgre…@vnet.ibm.com      /        Software Development
    >(Don’t be fooled by the return address, my blue suit is made of denim!)
    >+——————————————————————–+
    >| When your only tool is a hammer,
    >|   you tend to treat everything you find like a nail.
    >+——————————————————————–+

    Osmo

  22. admin says:

    - Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

    In article <CM4pF6….@world.std.com> entr…@world.std.com (Lawrence Foard) writes:
    >In article <2l50g1$…@network.ucsd.edu>,
    >Brian Kantor <br…@nothing.ucsd.edu> wrote:

    >>Abstract: The smoking habits of 119 subjects without silver/mercury dental
    >>    fillings were compared to 115 subjects with amalgams. The amalgam group had
    >>    2.5-times more smokers per group than the non-amalgam group, which was
    >>    highly significant. Because mercury decreases dopamine, serotonin,
    >>    norepinephrine, and acetylcholine in the brain, and nicotine has just the
    >>    opposite effect on these neurotransmitters, this may help explain why
    >>    persons with dental amalgams smoke more than persons without amalgams.

    >What was the control group? People with equal number of cavities and
    >non mercury fillings, or people with no cavities.
    >If the control group was people with no cavities it could also be the
    >case that the cravings that lead to smoking also lead to eating sweets.

    Another possibility: people who are concerned about their health are
    likely to avoid both smoking and amalgam.


    < Michael A. Covington, Assc Rsch Scientist, Artificial Intelligence Programs >
    < The University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602-7415 USA    mcovi…@ai.uga.edu >

  23. admin says:

    In article <2l7od5$…@klaava.helsinki.fi>,

    Osmo Ronkanen <ronka…@klaava.Helsinki.FI> wrote:
    >Well they have not banned them at least here in Finland, as I just today
    >got one.  There has been some discussion about limiting the use of
    >amalgam because of the environment hazards it causes. The mercury gets
    >into the environment either directly when teeth are filled or through
    >the pipes of crematories.

    Just how toxic is mercury?
    Unless its toxic in incredibly small amounts (micrograms) these worries
    seem absurd.

    —— Call the skeptic hotline 1-900-555-5555 talk to your own personal .
    \    / skeptic 24 hours/day.     Just say no to victimless crimes.      . .
     \  / High quality Linux application development available.            . . .
      \/ The true theory of everything will run on a finite turing machine. . . .

  24. admin says:

    In article <CLyDHC….@undergrad.math.uwaterloo.ca>, ldsto…@undergrad.math.uwaterloo.ca (Lynn Stothers) writes:

    - Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

    > Hi folks.

    > My father has come home from a new dentist with a tale that people with
    > some sleep disorders have been cured by removal of mercury fillings from
    > teeth.  He’s got a book by a dentist in Colorado which explains the
    > theory.

    > I couldn’t get any more information from him: my father’s organizational
    > skills rival the U.S. Government for efficiency!  However, I told him
    > that I would look into it.

    > Does anybody know what he’s talking about so that I can do some
    > research.  Just so that you know, I am interested to know whether it
    > claims to have any efficacy for Narcolepsy (and whether it really does
    > :)

    > Thanks
    > Lynn

    I am also interested in this. (I’m also interested in knowing how this editor
    works).  Does anyone know if European countries like Germany no longer use
    mercury amalgum fillings for these reasons?

    - Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -

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