General Articles
DENTAL NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
Drawing from the monthly Newsletter, Bioprobe, this issue we consider what other countries are doing with the mercury issue, and some considerations about the mercury pollution in the environment. Mercury is used in dental fillings and makes up 50% of the amalgam filling material. This year, the American Dental Association has reported that 76% of the dentists they polled choose mercury amalgam for their first choice when restoring a patient's back teeth. Mercury is a poison and it harms the nervous system and the immune system.
Norway is now one of the countries that have issued warnings against the use of mercury dental fillings. This list now includes: Sweden, Germany, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and Norway. Denmark is considering the warning strictly for environmental reasons. (see below).
A quote from the Norwegian Board of Health states, "Amalgam has some advantages and many disadvantages," and "dental health data and data on the use of dental filling materials indicate that amalgam is in the process of being phased out." It's not being phased out in the United States, every day, thousands of amalgam compounds are put into teeth all over our country.
The risk of mercury contamination in the environment, derived from dental amalgam waste, continues to draw attention. Recently, Water and Air Specialists met in Minneapolis at the "Mercury in the Environment Specialty Conference." This Conference was sponsored by the Air and Waste Management Association. Water Environment Federation and several other agencies. A significant amount of time was focused on the issue of dental mercury amalgam. Mercury levels in municipal wastewater treatment facilities have raised strong concern in the Great Lakes Region. Peter Berglund, of the Minneapolis area Metropolitan Council Environmental Services, has estimated that 70-80% or more of the mercury entering the facilities is coming from dental offices. These heavy metal settle in the sludge, which is incinerated or used as fertilizer. In either case the mercury is deposited into the environment.
Mercury is easily absorbed into the human body. Dental mercury amalgam referred to as "Silver Fillings" is identified as the largest source of mercury contamination in those who have these fillings. Find out more about the issue of mercury poisoning from fillings, at our web site. You can visit us at HYPERLINK "http://www.laverlydentist.com/"www.lavelydentist.com. On the web site you can read the previous articles I have written. There is information available on the web at numerous sites. Key word "mercury" and you will have a selection of articles and books from which to choose.
Become informed and make your own decisions about your own health. Call the office at (502) 426-4110, and receive free, the book Dentistry without Mercury.
IS IT BACK TO BASICS THEN?
Most people want to know how to keep their teeth healthy and attractive for a whole lifetime. There are three important habits to keep in mind when you want to keep your teeth healthy.
The first one is to eat a good diet, one filled with a variety of foods that are nutritious. You don't need me to tell you that. We have all grown up knowing what was good for us. The most important component in diet is the amount of sugar. Actually sugar is the worst "food" you can eat. A small amount is not harmful to folks. But, the people who are in trouble are those who consume the average amount of sugar, 137.5 pounds a year, or 680 calories a day. That's a lot! Sugar is especially harmful when left in the mouth for long periods of time, which happens when we eat just before bedtime. It produces teeth-harming acid from the bacteria already existing in our mouths. The bacteria's waste products then cause the enamel in our teeth to dissolve, resulting in tooth decay.
It is an easy process to stop. Just restricting the sugar will slowdown the process, reducing the damage. However, restricting sugar when the marketing world is pushing it, (especially with children) is not so easy.
The next important habit we need to practice is the use of dental floss, our best way to avoid decay. Just think of this: The bacteria grow best in the warm and moist environment that is always present between the teeth. Now, don't let your eyes glass over at the sight of the word floss! A person who has all their teeth can do it in forty seconds. You need special instructions, and we will send them to you at your request. Just call the office. Forty seconds is valuable time investment to save the teeth from decay. Follow with a good brushing, making small circles aimed at the tooth and gum junction and tooth decay can be controlled.
The third way to stop decay, is good dental care. Filling small cavities with mercury free dental restorations will slow the decay and prevent destruction that occurs when they are left unrepaired. Some areas are more prone to damage from decay than others. The small pits on the chewing surfaces are the ones which start decaying first. The dentist can detect these areas and repair them, or choose sealants to stop the process if the person is still young. The sealants are inexpensive, and they make a lot more sense than letting a cavity develop, thereby creating the need for large and extensive restorations.
You can visit our web site at www.lavelydentist.com. There, you can read recent articles on mercury and fluoride, and get information about my dental practice. Next issue we will return to the subject of mercury in dental fillings and how it affects the human health. Call the office at 426-4110 to ask for the instructions on flossing and for the free booklet entitled Dentistry without Mercury. Control your own health! Dr. Bob Lavely.
ARE DENTAL COMPOSITES SAFE?
Overwhelming evidence has shown that the mercury amalgam fillings that are used so extensively in dentistry are harmful to humans. Check our website for the previously published articles. The composite "tooth colored" fillings are most often used to replace the mercury amalgam.
Since the publication of a Spanish study in 1996 (Olea and other) on the estrogenicity of resin-based composites and sealants used in dentistry, the questions of potential estrogenic properties of dental composites has received wide attention. It is the concern that the composites act in some way like estrogen that worries dental researchers today. Composites are the most commonly used fillings for the replacement of the mercury amalgams used in dentistry today. Few people realize that the study used the material in extreme temperatures (212 degrees Fahrenheit) and then subjected the material to strong acids (ph of 1) and strong bases (ph 0f 13). Studies have been published that have contradicted the Olea study, and have shown that normal temperatures and normal ph ranges of 6 to 8 that the levels of gasses and chemicals coming off of the material were quite low. The chemicals were in extremely low concentrations compared to the levels considered safe by the Canadian and US government agencies. The use of BIS-GMA, a chemical similar to plastics, in the dental composite, is also used in food containers and beverage cans and is found in the atmosphere. One particular study determined that human exposure to this chemical from food containers and cans and the atmosphere was 65 times lower than the acceptable level established by the Canadian government. The exposure from the dental composites was 140 times lower than the Canadian standard.
One must not consider that dental composites are harmless to all patients. There is obviously the possibility of patients being allergic or hyper reactive to the material, especially if they have previous experience of intolerance to plastics. However, this formal risk assessment is strongly indicative that dental composites do not present a health risk to most patients.
We must also remember that the composite material is made up of only about 15% of the plastic or epoxy material. The other 85% or so is ceramic and non-reactive with the body. This ceramic gives the composite filling the resistance to wear. The best substance to use in the tooth would be made of calcium and connective tissue just as the body makes it when we are growing up. Not being able to do that yet we are best served by using the least offensive substance.
You know really, I look forward to the day when you can come into the dental office and if a tooth is damaged by decay, we would remove the tooth, and place a little magic droplet into the position of that tooth. This droplet would contain the exact DNA replica of your missing tooth, and would in say a week or two, exactly reproduce it without decay. Hey don't you remember when they thought the human body would explode if it exceeded the speed of 15 miles an hour? Until the bioengineers come up with the magic droplet that can reproduce body parts, perhaps in a few hundred years, we must take care of the parts we have. We will need to eat a lot of food before that happens. Take the advice of your dentist about flossing. It saves a lot of parts. You have 32 teeth when you have them all. For a booklet on flossing, or the one entitled "Mercury Free Dentistry", please call 426-4110. Free. Thanks. They're your parts. You may contact me to obtain the references for this material.
MERCURY FILLINGS IN MODERN DENTISTRY
A situation developed in the 1840'S when two French entrepreneurs introduced the mercury amalgam to the United States. They brought the discovery of a British chemist to the new world who found that if metals were mixed into mercury, the mixture would become hardened and it could be used to fill holes in peoples' decayed teeth. When they arrived in New York at that time, they met with a lot of resistance from the then establishment dental organization, the American Society of Dental Surgeons, as well as most dentists. They knew that mercury is a poison, and it would be unwise to put it into the mouths of humans.
When you look at the whole picture, you see that it was difficult to fix decay in teeth with the materials that were available at that time. There was the old standby, extraction, which defeats the whole intention of restoring the teeth, and gold, which then was so expensive that it caused many to choose extraction to relieve the condition. If the mercury mixture were to be put into the decayed area of the tooth, it would fill the defect, and it appeared to stop the decay process as well. The American Society of Dental Surgeons required their members to sign an affidavit that they would not use the material since it is poisonous and toxic to humans. The membership in the organization was based upon the member dentist following a required set of procedures that would give the patient some assurance that they were receiving the best of quality care that existed at the time.
The pressure to use a convenient and simple material, the mercury mixture, instead of removing the offending tooth, or using gold, brought about the forming of the American Dental Association which did not require the members to refrain from using the poisonous material in the teeth of their patients. So the material became popular and was used frequently all over the world, and the concerns about the poisonous nature of mercury were swept under the carpet. The restorations were dubbed "Silver" fillings by dentists when in fact they contained only 33% silver, and 50% or more of mercury. The remaining ingredients are tin, zinc, and copper. So we have a mixture of metals, none of them precious metal, and the largest component by far, is mercury. So in my office we refer to them as mercury restorations. Many refer to them as amalgam which means a mixture or combination.
Other countries are beginning to move away from the use of mercury in dental restorations. In Sweden, they will not pay for mercury fillings in the new health care system starting in 1999. In France, dentists will be liable for two years imprisonment or a 500,000 FF (about $50,000) for disposing of mercury in public sewage systems in three years. Most all dentist put mercury in the public sewage systems in the United States. The Health Ministry of Great Britain has just issued a warning against the use of mercury amalgam dental fillings in pregnant women. The government has done the same in France. These warnings are to prevent exposure of unborn babies to mercury derived from the amalgam fillings of their mothers. Obviously they are not doing so without good reason.
CALIFORNIA DENTAL BOARD URGES WARNINGS ON MERCURY
For a long time Dentists have argued about the dangers of mercury fillings commonly known as amalgam, or "silver fillings". Even though the argument has continued for the entire time of 160 years that mercury has been used, The American Dental Association, (ADA) a trade organization of dentists, announced last year that seventy-six percent of dentists choose mercury amalgam for their first choice of material for restorations in the back teeth. I think it could be a higher percentage than that. A spokesperson for the California Dental Association, the state affiliate of the ADA, said that the silver amalgam fillings have been used for 150 years and there is no concrete research that shows there should be a ban on amalgam or that it is toxic. These weak and standard arguments are now withering under the weight of accumulating research to the contrary and public demand for informed consent. Mercury is a poison and it leaks from the amalgam.
In my days of dental school in the sixties, the faculty member that taught us criticized the mercury amalgam. He said it was an inferior substance since it was not tooth colored, did not bond to the teeth, and allowed decay under the filling after 3-5 years. He also mentioned there was no suitable substitute. That is not the case today. No mention was made at that time that the material gives off mercury vapor, which is absorbed into the body and compromises essential body functions, including the functioning of the immune system and nervous system.
In California, on Friday December the 3rd, 1999, a land mark decision was made by the Board of Dental Examiners (California's regulatory board that licenses dentists) by unanimous vote advised dentists to warn patients about the exposure to mercury from mercury amalgam fillings. Failure to take this stand may have placed the Board in jeopardy for violation of California's hazardous materials law (Proposition 65), which states that persons must be informed if they are being placed in proximity to a hazardous material. Although the Board does not have the legal authority to order dentists to comply, some feel that all dentists may be liable under the law if their patients (and staff) are not properly advised.
Because of the wide spread use of mercury in dentistry, it is necessary to become informed about the hazards involved. We have the booklet "Mercury free Dentistry" free upon request. It explains the details of the controversy and gives you the facts upon which to base your decisions. Just call the office, 426-4110, and we will send you one. Another informative book, "Mercury Free, The wisdom behind the global consumer movement to ban "Silver" fillings, by Dr. James E, Hardy. It is available on Amazon.com.
Next issue, I will write about the pros and cons of the newer materials called composites. Please connect with us at our website at: www.lavelydentist.com.
DENTAL MERCURY AMALGAM FILLINGS. WHAT SHOULD I DO?
It is concerning to many dentists that the "Silver" fillings we have been using to restore teeth, is really 50% mercury and the rest is non precious metal. Having the non precious metal in there permits corrosion, but to have 50% mercury in there is not safe. The American Dental Association(ADA) has admitted in 1984 that the mercury leaks from the Mercury amalgam compound. When it is breathed into our bodies, we absorb about 80% of it. When swallowed, we absorb approximately 20% of it. Yet the ADA has just released a report that states 76% of our dentists choose this material as their first choice for fillings needed in the back teeth.
What is so bad about mercury? This chemical metabolic poison is responsible for problems in many forms. It suppresses the immune system and in doing so it causes all different kinds of maladies and malfunctions in the body. Everyone reacts to it differently. Mercury poisoning is difficult to pinpoint since the symptoms are different from person to person. Depression and listlessness are some of the symptoms found. Additional symptoms include: Headache, mental confusion, forgetfulness, and rashes. There are many others listed in literature, mentioned below.
"What can I do to protect myself?" you might ask. Get information about mercury and make your own decision. You can get information from the Internet, Public library, U of L Libraries, and you can call my office for a free booklet which includes research references if you wish to delve into it further.
Consider that the Food and Drug Administration last year in April 1998, ruled that mercury and its compounds must be removed from "Over the Counter" products by October 1998. Included in the ruling were mercury and 15 of its compounds, including thimerosol and Mercurochrome. They further stated "Safety and effectiveness have not been established for the ingredients included in this current final rule and manufacturers have not submitted the necessary data in response to earlier opportunities." The uses identified were 1) First aid antiseptic drug products, ( 2) Female contraceptive drug products, and 3) Antimicrobial diaper rash drug products.
Previously, the FDA ruled these mercury containing products were okay for antimicrobial use on the skin.
These products have a small amount of mercury and its compounds included in them. In the seventies, herbicides and pesticides were legislated to not include mercury in any of its forms. Because mercury is toxic and the effects are different in everyone. But it is in sharp contrast that the mercury filling is fifty percent mercury and not the small amount that has been ruled "Safety not proven" in the Over the Counter market.
Little consolation can be gained from the fact that the FDA Dental division has also ruled on this. They classify dental mercury and amalgam alloy as dental devices and separately, are safe and effective Dental devices. How can this be? Toxic in small doses on the skin for FDA Medical, and safe in very large amounts in the mouth for FDA Dental.
If you would like additional information call the office (502) 426-4110 and we will send you the booklet I mentioned. Much of the information I used is from the Bioprobe newsletter, Orlando Florida. Bioprobe phone for a subscription is 407-290-9670.( $65 a year for monthly newsletter.
Get happy and get information. Or is it the other way around? Bob Lavely.
WHEN YOU DECIDE TO REMOVE MERCURY AMALGAM FILLINGS.
After deciding to have harmful mercury amalgams replaced in your teeth, what is the best way to do it? Many dentists have concerns about the advisability of replacing mercury fillings with composites because of the possible contamination of the patient with mercury during the process. When the fillings are removed there is a large amount of mercury released in the process. These mercury containing particles and the mercury vapor can be swallowed or inhaled. When they are swallowed the mercury absorbed is about 20% of the total amount. If it is inhaled, it is absorbed at the rate of 80% of the total vapor in the lungs, directly into the bloodstream.
The International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT) is an organization of dentists that believe the danger of using mercury in "silver" amalgam to fill teeth, is dangerous and toxic to humans. The mercury content of these fillings is 50 percent of the total weight. Silver is only about 25-30%. The other 20% or so is made up of non-precious metals, which will corrode over time. To remove these fillings without proper techniques can contaminate the patient and the dental office and those inside it with mercury vapor. The IAOMT has established methods of removing the material from the teeth that insure the safety of the patient.
The two ways recommended by the IAOMT are, one; to place a suction device around the tooth being treated, and another behind the tooth. Together with cotton packing, almost all the gas and particles are removed immediately and directly from the mouth. The other method is to use a rubber dam and suction system to remove the toxic material. Both systems are useful in reducing the danger from the mercury. In addition, the person being helped can breath alternate air supply during the process to further insure their safety. More protection is provided by the various mechanisms employed to remove the mercury vapor from the air if any is present. The dentist wears a special mask as do all assistants.
After these precautions are taken, the fillings are removed and replaced with the non-mercury based material, consistent with methods recommended today. The mercury amalgams are removed in large pieces so that the vapor created by the removal is reduced to the lowest possible level.
It is time we stop using mercury in this way. There are so many other acceptable materials available to us now that there is no longer a doubt that this filling made of mercury and other metals is harmful to humans. It is illegal to use mercury in over-the-counter remedies, because of its toxic properties. If a thermometer made with mercury breaks in a school, for example, it is ruled a toxic waste clean-up.
HELPING TO PROTECT THE IMMUNE SYSTEM.
My information today comes from the book, "The Mercury in your Mouth" by Quicksilver Press.
The research of Dr. David Eggleston, who is a practicing dentist, and teaches at the University of California, involves testing the immune system of a person before and after insertion of mercury amalgams. Mercury amalgams are the fillings in posterior teeth called "Silver Fillings" by most dentists. They contain 50% mercury and the mercury is released from the material all during the time it is in the mouth. The mercury is then absorbed by the body, notably the nervous system and all the cells of the body. This is a fact admitted by the ADA (American Dental Association) in 1984. In the ADA news this spring it was stated that 76% of dentists in the country chose this material as their first choice for restoring posterior teeth.
Dr. Eggleston did an analysis of the immune systems of three patients with mercury amalgams and nickel. This was done by checking the percentage of T-Lymphocytes in the white cells of the blood. This is a way to check the functioning of the immune system. The results were that the people, while having the mercury or nickel in their mouths, had less effectiveness of their immune systems. The T-lymphocytes in the blood are compared to the total amount of white cells. In humans, normal range is 70-80%. Of the two with mercury, one had 55% decrease in immune system effectiveness, one had 31% decrease. The one who had the nickel in their teeth, had a decrease of 24%. Nickel is included in the metal used under some porcelain crowns. Quoting from chapter five it says, quoting Dr. Eggleston's conclusion, "An Abnormal T-lymphocyte percent of lymphocytes or a malfunction of T-lymphocytes can increase the risk of cancer, infectious diseases and autoimmune diseases." The information is all referenced to research articles. Even a small reduction in the immune system effectiveness can cause chronic infections and these problems are different in each person. There are many factors that go into this process of the immune system. Our immune systems are subjected to many stresses in our lives. These include chemicals in food and water and contaminants in the environment. When you can identify these offending materials and chemicals, it makes sense to avoid them. To get the whole story, you may want to get the book from the Quicksilver Press, 10 East 87 street, New York, N.Y. 10128. phone: 212-423-3074, fax: 212289-3046. Cost is $14.95.
The booklet "Mercury-Free Dentistry" is available by calling my office at 426-4110. It is informative and will help you decide what is best for you. We need to make decisions about our health and the only way to do it right is to get information. Respectfully yours for information about your health. Bob Lavely, D.M.D.
FLUORIDE IS GOOD FOR ME --- NOT!
It is difficult to talk about the fluoride content in water since it has become so accepted in the field of dentistry. But many research reports show that the content of fluoride in the body is cumulative, and many health problems today are due to the addition of fluoride in the drinking water. It was reported at a recent conference on aging that drinking distilled water is the number one way we can increase our life span. This is logical since there is chlorine, fluoride and thousands of dissolved solids in tap water.
Let's just look at the things that have been discovered since fluoride was added to the drinking water of approximately 170 million people in the United States. My information comes from the book titled, "How to save your teeth" written by Dr. David Kennedy, and is available on Amazon or your local bookstore.
He states:
Studies show cancer death rates increase when fluoride is added to the community drinking water.
Fluoridation causes a dramatic increase in bone cancer in young men.
Fluoride drops and tablets are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Agency as safe or effective.
Hip fracture rates are substantially higher in both women and men who reside in fluoridated communities.
All the recent large studies of tooth decay found no evidence that fluoridation significantly reduces tooth decay.
I think a most significant part of his information is the hip fracture figure showing the increased fragility of skeletal bones in fluoridated areas. It has been recognized for years that too much fluoride will cause mottling of the enamel. Mottling is the chalking and weakening of enamel, anything from large white spots on the teeth to the crumbling of large portions of a tooth. Dr. Kennedy states that diet is more important in good dental health than is the fluoridation of the water, since fluoride causes negative overall health effects. Dr. Kennedy includes in the references, all the relevant data needed to look up the research. I encourage readers to get the information themselves from the public library, medical library, and the Internet.
In Kentucky and most states it is the law that fluoride be added to the water supply. It has been added for years. The cumulative effects are now showing up in the teeth and bones of thousands of people. According to the Bioprobe newsletter in the May 1999 issue, a noted proponent of the fluoridation of water supplies, Dr. Hardy Limeback conceded that fluoride might be destroying bones, teeth and overall health. Dr. Limeback is a professor of dentistry at the University of Toronto, and a consultant to the Canadian Dental Association. Health officials in their defense of fluoridated water had frequently cited him. He noted areas of the world with naturally high fluoride in the water where skeletal fluorosis is a widespread problem. This debilitating disease occurs when fluoride accumulates in the bones over time and results in the situation where victims tend to age early and die before the age of 50, weak, arthritic and hunched over.
So what can you do now? Non fluoridated toothpaste is available in the health food stores and distilled water is available in grocery and drug stores. Sears has a distiller for about $120 dollars.
Further information can be obtained by calling the office at 502-426-4110.
What's next, huh? Dr. Bob Lavely
THE EFFECTS OF MERCURY ON THE IMMUNE SYSTEM
The mercury from dental fillings and other sources cause the immune system to be reduced in its effectiveness to protect us from a variety of bacteria, viruses, and other irritants in our environment. Mercury used in dental fillings comes out of those restorations in the form of vapor and when it is inhaled, eighty percent is absorbed into the blood and ends up in the body especially the nervous tissue. It can also cause birth defects and learning disabilities. It is part of the dental fillings called amalgam, and over half of the weight of the material is mercury.
I wanted to tell you this time about mercury and its effect on the immune system. I have four authors that comment on it. The first is Dr. David Kennedy, who states in his book, How to save your teeth.
"The Immune system appears to be disrupted by mercury. Mercury causes the chromosomes of white blood cells to break, resulting in the inability of chromosomes to reproduce properly. To study autoimmune disease (in which the immune system begins to attack the body's own cells), scientists give mercury to laboratory rats to alter the structure of their protein molecules, thus causing the immune system to identify them as a foreign substance and producing an autoimmune response."
My next quote is from the New Diet Revolution by Dr. Robert Adkins. Remember that 90 to 95% of dentists in the United States use mercury fillings in the back teeth. Dr. Adkins states,
There's the poison that almost all of us carry around in our mouths twenty-four hours a day--mercury. The silver mercury filling (amalgam) that dentists still put in the mouths of their patients is approximately 50% mercury, and mercury is the most poisonous free element to which our bodies get exposed. Dentists have always believed that in amalgams it was stable and would not contaminate its host. This simply isn't true. Mercury vapor tests in the mouth of real people have made that unambiguously clear. Mercury figures into this chapter as it is a surefire way to weaken your immune system in just a way that yeast infections flourish." Chronic disease is the result of weakened immune system function.
My new author is Dr. James Hardy who wrote the book, Mercury-free, The wisdom behind the global consumer movement to ban "Silver" dental fillings. He says in his chapter entitled, "Mercury-a universe of trouble,"
The ideal percentage of T cells found in the white blood cell population is between 70 and 80%. There was a report published in the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry, in may 1984, that describes two patients whose T cells counts rose dramatically after amalgam fillings were removed. One patient, a 35 year-old woman, had significant medical history including advanced multiple sclerosis (MS). She began the study with nine mercury amalgam fillings. Before the fillings were removed, her T cell percentage was 60%. After removal, the T cell rose to 71%.
The other patient was a 21 year-old woman in apparently good health. She began the study with six amalgam fillings. Before the amalgams were removed, her T cell percentage was 47%. After removal, the T cells rose to 73%, a 55.3% increase. This is dramatic, but what happened next was even more amazing. Four amalgams were put back into this 21 year-old. Her T cells decreased to 55%, a drop of 24.7%. When these amalgams were removed, her T cells again rose to 72%.
These results strongly suggest that the presence of dental amalgam may lower the T cell count, which, in turn increases the risk of infection cancer and autoimmune diseases, why take the chance?"
The last author I have chosen is Dr. Frank J. Jerome, who is also a dentist. He said in his book, Tooth Truth, "The poisonous effects of chronically inhaling mercury from fillings are well known by the American Dental Association (ADA) and the Federal Government. Every product sold in America must have a Material Safety Data Sheet(MSDS) which describes the products physical properties, health problems, fire risk data, and other hazards associated with it. The MSDS on mercury sold to dentists by dental supply companies specifically states what damage can result from exposure to mercury. The list of Health hazards on the MSDS used by most of the companies who sell mercury, states:
"Chronic inhalation of mercury vapors causes mercurialism. Findings are extremely variable and include tremors excess salivation, stomatitis (inflammation in the mouth), loosening of the teeth, blue lines on the gums (tatoos), pain and numbness in the extremities (multiple sclerosis symptoms), nephritis (kidney inflammation), diarrhea, anxiety, headache, weight loss, anorexia, mental depression, insomnia, irritability, instability, hallucinations, and evidence of mental deterioration (Alzheimer-like symptoms.)"
With this being only one of the effects of mercury, that is the damage to the immune system, it would be logical to make it unavailable for use in human beings' bodies. Protect yourself. Dr. Bob Lavely
BREAST FEEDING AS EXERCISE FOR THE BABY
We all need exercise to be healthy and to grow. The adage of "Use it or lose it" applies to all forms of life. Weight lifting and breast feeding are similar in that they both produce bigger and healthier muscles. Imagine a newborn baby. He or she can only lie there in the crib and make cute movements. How does the baby get exercise to grow and thrive? The only work a baby has to do is to nurse at the breast and its is accomplished at the considerable effort of the baby. Baby must use muscles in the face, head, neck, and chest to achieve the result of nourishment. Baby is exhausted after a session of feeding. The muscles then go into the production of strong and healthy parts of the body. Unfortunately, this essential part of the baby's development is defeated by the use of artificial feeding accomplished by the bottle and nipple. The design of the nipple is often modeled to resemble the baby's thumb and not nature's own design. The mother's nipple is such that it flattens while the baby nurses, allowing the baby's mouth to close while swallowing. This is important since it provides the proper growth and development of the mouth, teeth and jaws. In treating the orthodontic problems of teenagers, the problem we face often is the jaws are not wide enough. The growth and development of the exercise program during breast feeding greatly influences the baby's growth patterns. The artificial nipple often is too firm and will not flatten, and this keeps the mouth more open during feeding. The result is a higher palate, and a narrow and crowded dentition. An artificial nipple which was designed to avoid this problem is the Nuk nipple since it is similar to mother's own and it flattens while in use, allowing the mouth to close more while the baby swallows.
Another problem with the artificial nipples, is the temptation to poke holes in the end to allow feeding to take place more quickly. This further reduces the time to baby has to work to achieve a meal. It is in effect cutting down the time of the baby's workout. The result is the reduction of exercise accomplished by all the muscles involved. Growth and development is slowed and might this be a contributing factor in the situation that nearly all teens can benefit from orthodontic treatment in those later years?
If a mother is able to accomplish this essential body function for herself and the baby, she wants to be sure that the quality of her milk is the best. Many diet considerations must be made while breast feeding. Contaminants to which mother is exposed are reduced to a minimal amount if precautions are taken.
Mercury amalgam in dental "silver" fillings give off an average of 16 micrograms of mercury in a person with 8 or more "amalgams". It is absorbed at the rate of 80% when it is inhaled, and 20% when it is swallowed.
Archives of Environmental Health published in May 1996 that levels of mercury in breast milk is 55% of the level of mercury in the blood. They state. "The results indicated that there was an efficient transfer of inorganic mercury from blood to milk and that, in this population, mercury from amalgam fillings was the main source of mercury in milk. Exposure of the infant to mercury from breast milk was calculated to ...be approximately one half the tolerable daily intake for adults recommended by the World Health Organization." It is responsible for slowed rate of maturity and reduced brain development.
The American Academy of Pediatrics published information in January 1994 that states mercury in breast milk "May affect neurodevelopment."
Biological Trace Elements Research Journal published in 1997, "It was concluded that Hg (Mercury) originated from maternal amalgam tooth fillings transfers across the placenta to the fetus, across the mammary gland into milk ingested by the newborn and ultimately into neonatal tissues."
They also state, "These findings suggests the placement and removal of "silver" tooth fillings in pregnant and lactating humans will subject the fetus and neonate to unnecessary risk of Hg exposure."
If is best to have no mercury amalgams in the mouth prior to conception. How close to this goal you get is influenced by individual circumstances. Even with the precautions we take to minimize the exposure, it is best to remove these fillings prior to childbearing.
For a list of products that increase your exposure to mercury, call the office for a copy. (502) 426-4110. Put into practice what you already know about healthy habits. Dr. Bob Lavely, D.M.D. www.Lavelydentist.com
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