MrWrong

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Dr. Oz is wrong about amalgam fillings

Dr. Oz is wrong about amalgam fillings. He’s super wrong. He couldn’t be more wrong if his name was W. Wrong Wrongington. An episode of Dr. Oz recently aired where several “experts” weighed in on whether your amalgam fillings are poisoning you. That was the question that all the promos for the show asked: “are your mercury fillings poisoning you?” So I tuned in with bated breath to hear his answer.

His answer, of course, was that yes, they are poisoning you. Seriously, you knew that was the answer, right? If he’s said, “nope, they’re actually pretty safe” that would make the most boring television ever. And Dr. Oz is not about boring TV.

A couple of “experts” weighed in that the problem is the mercury vapor that comes off of silver fillings. According to the experts, any time you contact your teeth together, like chewing or heaven forbid grinding your teeth together, you’re emitting toxic gas into your mouth. That, my friends, is pretty scary stuff. But since you can’t see mercury vapor coming off of your teeth, Dr. Oz and another “expert” did a demonstration to measure how much mercury is released when you brush your teeth.

The demonstration consisted of a plastic model mouth with a bunch of silver fillings in the teeth. The model mouth was kept in a clear box that was ventilated. Dave Wentz, the guy doing the demonstration with Dr. Oz, let everyone know that they do the demonstration in a box so they don’t let any of the toxic mercury out. Which is interesting since it’s very likely that many people in the audience have silver fillings. If they’re that worried about the toxicity of silver filling, wouldn’t they screen the audience to not let folks with toxic fillings in the door? But I digress.

So, they do the demonstration. Dr. Oz puts his hands in the gloves in the clear box and scrubs these amalgam fillings like he’s cleaning the grout in the bathroom tiles. And, low and behold, they measure mercury gas coming off the fillings!

So Dr. Oz is scrubbing away at these silver fillings and asks:

“…at what point should I be concerned. At what [mercury vapor] level is it more than we’re supposed to have?”

Anything over zero is toxic. We’re at 61. 61 micrograms.”

Then Dr. Oz comes up with: “Now how can anyone dispute that there’s no mercury coming off of amalgams?”

And his guest expert Dave Wentz replies. “You can’t. You really can’t.”

If you aren’t careful or observant, this seems like a smoking gun. Amalgam fillings are dangerous and they are poisoning you. I ask you to step back.

The first thing that jumps out at me is the language that is used to frame the discussion. I typically refer to amalgam fillings as “silver fillings.” I never have thought of this as the element silver, but the color of the fillings, when polished is silvery. The Dr. Oz show refers to them as “mercury fillings.” Neither of these terms is probably adequate. Amalgam is a generic term for something that is mixed together. When the term is used in metallurgy it means: “an alloy made with Mercury.” So probably the most accurate term for these fillings would be “amalgam” and not “silver” or “mercury” fillings.

Language matters. When I use the term silver filling I’m indicating the color. When Dr. Oz uses the term mercury filling he’s pointing out the scary, toxic ingredient of the filling. That’s used to frame the discussion, so right away someone who isn’t thinking critically is thinking, “whoa, I didn’t know they placed mercury fillings!”

The next thing that jumps out at me is the way that they created and measured the mercury gas. It is assumed that the model that they offer (a plastic typodont with a ton of silver fillings in a plastic box) is an accurate representation of what’s going on in a human being’s mouth when they have silver fillings and they brush their teeth. I’m not sure it’s fair to assume that for the following reasons:

  • There was no moisture in this model mouth. A normal human being has saliva flow, which keeps the entire mouth moist and lubricated. Moisture on a surface could clearly affect the amount of vapor coming off the surface of a tooth.
  • We don’t know when these fillings were placed, if they were placed correctly, or if they were polished. All of those things can make a difference in the amount of vapor that might come off of these fillings. It wasn’t mentioned on Dr. Oz’s show.
  • We’ll also ignore the fact that the quadrant of fillings he scrubbed had anywhere between 4 and 7 surfaces of amalgam. I did my best to figure out how many surfaces the teeth had but they never showed the far side of the typodont. In any case, that’s quite a bit of amalgam…more than the average patient has for sure.
  • The model had no lips, tongue or cheeks and also wasn’t breathing. Wouldn’t a more accurate measure come from actual patients with actual fillings that were actually brushing their teeth?

They have measured the vapor that comes off of teeth in human models, and it is true that there is a measurable amount. In fact, there’s some question about the most accurate way to measure mercury vapor released from a silver filling. Is the vapor in someone’s breath the most important factor, or would absorbed levels of mercury in urine and blood be the most important measure? The Dr. Oz show wasn’t interested in an actual discussion. They went from “hey look, there’s mercury vapor in this model” to “your fillings are poisoning you.” No mention of actual outcomes based research. No mention of the millions and millions of teeth saved by the use of amalgam fillings with virtually no verifiable reports of bad health outcomes due to amalgam fillings. Clearly the most important message was that there is scary, poisonous vapor coming off of your silver fillings. Awesome.

The final thorn in my side was the statement made by the guest who was putting on the tooth brushing demonstration, Dave Wentz. He says, “anything over zero is toxic.”

Alternative medicine advocates aren’t known for their nuance. Poisons are dose dependent. In other words, something that is harmless in small doses can become harmful in larger doses. That is the case for most things that are known to be toxic to humans. So, how do we know if we’re getting a toxic dose of mercury vapor? Well, the World Health Organization describes a “tolerable intake” of elemental mercury vapor to be 2 micrograms/kg of weight per day. So if we take an average male of 150 lbs, they can tolerate a daily intake of around 136 micrograms of mercury per day. So, are our amalgams delivering that much? The short answer is no. Dr. Oz was able to generate an impressive 61 micrograms by scrubbing on some silver fillings in a box. However, actual measured amounts in human beings are more like 1-3 micrograms per day, depending on how many surfaces of amalgam a patient has.

There are reasons to dislike silver fillings. However, there is no credible evidence that they will cause anyone harm. The outcry by many poorly informed people has led to the outright ban of this material in some countries and the sharp reduction of it’s use here in the United States. Amalgam fillings are durable, long lasting and safe. That’s what credible evidence states. Until credible evidence says otherwise, I think Dr. Oz is wrong. Really wrong. Super duper wrong. His name should be W. Wrong Wrongington.

That last part is just my opinion, though. The rest of it is the truth as we know it.

 

 

 

 

 

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228 Comments

  1. Alan, you have done an excellent critique of Dr Oz’s demonstration. Amalgam has done more good for our world than harm and the people should realize this.
    tp

  2. Oh my, this article does not bode well for dentists. Let’s leave the patient out of the conversation and go over what we know to be fact…

    Despite the ADA’s long insistence that the mercury is contained within the amalgam we now that the one cannot make the product without generating hundreds of micrograms of mercury vapor in excess of occupational safety regulations. (Frykolhm 1957 all the way past Richardson 2003)

    By promoting the safety of dental mercury fillings, this article and others like it are a shining example that the vast majority of dentists have no idea about manufacturer warnings on amalgam (try reading the amalgam material safety data sheet MSDS) or OSHA’s occupational safety regulations concerning exposure to toxic substances such as mercury vapor.

    BTW: amalgam manufacturer Kerr was taken to court by a dentist who said the mercury vapor released from their product poisoned him (Barnes V Kerr). The dentist tried to argue that he taught amalgam was safe in dental school. Kerr argued that they provided the dentist with adequate warnings (MSDS) and that those warnings pertained to mixed dental amalgam as well. Kerr won. At this point you should be opening your required MSDS book to read the warnings from amalgam manufacturers.

    After reading those warnings, I would hope that you’d understand that there are occupational safety regulations you should be following. Why ?

    Because making, placement, polishing and removal of mercury dental fillings generate unavoidable exposures to mercury vapor vastly in excess of safety regulations.

    You do realize the ADA recommends getting your dental office tested for mercury contamination ? Unfortunately most of the exposure is happening in your breathing zone when performing placing, polishing or removal of amalgams.
    http://www.dentistrytoday.com/hygiene/1212

    At this point dentists are usually incredulous because surely you would have been told about these safety requirements in dental school.

    In addition the removal of amalgam generates enormous amounts of mercury contaminated particulate matter (Nimmo et al, Richardson 2003)

    What we find in the scientific literature shows that dentists have a higher percentage of neurological issues (Duplinski 2012)
    http://iaomt.org/duplinsky-2012-health-status-dentists-exposed-mercury-silver-amalgam-tooth-restorations/

    all of this is outlined in the trailer to our feature length film on the subject

    http://www.youputwhatinmymouth.com

    consider this…
    As a business owner, do you think it prudent to ignore occupational safety regulations of which you might be liable for any harm that might come from those exposures ?

    Do you think its ethical to with hold personal protective equipment from staff in light of the occupational safety regulations you are breaking ? Regardless of whether you are aware of them or not.

    • I think Dentists should have to pay the bill for everyone in America to have amalgam SAFELY removed. It is not fair that they put a toxin in our mouth, and then leave us to deal with it. Even if they were not fully aware of the consequences, they should still be responsible, and the ADA.

  3. Why are we even discussing this–what’s to argue? Of course mercury causes illness–its poison–why would we put it in our mouths? Yes, dentist do get sick from using it–they have one of the highest suicide and depression rate. Some day Jesus will tell all you mercury lovers that you were wrong! Shame on you for being greedy dentists!

    • Melanie. Dentists do not have the highest suicide rate or depression rate. Amalgam is far cheaper than other restorative materials and lasts the longest. A dentist who places amalgam actually earns less money.

      Jesus frowns upon the ignorant and judgemental.

      • It’s not ignorant to want to help protect the public from neuro toxic vapors. And judging is wrong yes, but judging in the name of bringing awareness to people is very right! A dentist earning less money on them does not negate the fact that it is wrong to use them in the first place. I think Jesus would want us to have this information, and would not want it withheld, so we can protect the beautiful bodies he has given us.

      • It’s pretty funny that I had to click “Reply to God” to write this!

        Melanie said “one of the highest.” Here you go…
        http://mentalhealthdaily.com/2015/01/06/top-11-professions-with-highest-suicide-rates/

        It’s interesting that the article mentions electromagnetic radiation as possibly affecting the brains of electricians, but it doesn’t mention the toxic environment of most dental offices. http://www.evidence-of-harm.com shows this explicitly. OSHA isn’t doing their job there.

    • Oh my goodness! Jesus will put the naughty dentists into hell too?
      It is pretty obvious that zero mercury in our bodies is preferable to what the WHO claims is safe. One of my amalgams fell out tonight while flossing and that’s how I found this blog :)

  4. Wow! Dentist defending themselves for poisoning thousands of their clients. I am sure not one of you has Mercury in your teeth. You sound just like tobacco execs. And I am sure you all would defend Fluoride even after all the studies showing it is toxic. Why are Denialist Dentist #1 in professionals for SUICIDE? Because of all the Mercury Vapor they breath in make them crazy.

  5. I can’t believe folks are discussing whether a poison is a poison. How sad! These are supposed to be intelligent and knowledgeable folks? You are either in complete DENIAL OR CHOOSE TO BE!!! How can you possibly conclude that a Poison and Neuro-toxin is “SAFE”. What is the agenda for making people around the US and the World “SICK”?

    After 3 hospitalizations, 8 different medications including oral and intravenous chemotherapy, slurred speech, loss of vision for 1 month
    and dying I discovered my 16 amalgams contained 50% mercury. My DDS’s NEVER told me.

    I had my 16 amalgams removed and ALL SYMPTOMS GRADUALLY BEGAN TO DISAPPEAR TWO WEEKS AFTER ALL AMALGAMS WERE REMOVED. NO MEDICATION, NO RELAPSES, NO HOSPITALIZATIONS FOR MS SINCE 1989.

    This was contrary to the American Dental Association’s reccommendation of SAFETY and the MS society of safety. NO ONE CAN TELL ME I WAS NOT “MERCURY POISONED”.

    Linda Brocato
    DAMS-IL
    Consumers for Dental Choice, Washington, D.C.

    • Linda I had the exact some experience!
      I had the same symptoms and problems as you!! Coincidentally, I had silver fillings placed shortly after and my symptoms got better! I guess I got cured by silver fillings….using your same logic.

    • Wow Linda, thanks for sharing your story, I am sure it was a hard journey for you. Congrats on having success that you did.

    • Hi, I have a rare blood disease which can only be treated with chemo. I am not on chemo yet. I did a lot of research in the US and other countries. I have a poor immune system and one of the things mentioned in the research was to build up your immune system before taking chemo. I do have symptoms of tingling in my feet and lower legs, and cramps. I never feel good and have no energy. I found a doctor who had an immunity therapy clinic for cancer patients. I was there and received treatment and blood work weekly. The doctor asked me about fillings, crowns, root canals, etc. I have a mouth full. He believes the mercury is the cause and that I should see a dental specialist who can do this. Can you ask the dentist who handled your removal if there is a website I could go to or if you would give me your dentists website I could do some investigation. I do not know what to ask for as I did inquires for dentists specializing in removing the mercury safely. I’m desperate. Please help. I’m glad you are doing well. Thank you…Annette Hannan

      • Hi Annette..
        There is a guy called Andy Cutler, who developed a protocol to remove/chelate mercury from your body AFTER the SAFE REMOVAL of ALL Amalgams.

        they have a big support group on facebook – https://www.facebook.com/groups/acfanatics/

        Thousands of people have gotten over their illness.. even children with autism are cured, just by removing mercury.

        This group will also be able to give advice on a safe dentist in your area..
        if there isn’t.

        Trust me you want to use a SAFE DENTIST in your condition.
        a dentist almost killed my sister last year by removing her fillings without proper
        suction, dental dam, ionization, hazmat suit ect. ( cant be too safe)

        strength and wisdom for you on your road to healing

    • I am on disability for immunity problems, fibromyalgia, yadda, yadda on and on. Mouth full of “silver” and dentist wouldn’t touch to remove! Too scared to, but she still put them in people sometimes! I have no money for replacements…original dentist who put in is dead now. Any suggestions on financial help?

  6. I’m looking to bring Dr. OZ down, but it is good to see some challenging remarks concerning big time personalities on tv and their expertise. We need to always check the information we receive, no matter what it is.

  7. I intend to go through what you have written here an outline why you are an idiot if your name was Iman Idiot and you lived in Idiot street Idiotville you couldn’t be more of an idiot!!!!! Firstly on letting the audience in even though members of the audience would have had amalgam fillings the mercury that would escape from a persons fillings would be far more likely to damage the owner of the fillings as they would be the first to inhale it thus depositing it directly inside there own body. To be honest when it comes to the name they should be called (toxic shit) as that is truly what they are to the human body and at least people would know where they stand instead of being deceived into thinking they have something that is safe and has been tested for safety.
    On the moisture issue and you dentists deluded beliefs that saliva is magically going to stop mercury arising from a mercury filling show me somewhere on the internet where they say if you have a mercury spill spray water on it and it will be contained !! you wont find this as it does not exist. Idiot!!!!!
    I have looked inside both my parents mouths and a friends mouth and seen nearly every tooth filled with this toxic shit how does someone like that get around brushing there teeth to avoid toxic vapours coming off?
    The model wasn’t breathing well that actually was in your favour as the force and pressure from the physical action of breathing actually draws up mercury vapour so you idiots are lucky the model wasn’t breathing, the reading should have been higher if they replicated the same amount of force.
    Other points that are relevant that Dr Oz did not demonstrate are the fillings coming into contact with something boiling hot like maybe a cup of hot coffee which would also elevate the rate of vapourisation. Also if the fillings came into contact with a form a bleach that some idiot dentist like you may use to attempt to whiten someones teeth (just another money making scam you twits have dreamed up) and finally acid from something acidic like lemon juice or tomatoes the rate of vapourisation was not measured in relationship to this either. You clowns looked at these fillings under an electron microscope and the amalgam when mixed in the quantities that became known as an amalgam filling beaded over to form a convex shape and from that you concluded that the mercury was locked into the filling. That is not science. That is akin to getting your mates over to check out your knew telescope and taking a look at the moon and because a group of idiots in a room all think it looks a bit like cheese drawing that as your final conclusion. Science needs to repeat an experiment over and over and over with the same imput and conditions and get the same results replicated over and over again before it can draw any conclusions. You are a bunch of idiots why don’t you finally admit it because your damaging a lot of innocent peoples health and this has gone on for way to long Stop putting this shit in peoples mouths and if you are a member of the public reading this don’t believe a word these idiots are saying !!!!!

  8. Thank You, Peter , for demonstrating exactly how dumb people can be on this issue.
    Dr Mead wrote a well researched post. Dr. Oz on the other hand has missed the truth so many times, not just on amalgam, he should be sued for endangering people’s lives.

  9. Dr Oz is finally telling the general public the truth the problem is that you f*****g dentists and doctors think you are superior to the rest of the general public and you can do entirely as you please. Lets just hope there is an afterlife so you maggots can burn in hell with all your money you have the morality of pack of paedofiles!!!!

    • The problem here Peter is that you’re willing to believe a TV personality over an expert. Dentists and doctors are absolutely superior than the general public when it comes to things like amalgam fillings. Don’t act like you’re even on the same level as them? You wouldn’t go around and say people never landed on the moon because Dr. Oz said they didn’t? Or at least I sincerely hope not..
      Sincerely, a Christian going to dental school.

      • He is right though. I know from first hand experience. Mercury fillings have almost completely ruined my life. Every dentist that has sold a “silver” filling to a customer is indeed a criminal even if this is done in an unwitting matter (sometimes it might not even be)
        . The customers are never given the right to consent. How many silver fillings do you think would be sold if they had to tell the truth and tell you they were putting a colloid of powdered metals in your mouth that made a nonuniform and weak/loose bond with Hg? The way I eventually stumbled upon the truth was from a night mouthguard that I had started wearing a dozen years too late. There was way too much “silver” collecting on this rubber like mouthguard which led me to investigate “silver” .
        https://brainly.in/question/1144465

  10. Hmmm, I’m curious about just how toxic amalgam gas, especially during removal, really is. If it was that toxic, wouldn’t dentists and dental assistants who remove them all day long be sick as dogs? Wouldn’t dentists be the first to cry foul for amalgam compromising their own health?

    Also, what is the next best alternative material for a dental restoration? Composite is known to have BPA and other chemicals in it so its probably no less toxic. Composite fillings are also well known to last as little as 2-3 years in some mouths and cause post operative pain in some cases. That leaves porcelain and gold which are both cost prohibitive in many cases. So what’s the next best alternative?

    Oh and Peter, name calling is probably the best way for one to diminish both his personal and argument’s credibility. Stay classy mate!

  11. I will choose honesty, decency, and morality over classy anytime perhaps if all doctors and dentists were required to have a faith in god we might get better health care allowing you clowns to put your own personal lust for wealth ahead of the general publics welfare is only benefitting you lot!!!! the list of lies that you have told the general public is growing by the minute you have the credibility of one of those career criminals whose story keeps changing every five minutes.

  12. Well, since you are so knowledgable on the subject, I asked for a response and suggestion for the next best material to restore teeth with in your opinion, Peter. Instead, more name calling.

    God likes knowledgable responses. Name calling makes baby Jesus cry.

  13. Dentist should be using the appropriate ventilation equipment if they are removing mercury fillings the problem with people is we are atuned to rely solely on sight seeing is believing. If something cant be seen it isnt believed. Well the truth of the matter is mercury is tasteless odourless and invisible so you cant rely on that sense which most people cant even begin to think past that point. Maybe you could start by contacting the toxicologists and get a list of what is poisonous and NOT put these on the list of what to put in peoples mouths, Dentistry should be going down the path of tooth regeneration p11/4 peptide. But if you have to put something in peoples teeth you should be looking at what Sweden is doing with the use of Composites. Essentially metal is not a good thing to use as it conducts electricity and it expands and contracts continually with changes in temperature. I would be looking at glass and maybe you should get in contact with Nasa and see if they can develop something. Dentists are people too I realise you have to pay bills and earn money to live but using mercury fillings has been a really evil stupid thing to do

  14. Heres an idea I will put forward even though it may not work. You could look into the idea of keeping a patients removed teeth which are crushed into a powder form. Then all you need to do is figure out what and how to use this material to rebond it to a living tooth. Has anyone investigated this idea previously the good point about this is you have substance that you know is biologically suitable as it came from the body Just an idea it couldn’t be any more stupid than using poison to fill teeth!!!!

    • Hey… that’s a pretty darn good idea! Why didn’t I ever think of that… It is like tooth recycling. I am guessing it wouldn’t sell well because the idea would perhaps gross out too many people.

  15. Brilliance by Peter. “Grind up” removed teeth and glue them back in with some sort of bondo. Brilliance.

    Any of you Einsteins against amalgam realize that EVERYTHING is toxic at a certain level? Like Oxygen, at too high a level, can kill you? Did you know that? Mercury also. So as long as it is kept at a level shown low enough not to cause problems, it is considered safe.

    And yes, I am a dentist. Who has amalgam fillings in my mouth.

  16. Ground up teeth placed in a binder as fillings. What could go wrong?

    “…It’s people…Soylent green is made out of people!”

  17. This Peter guy is genuinely misinformed. My most favorite part is when he calls dentists greedy by placing amalgam fillings.

    I am in public health, where I work for dentists who work for pennies on the dollar to provide good for the community. They use amalgam fillings for patients since they cannot afford ANY other type of restoration for decayed teeth. Dentists actually make more money when they use composites, metals, porcelain, etc. There is MORE MERCURY IN ONE SERVING OF TUNA than in 100 amalgam fillings. Also true of most of fish.

    Also you cannot ventilate inside a mouth, which is why we wear masks when working on patients. Dentists in the 70′s and 80′s didn’t wear masks, which is why they inhaled aerosolized mercury, tooth structure and metal. Get your facts straight and stop blaming other people for your inadequacies.

  18. P.S. – Composites don’t expand, they shrink over time, creating micro-gaps for bacteria to get in and re-decay your teeth. Amalgam expands, sealing those gaps so you don’t get that re-decay.

    Average composite lasts 6-7 years

    Average amalgam lasts 16-17 years

  19. Thanks so much for this informative information. I was all set to get all the amalgam fillings out of my mouth July 15th. I was living in fear that the mercury was bad. I have had my fillings since I was a young kid and through my teenage years. I have never had to have one of my amalgam’s replaced. I am now 41 years old. That makes my amalgam fillings 25 to 31 years old. I always thought it would be like removing asbestos and it would be better to leave well enough alone. I am healthy with no medical issues and I brush my teeth 2 to 4 times per day. So with that said I already called my Dentist this afternoon and canceled my July 15th appointment. Thanks so much for writing this Blog Dr. Mead.

  20. I’m glad that you found it helpful. I would never recommend removal of silver fillings in order to remove mercury. That said, make sure you are working with a dentist whose opinion you trust. Amalgams can last 25-31 years, but they wear just like everything else!

    Here are a couple of other blogs that I wrote about silver fillings that outline my philosophy about silver fillings:

    http://meadfamilydental.com/2011/04/silver-fillings-tooth-saving-work-horse-or-pure-evil/

    and

    http://meadfamilydental.com/2011/04/saginaw-dentist-prefers-drilling-smaller-holes-in-teeth-or-the-problem-with-silver-filling/

    I wish you the best and thanks for commenting here!

  21. So if mercury becomes chemically bound within the amalgam in the same way salt does (where it combines sodium and chloride by exchanging an electron) which of the components of dental amalgam does mercury exchange an electron with?

  22. The masters of Metallurgy have fallen silent maybe you should change the name of the blog to “doctor oz was right” and stop lying to the public

  23. which of the metals silver , tin or copper does mercury exchange an electron with to chemically bind the two metals together?

  24. Just another of the many lies you have told I could list them all but there are way too many !!!! show some morality stop putting this poison in peoples mouths!!!!!

  25. Dr Paynet is a big baby he wont let me comment on his blog too bad Paynet you were partially right but you will not know now!!!!

  26. No, actually I am not accusing them of lying in the slightest. In fact, I concede that it is entirely possible that SOME people do get sick from them. The problem with your argument is…….given the mind-bogglingly huge number of people all over the world with silver fillings, how come they aren’t all sick, too? And why aren’t all dentists who place them sick? How come we don’t all have MS, or Alzheimers, or Parkinsons, or whatever other diseases these fillings supposedly cause? If your “logic” were correct, then pretty much every single dentist (along with all of the hygienists and assistants)who places, or who has placed, a lot of silver fillings should be sick!

    In answer to your questions I looked up how an amalgam filling is placed on you tube im not sure why it was so difficult for you to explain it too me but I got around it anyway.
    Q1 millions of people with amalgam fillings why aren’t they all sick

    A1 this is the toughest question I believe it has to do with the variation in the size of the fillings if you had one standard size of filling you would get standard results I have a theory but I need to research it more before I let this one out of the bag

    Q2 why aren’t dental personel and dentists sick
    A2 dentists are well aware that mercury vapour is highly toxic they wear masks to protect themselves, they use a device called an amalgam carrier to place the amalgam inside the patients mouth which conatains this toxic gas inside this device, once the filling is inside the patients mouth the upward draft from breathing by the patient draws any vapours up thus protecting the dentist and the dental nurse from the toxic vapours

  27. something else I would like to add I said if I brought some mercury to your practice and tipped it in the carpet would that be an issue for you you replied no it wouldn’t not in the slightest not unless I had my nose in it. Well the truth is that is exactly what the patient has he or she has his nose directly in the mercury vapours coming off the filling and if that mercury is not locked within the filling and it is offgassing then that is a problem.

    You are partially right though those big fillings stay intact and that is why you are so defensive of your work. We need to move forward and determine which fillings need to be replaced and why.

  28. Everything Alfred Stock said was correct including his statement
    “Mecury fillings are a terrible Sin against humanity”

  29. Peter,

    I’ve just now seen all of your comments. It seems like you’re responding to questions or comments that aren’t previously posted. I’m finding your conversation with yourself entertaining. By all means, keep it up.

  30. Those questions were from another dentists blog the big baby who asked those questions didn’t like it when I gave him the answers so he kicked me out of his blog. I answered them here just so you dentist could understand why patients get sick from amalgam and dental personel don’t because you lot realy are clueless!!!!

  31. Mercury fillings caused a great deal of pain in the roof of my mouth, as soon as they were removed, the pain went away

  32. I don’t find this topic entertaining in fact I understand how damaging mercury fillings can be to the human body. Its not entertaining its not funny its not even remotely humorous in any way shape or form what amalgam fillings are is possibly the stupidest idea man has ever come up with. I honestly cant think of anything more stupid than putting mercury in peoples mouths.

  33. Peter, after reading your comments I can think of one thing more stupid than mercury in a mouth, the time I wasted reading your unfounded,tinfoil hat wearing drivel. That is all I can say before being unjust to you.

  34. Dentistry is a disgrace everything your profession does is bad for peoples health root canals , mercury fillings , fluoride all rubbish the best thing to do in relation to dentistry is to avoid you

  35. Who would have thought, a dentist defending amalgam fillings. Mercury is one of the worst neuro-toxins at any level!! It is a fact that people with amalgam fillings have much higher levels of mercury than people without them. How on earth can people be defending them still, am I living in the twilight zone?

    STOP USING AMALGAM!

  36. Wah wah wah, everyone is trying to poison me. Wah, wah, wah.

    Guess what? Don’t use fluoride and don’t use amalgam. I really don’t give a shit.

    Let your teeth rot out of your skull.
    Extractions + implants and crowns = more money for me anyway.

    Now go cry a river.

    These tree hugging holistic freaks are uneducated and inbred. Bartenders and losers for a living yet they think they know more than the professionals in this field.

    Go contine oil pulling you freak, more money for the dentist in the end when your teeth fall out of your face.

  37. Scott, it must be very difficult to go through life being that stupid. But go ahead and keep drinkin’ the kool-aid.. while the rest of us use will continue to use actual science to determine which materials we will use in our offices.

  38. I love the fact that Peter had to find a video on YouTube (that incredible bastion of good science) to find an explanation for how dentists place amalgam fillings, and that from watching a YouTube video, he got his answer on why dentists don’t get sick but patients do. I mean………how stupid can one truly be? That’s why I banned him from my blog – I have little tolerance for sheer stupidity.

  39. Peter- your comments do make me laugh. Dentistry and medicine are built on evidence, not anecdotes. Yes tipping mercury onto my floor would obviously be a hazard, but mercury in amalgam is in a stable form and is barely released. As another user said there is more mercury in a can of tuna.

    Furthermore an amalgam carrier is the simplest piece of equipment ever, it is essentially a tube of plastic that picks up the amalgam so we can easily place it into the cavity. It has no fancy ventilation features or anything to minimise mercury vapour release.

    Yes mercury is a neuro toxin, but we aren’t pumping your body full of dangerously high levels of mercury…it is a minimal amount of mercury in a highly stable form.

    Yes fluoride is toxic, again at very high levels. Not the levels we recommend.

    The same can be said for literally anything. (water, oxygen…you name it!)

    I recommend you read scientific papers and the evidence out there, and then come to your own
    conclusions as opposed to making wild assumptions.

    Yours sincerely, a dentist with amalgam fillings

  40. all you idiot dentists did was dissolve silver into mercury ,propper chemical bonds are not formed and tjen you have lied and lied and lied and lied to hide the fact that you got it wrong ,your a bunch of idiots defending mercury fillings because you buy an amalgam capsule for about sixty cents and charge the customer $150 bushrangers!!!!

  41. the dentists who are still using mercury fillings are just a bunch of greedy ,uneducated , rednecks even your own dental association admits that the mercury in amalgams isn’t inert and vapourizes as well as leaches into saliva, if you want to read some good science look at Boyd Haleys study on the effect mercury inhalation has on track athletes, he really nailed it clever man !!!! unlike you halfwits

  42. a johannesberg university has done testing on glass ionomer fillings which has shown the use of glass ionomer fillings in load bearing teeth is comparabe in durability to mercury fillings ,these fillings have been around since the 1970s so all the people who got poisoned and damaged by mercury fillings did so because it was more financially lucrative for your dentist to use mercury!!!

  43. I have been ,i live with the damage from your fillings every day and if you dont stop using them im going to fuck all you maggots up give you a propper chemistry lesson

  44. Thanks for the article but far from the truth and continues to take away from the real issues. After my doctor discovered a high level of mercury in my system after a blood test he suggested I get any mercury fillings out. He felt this was the cause of my health issues although never wrote this in my medical chart. I no longer have: daily, intense headaches, intense muscle cramping, immune system problems, bleeding and bruises issues, fuzzy eyesight, dizziness, asthma, chronic cough and congestion, kidney, liver and stomach problems and the list could go on for several more pages. I don’t eat much fish, I work from home on a rural, 20 acre setting and thus not exposed to the normal urban pollution. Neither I nor my nearest neighbors use pesticides, etc. There is nothing in my environment that has mercury in it except the dental fillings. Unless you have experienced the issue of mercury poisoning I don’t think you can really comment accurately. Why try having present dental filling replaced with mercury ones, wait 10-20 years or if you are sensitive the next day and see how you feel. For some the symptoms come on gradually and for others they are immediate. Place answer why not get rid of the mercury filling now? What harm would that do? Maybe it is a money issue here more then a human one. Please do complete research before you comment further.

  45. As a kid we used to take the mercury thermometer to class. bread the glass vial and roll the mercury around on the top of the desk. I am now 71 , have several amalgam fillings in my mouth and suffer NO symptoms outlined in several article. None of the articles state how much vapor one would have to ingest over a lifetime before it causes health issues. My wife was recently quoted $5000 to remove her fillings.l She is 69. My question to the Dentist who wants to perform the procedure is this; If she removes her fillings will she live longer than otherwise? Or will she die sooner if she leaves them in her mouth?

  46. they used to put lead in paint ,told the public cigarettes are good for your health, put asbestos in houses,put lead in petrol, put mercury in mercurochrome, used mercury as a preservative in vaccines ,the list could go on and on rolling mercury in your hand is idiotic and your teacher would be sacked for stupidity today,and you missed the point anyway its the vapours that cause the damage

  47. Thank you for your article. It’s was very informative. I am grateful that I was given silver fillings when I was young because my family did not have dental insurance. If the silver fillings were banned in the US than I’m not sure what my teeth would look like now. Now that I am older and can afford to have the fillings removed, but I see no reason why- other than for cosmetics. I am very grateful for dentists and the costefficient options available help me keep all my teeth. Thank you

  48. if they gave out an award for the worlds biggest idiots these halfwit dentists would win it every year
    ha ha ha

  49. Peter, Us greedy maggot idiot dentists would make much more money if we placed composites. Are you under psychiatric care by chance?

    Dentists are the perfect group of people to study the effects of mercury toxicity. We remove it all day long, its 10:00am, I’ve already removed four huge silver fillings. Dentists before me rolled the amalgam and silver around in their bare hands for years, there is zero correlation of any health problems and dentists. If you pull the suicide card, we have a very average suicide rate when compared to similar stress level occupations. Think about it, you compare us to a librarian, grocery clerk and a baker, yes we will have the highest suicide rate, we have a very complex job. Then we have people like you who think they have a remote clue about this subject and throw us under the bus. You do realize that your dentist didn’t cause your cavities right? You did it to yourself. Look in the mirror and take some responsibility here buddy.

    • What adds up to more money, 2 gold fillings/year, 90 composite fillings a year or 550 mercury fillings per year… I am not buying it you lying sack of $hit. My late grandmother was a dentists assistant for years and she had to have had a bipolar disorder and did not even live to be all that old.

  50. Peter you are living proof that stupidity is still alive and well in the good ole USA. You idiot, we make a lot more money on composite fillings than amalgam. So if it were all about the money no one would use amalgam. You clearly don’t know your ass from a hole in the ground.

  51. Hey Peter! Great to see you here! Keep up the solid work. You are independently driving my traffic numbers off the charts.

  52. Mercury is toxic to any organism, period. The definition of toxic by WHO standards is a failure. Having studied environmental toxicity, and have heard case study analysis of patients who are toxic in general, but who also have had amalgam fillings illustrated that while amalgam may not affect everyone, it does those people who cannot eliminate it effectively.

    Toxicity is cumulative, just like the ill effects of smoking. There are plenty of case studies which clearly have shown a dramatic improvement when mercury was eliminated from the individuals body.

    This article is just as biased as the person it attacks for being biased. It is written by a dentist who has put in amalgam fillings in probably thousands of people and he wishes to defend his choice of practice. I’m not surprised in the least, its pretty standard human behavior.

    Here’s where the rubber meets the road. Dr. Oz can show a model and talk about what it does. You can defend against his experiment. However, I can grab the patients who have had symptoms for years where once the mercury was removed, they improved. It doesn’t get any more factual than that.

    • Thank you as I was told to have my mercury fillings removed by a dentist specializing in this area. My blood work looks good and my symptoms were common with the rare blood disease I have. Do I look for a Naturopathic dentist?

  53. “Here’s where the rubber meets the road. Dr. Oz can show a model and talk about what it does. You can defend against his experiment. However, I can grab the patients who have had symptoms for years where once the mercury was removed, they improved. It doesn’t get any more factual than that.”

    Some people (e.g.–smart people) would call that anecdotal. Factual? Not so much.

  54. Im pretty sure that everyone that drinks water will die someday as well. Therefore, by the previous logic, water is toxic and should be outlawed.

    I really hope that you folks that believe that drivel don’t procreate.

  55. this is really an argument that pitts greed against morality problem for you greedy maggots is ive got the silver bullet the fda is going to lose that court case for failing to protect the public on the dangers of mercury fillings and you will have no choice but to stop using them ,its a pity some people cant distinguish right from wrong

  56. So Peter how would you interpret this. I am a dentist. I have not placed an amalgam in 18 years. I still have them in my mouth.

  57. id interpret it like this not everyone has issues with having a ridiculously toxic poison in there mouth, but when there are issues these fillings ruin lives and the risks are unecessary given there are suitable alternatives glass ionomers and composites

  58. heres another joke for you
    Q what do you get if you cross an amalgam dentist with a sheep
    A a really dumb sheep ha ha ha

    • That was indeed a lol moment for me. .. the simplicity of that joke is what made it work. Thanks Peter Parker… I needed the comedic relief as this is a very serious and depressing subject for me.

  59. im really looking forward to the upcoming legal case , the fda and all you amalgam dentists are screwed knowhere to run knowhere to hide i hope the judge gives you the thorough thrashing you deserve for the unecessary pain and suffering you have inflected on innocent people you are a disgrace to humanity!!!

  60. im not happy with the structure of that last joke so im rewriting it

    q if you transplanted an amalgam dentists brain into a sheep what would you have?
    a an extremely stupid sheep
    ha ha ha

  61. Peter you are the worst kind of fear monger. You keep saying dentists are greedy when several people have posted earlier telling you that dentists make more money placing composite fillings.

    A responsible citizen does not jump up on a proverbial soap box and try to scream louder than everyone else like you’re doing. State your case and allow others to state theirs. What you’re doing is merely trying to get attention. Are you even reading others’ responses? What don’t you understand about dentists making less money from amalgams?

    I can tell you one thing for certain. If there is ever a study published that scientifically (not anecdotally) proves that amalgam fillings are indeed harmful, I promise you that all dentists would have no problem discontinuing use of it. The dentists who use amalgam still do so because there is no such evidence from a peer-reviewed study.

    You also mentioned fluoride. Who stands to financially benefit from discontinuation of fluoride use by the public en masse?

    The only point I will lightly concede Peter is that anecdotal evidence does, in my opinion, have a place. As a starting point for research only. It cannot be used to make conclusions.

    Fear mongering is a dangerous pastime. It’s also very irresponsible. If you want to pursue a responsible outlet, why not start your own study and try to get it published in a peer-reviewed journal? You have your hypothesis “Amalgam fillings cause health deficits in people.” That is the starting point. Now go out and prove us wrong.

    • What about this peer reviewed study?
      https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3025977/
      Or all the other ones on IAOMT’s website? Is the IAOMT a legitimate organization? Are they all wrong based on flawed methods? That is Joachim Mutter’s argument about establishment conclusion on the issue. Round and round we go. That seems to be the argument of the ADA, FDA and dentists around the world. Everybody’s wrong because of flawed research methods? Don’t your college degrees say that you know how to conduct quality research? We need AI to solve this, at least it would be non-biased, unless of course it learns to have wants and needs and then to lie in order to get them. I am not for or against amalgam, I am just wondering why there continues to be evidence published, that is apparently peer-reviewed, that gets immediately swatted down by the establishment? Are people like Mr. Mutter prospecting for disease? How does he make money from that when he is a researcher and not a dentist? Are dentists pro-amalgam because they fear legal claims for the billions of amalgam filling implants? Where is the TRUTH dammit!!!???

  62. i could easily state fukishima is purely anecdotal if i never went there saw no video evidence ,took the head in the sand approach that amalgam dentists do where they make no effort to examine the issues then yes anything can be declared anecdotal and if theres money to be made how convenient.
    where are all websites of people complaining that composite fillings ruined there health? there arent any maybe this might tell you something if you make more money placing composite i suggest you place these fillings then. but we both know the economic argument is bigger than what you have stated a dentist can place far more amalgam fillings in a day and so make more money and thats why you wont stop this idiocy .
    as for a peer reviewed study that will never happen as you dentists have got medicine in your pocket ,you lot have been making them a lot of customers people who would otherwise be healthy making visits to the doctor because there mercury fillings are the source of there illness
    you told the public you had used chemistry to lock the mercury into the amalgam,you lied when you said the mercury is chemically bound and when science prooved that mercury vapours came out of the fillings thats where it should have ended but it didnt because your greed got in the way

  63. I totally agree with you. Dr. Oz needs to focus on entertainment and leave dentistry to the real experts. Amalgam has been around long before Oz declared himself all knowing and it will be around long after he is gone. Great article on fillings.

  64. it amazes me how stupid you amalgam dentists are im not sure what they teach you in university but science isnt a part of the course and neither is commonsense

  65. For Peter,

    THE RECTION

    Low Copper Alloys: AgSn + Hg > AgSn + AgHg + SnHg

    High Copper Alloys: AgSnCu + Hg > AgSnCu + AgHg + CuSn

  66. “The prosecution rests your honour”

    Dr. Laidler’s criticism, Response to: “Smoking Teeth” – the truth gets “smoked out”, reduces to the following propositions. First, he contends that what is actually being seen is water vapor; and second, since mercury is a heavier molecule than the other constituents of air (i.e. oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, etc) the mercury vapor could not rise, but would fall toward the floor. This analysis is not consistent with the Laws of Physics and Chemistry for the following reasons.

    First, atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) is a well substantiated scientific analytical technique used to measure a wide range of elements in various materials such as metals, pottery and glass. It is based on the simple fact that some elements in the Periodic Table absorb specific wavelengths of light. This constitutes that materials fingerprint. In the case of mercury vapor the absorbance wavelength is 253.7nm.

    Thus, when a pure material is vaporized by the application of heat, while specific wavelengths are sequentially shone at it, the wavelength absorbed tells one the element making up the sample. In it simplest form, gold miners employ this principle when mining for gold. In the natural state, gold has a very high attraction for mercury; the miner heats his ore sample in a dark container, while shining an ultraviolet light. If a vaporizing shadow is cast, then mercury is present and the sample is likely gold. The amount of light absorbed is proportional to the concentration of the mercury.

    The video “Smoking Teeth = Poison Gas” is simply an application of this Miner’s Test, using an amalgam filling, containing approximately 50% mercury, as the sample. Water vapor will not absorb the wavelength from the Miner’s light; and, it will not cast a shadow. Therefore, for Dr. Laidler to suggest it will is unfounded. In the video, the vaporizing shadow is caused by mercury atoms absorbing the spectrum from the Miner’s light. A light, scientifically designed to identify the presence of mercury, not water. Water vapor cannot be visualized with a 254 mm light.

    Secondly, Dr. Laidler is correct when he states, “When molecules vaporize, the volume they fill depends on the number of molecules and their temperature”. This is called the partial pressure and the partial pressure for mercury in air is 0.00185 mm at 250 C. However, Dr. Laidler fails to report that the vapor pressure of mercury doubles for every 100 C increase in temperature. Employing dubious calculations, Dr. Laidler concludes that because mercury is heavier than the other components of air, if what we saw was actually mercury vapor coming off those teeth, and not just water vapor, it should have been SINKING rather than rising – even at 370 degrees C.” This of course is false, since the mercury in the amalgam is being is heated, causing the mercury molecules to become more active and vaporize. Thus, the mercury vapor rises from the amalgam and spreads into the environment in accordance with Boyles Law of Gases, the Guy-Lussac Law, and Avogadro’s Law and the Law of Entropy. These laws indicate that gas molecules by natural law move away from each other. Therefore, concentrated mercury atoms near the tooth naturally move to a location where less mercury atoms reside. These laws of the behavior of gas have nothing to do with gravity as Dr. Laidler improperly assumes.

    In conclusion, Dr. Laidler reports that “ever since (he) saw the video, (he) felt that there was something wrong with it.” Indeed, he is absolutely correct! It is wrong to place materials containing 50% poisonous elemental mercury into humans, while calling them “silver” fillings. It is wrong to promote such materials as safe, when there is no level of mercury exposure considered to be “safe”.

    Dr. Laidler has tried to “Manufacture Uncertainty” where none actually exists

  67. I am extremely pleased to announce that Amazon has a new book out titled “the worst ideas in the history of mankind” and your mercury fillings are in it. Unfortunately the book doesn’t count down from 100 to the worst idea ever, but if it did I have no doubt your fillings would be on poll position!!!!!
    It would have been good if the publisher had taken the opportunity to visit you lot down at ADA central headquarters because they could have used the opportunity for a photoshoot and caught you in your natural state away from filling teeth blowing up balloons, riding miniature bicycles and playing chasey in big boots around the office. Congratulations on your extreme stupidity !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  68. Dr. Oz is right! I know people that got sick and didn’t know why, just symptoms and unexplained auttoimmune diseases. My moms friend had a mercury filling 20 years old and had holes in it. She got tooth removed and all of a sudden miraculously (I think not) she got well and auttoimmue disease gone. Mercury poising obviously! Duh!! Mercury is bad and can’t stay in place forever. Their are way better alternatives and that’s a fact! Anyone who says different is either lieing to themselves, greedy and doesn’t want to speak the truth or just Not having modern wisdom! Get with the times and I too am suffering from an old mercury tooth and gonna get that Crap out ASAP! Be Smart people. Do your research! Don’t just believe information, find out facts for yourself!!!!

  69. In the earlier comments one of the wankers with a DDS after his name got on here and claimed there was no need to worry dental amalgam behaved like salt where you have two poisonous elements in sodium and chloride combine by exchanging an electron to form common table salt which we all know is able to be ingested without any harm to a person. Problem is this is not true the mercury exchanges no electron with any of the other components of dental amalgam it is simply mixed with the other components. You may not have noticed but I have they have removed this comment because it was just another one of their lies that they tried to put out there to fool the public. Lies are what they do best, problem is they keep making them up and they keep getting caught out.

  70. Amalgams last 20 years or more routinely. They are cheaper to place and although a dry field is much to be preferred they can be placed in difficult areas such as the tongue side of a lower molar where it may be impossible to get a dry field. Composite restorations require an absolutely dry field. They are highly technique sensitive and are difficult to get good contacts with.
    Of course this would be insignificant if they were unsafe but if done with modern precapsulated factory materials of advanced dispersed phase compudotion, I believe they are completely safe. To label dentists as greedy for wanting to place a cheaper but longer lasting material does not make sense. In past years amalgam mercury levels were judged by hand but are now factory set for optimum strength and safety.

    Composite fillings stink like garbage when removed because of all the microbial material they absorb due to their porousity. Patients frequently ask “What is that stink?” when I take out a posterior composite. Posterior composites generally last 5-7 years and in pediatric patients often
    Under a year.

    Allergists I have spoken with universally state that they have never seen a case of verifiable allergy to amalgam restorations.

    I will add I served with the 3rd Marine Division for a year as well as at Camp Pendleton and every Marine had mouthful of amalgams and none suffered from the nervous effects claimed by some of the previous posters. I suspect some of these claims are related to psychogenic illnesses in the first place.

    The root canal specialists will tell you posterior composites have been their greatest boon ever.

    Choose plastic tooth cheese if you wish. I have amalgams and my wife and kids.

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  72. Whoa. These comments are hysterical. I work in a dental office and yes, we place amalgam fillings. Greedy? Uh, no. Amalgam fillings cost our patients at least $100 less per tooth than a white filling. On your back teeth, a large amalgam filling costs less than $200 whereas a crown on that tooth will run you $1000 or more. I have amalgam fillings in my mouth that have been there for 25 years. They are in great shape and no, I am not suffering from a myriad of wacky medical issues. In fact, I take no medications/herbs of any kind and am pretty darn healthy. If you do not want any amalgam fillings, or for that matter white fillings made from plastics and filled with all sorts of chemicals, might I suggest you brush and floss twice a day and not get a cavity!

  73. You have no science to prove the safety of amalgam fillings because you didn’t do any science , the amalgam fillings leak mercury vapour which can be seen with a miners light, mercury vapour makes the plastics in composite pale into insignificance when it comes to toxicity , and in an increasingly electrified world you have left silver and copper the two most electrically conductive elements in the periodic table in charge of detaining mercury one of the most poisonous elements in the periodic table , thats like leaving a chronic alcoholic and a crack addict in charge of the security of serial killer , not real smart!!!! given that the amount of electricity people are going to be exposed to in the future is only going to increase with the introduction of wi fi , mobile phone towers, mobile phones held up to faces etc etc it is not real smart putting metal that is highly electrically conductive in peoples mouths, but of course you are dentists science isn’t your thing.

  74. Bottom line, I don’t want a ‘safe’ amount of arsenic in me so why would I want a ‘safe’ amount of mercury there? And, in the end we don’t even know positively that it even is a safe amount but have to rely on that it ‘could/might’ be safe. Well, could or might be is not a chance I want to take with my health. I’d rather err on the side of caution, then hope and pray that amalgam fillings are safe. Is it worth it to keep loyal to the use of amalgam fillings just for the benefit of the doubt? As far as I’m concerned, no.

  75. Science shows we are living dramatically longer than we were just 40 years ago. Thanks to advancements like amalgam fillings and root canals. My childhood dentist is now 91 years old and mixed mercury fillings every day. Bare-handed. You fear mongering is a joke. You wouldn’t know real science if it hit you between the eyes.

  76. I have read all the science from some of the best scientific minds to have ever lived Stock,Haley,Vimy,Levy,Lorscheider,Richardson and the evidence against mercury fillings is overwhelming , the scientific evidence I am missing is the work of G V Black the idiot dentist who decided he could render Mercury inert by combining it with silver where is his work oh that’s right it doesn’t exist because he didn’t do any science ,he just took a wild guess and got it completely wrong !!!!

    • Citations or STFU. Dropping names does nothing to bolster your “argument.” If you want to be taken seriously at the grown ups table I’d suggest you communicate in grammatically correct sentences and cite actual literature with a little bit of cogent discussion.

  77. Every three years I spend over $1000 replacing my plastic fillings. The plastic ones are inferior, shrink a little and leave gaps, which cause more problems. My new dentist suggested amalgam fillings, she puts a little bit of mercury in it and has told me it is impossible for it to leach out and will last forever……less money out of my pocket and less into hers. She also has said that they haven’t replaced the plastic as it’s a bit of a goldmine for dentists…… Haven’t done it yet am in research stage, any thoughts for pro Amalgam?

  78. What about the fraudulent dentists that around the world that are placing amalgam fillings leading to iatrogenic disease especially when the fillings fail and require root canal work. I personally have suffered apical periodontal disease from pulpal necrosis from fraudulently placed dental fillings. End Dentistry Now.

  79. You are very wrong and Dr. OZ is correct. You and a lot of dentist only think of teeth and not the entire human body. Mercury is poison. What do you think happens to it when a small piece of it is swallowed an goes into the acid in your stomach. When you grind your teeth and small amount are swallowed. The gas is one thing. It could also be dissolving in your saliva. I don’t want any mercury used on me.

  80. Hi Alan,
    Everyone is aware that mercury is UNSAFE so why “plug” it into our bodies? I grew up with mercury thermometers in the house and remember one of them breaking. Being very young and curious at the time, I was impressed with the texture of that “mercury ball” and liked to squish it under my thumb to see how it separated. There was a huge reaction by the adults and I was immediately brought to the hospital….hmmmm, why such a reaction I wonder? There have been numerous epidemiological studies and reviews by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, the US Environmental Protection Agency and the World health Organization since 1991 to present and these studies support the toxicity of mercury in dental fillings AND in Dentists themselves. And why in 1840, were society members of the American Society of Dental Surgeons required to sign a mandatory pledge not to use “mercury” containing fillings for fear of causing mercury poisoning in patients? How come, in 2003 the California Superior Court Judge, finalized the language for WARNING about the dangers of mercury in dental fillings that Dentists would be required to post in their offices? The notice reads: PROPOSITION 65 Warning: Dental amalgams, used in many dental fillings, cause exposure to mercury, a chemical known to the state of California to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm. As well, the FDA has NEVER been able to certify dental mercury fillings as safe. It is the Dentist’s responsibility to warn patients of the short and long term possible effects of mercury containing fillings so that clients can make more informed choices for themselves and their families. MERCURY IS NOT MEANT TO BE PLUGGED INTO OUR BODIES.

  81. when its all broken down we have putting mercury in peoples mouths (bad idea) thinking combining mercury with silver rendered the mercury inert (bad science) , keeping the information that amalgams contain mercury from patients ( bad policy) lying to the public and saying amalgam was the only thing suitable for use when there have been suitable alternatives since the 1970s ( bad behaviour) governments sitting aside a bill to ban amalgams for years because they recieve campaigning money from the ada (bad behaviour) so however you look at it dental amalgams are bad of course financially they are good , good for dentists as they are financially lucrative, good for doctors as they make the public sick, and good for the government as they get paid of
    to look the other way

  82. Wow! As a dentist, I have not used amalgam routinely for 15 years. Having said that, there are cases where the patient is told that the only material currently available that will work is amalgam – it’s that or extraction. You have the right as a patient to decide what is put in your mouth. The bigger question for me is – why do you need all this dental work? Whose “fault” is that? I think the objective for most dentists is to keep teeth for a lifetime. We tend to recommend treatment to meet this objective. Teeth are optional by the way – get rid of them if you don’t like how we are trying to keep them there.

    I acknowledge that some people may have “sensitivity” to certain things that others may not. Should everyone be tested before use of any dental material? My own non-scientific research shows that most people are exposed to or expose themselves to many nasty things……some of which cause all this decay of teeth. We all might want to consider walking around with a respirator too.

    I have to say, the whole mercury thermometer correlation thing is pretty stupid. We know mercury is toxic. However, there is a difference when it is combined with other alloys to make amalgam. Amalgam is dying a slow death in the U.S………but not because of any scientific research showing it is killing anyone. While I don’t use it routinely, it would take some cold hard facts to take it out of my tool belt…..especially for older folks or those with rampant decay issues. Decay is almost 100% preventable….this is where we should be focusing our attention on debate.

    Pete……not to be confused with “Peter”

  83. Pssst….^^^^ That guy might have some mommy issues^^^…..

    Wow…..can’t believe this thread is still going on two years later. Nice job Allen!

  84. their are no covalent bonds exchanged between the components of dental amalgam which means no electrons are exchanged between the components allowing mercury to escape ,which means you have lied to the public for about the six hundreth time about this whole issue. with dentists like you amalgam dentists im suprised anyone is stupid enough to use your services

  85. Evaporation happens at any temperature when mercury is liquid. At normal air pressure, mercury is liquid between -38.83 °C and 356.73 °C. There is liquid mercury inside a set amalgam this is what is seen by a gold miners light escaping from the fillings . contrary to Charles Paynets assurances that the public have nothing to fear as mercury can only vapourize when mercury reaches boiling point at 356.73C Mercury is not water it doesnt need to boil to vapourize so be afraid people be very afraid!!!!

  86. I’m glad I came across your blog & was able to actually see a dentist POV on the subject of amalgam fillings vs. all of the blogs and articles written by hollistic housewives. I’m not picking sides & I’ve had my 4 silver fillings for 20 years. I have hypothyroidism, MS, trigeminal neuralgia & mitral valve prolapse-but do I think my little fillings caused these problems? Nope. I also have routine blood tests that check out everything under the sun & never have I ever been told I was being poisoned by Mercury. And even IF I thought it was a possibility I’d opt to have my whole teeth removed vs. just the fillings-because (“OH MY GAHD MERCURY”).

    BTW, SOME PEOPLE commenting on this ever so repeatedly for years-go ask your psychiatrist if your mercury poisoning made you INSANE.

  87. The words of Charles Payet
    Mylo, I honestly have a great deal of difficulty understanding WHY that really stupid video (and yes, I’m being quite blunt about my opinion on it) is given any credence, because there are some MAJOR problems with it that apparently go completely unnoticed, but here’s the biggie:

    The boiling point for mercury (the temperature at which it evaporates and becomes vapor) is 356.73 degrees Celsius!!!! Do you REALLY think that a mere rubber eraser could possibly heat up the mercury in that filling to the point it would evaporate? Do you realize that 356.73 degrees Celsius = 674.11 degrees Fahrenheit!!!!!

    So let’s assume momentarily (in a total suspension of disbelief and reality) that you could generate 674 degrees Fahrenheit temperature just by rubbing an eraser on an amalgam filling. What do you think would happen to the tooth at that temperature? Don’t you think that such a high temperature would transmit through the tooth and into the person’s finger? What do you think would happen to fingers holding an object at 674 degrees Fahrenheit? Ummmmmmmmmmm………HELLOOOOOOOOOO!?!?!!?!?

    C’mon, let’s get a little common sense going here. I’m tempted to delete the link because it is such bull, but for the sake of discussion I will leave it. What is really EMBARRASSING is that a supposedly science-based professional organization puts that junk out as real. :-(

    As for the burden of proof as to it being safe? Well, the ENORMOUS preponderance of scientific literature does prove it, while only fringe elements have been able to “replicate” the findings that amalgams cause illness, but remarkably, they have (at least to my knowledge) EVER been able to prove their findings with a double-blind, calibrated, prospective study (the real gold-standard of scientific research) words of Charles Payet the person putting mercury in your mouth , demonstrating he hasnt got a clue about the properties of mercury Ummmmmmmmmmm………HELLOOOOOOOOOO!?!?!!?!?
    You should delete this post Payet it shows you and you amalgam dentist mates up for what you really are a bunch of IDIOTS!!!!!!

  88. If your not still placing this toxic rubbish why can it still be bought on ebay ??? someone is buying it and if they are still buying it they are still using it !!!!!!

  89. got another joke
    Q why doesnt Margaret Hamburg bother to collect her freqeunt flyer points ?
    A why would Margaret Hamburg catch a plane when she can take her broomstick

  90. If your interested in recycling, our dental clinic just started using a local Oregon based Company, Acme Pure to recycle all of our amalgam waste. Their amalgam separator services saved us $85 on our replacement canister, which is great because we change ours at least three times a year!

  91. Q what do you call an amalgam dentist at the bottom of the harbour?
    A a good start !!!!! ha ha ha
    Q what do you call 200 amalgam dentists at the bottom of the ocean?
    A a big improvement !!!! ha ha ha

  92. The silver and the mercury don’t exchange electrons and form valence bonds during mixing the result is there is liquid mercury within a set amalgam in a patients mouth , this mercury vapourises for the entire time it is in a person’s mouth where it is inhaled into the persons brain and body , science has shown vapours coming off the fillings (smoking tooth video) and a miners light can clearly show the vapours coming off . Many of the people commenting on here as to amalgams safety are likely concealed dentists trying to protect their golden goose they can’t be trusted they lied to the public here are the lies 1 mercury is rendered inert when components are combined lie 2 mercury is squeezed out during placement lie 3 saliva prevents mercury escape lie 4 there isnt much mercury in fillings lie 5 we dont have suitable alternatives lie 6 glass ionomers aren’t as durable lie 7 we don’t make a lot of money out of using amalgam lie 8 there have only been 100 ever reported cases of allergy lie 9 we did double blind scientific testing on the fillings to prove their safety lie

  93. I am pretty old, and have had amalgam fillings put in my mouth for over 60 years. Just recently I had 5 broken amalgam filled teeth replaced with crowns. The subject of Mercury in my system from the old fillings was never brought up. Even though the crowns don’t fit well, and I will eventually have to have at least 2 of them redone, (long story, bad dentist), I fairly quickly, (within about 3 weeks), am feeling really good! I’m not as tired, don’t feel “fogged out”, like I previously did, and just all around feel more energetic and sharp, since I have had the fillings replaced with crowns. Think what you will; to me it’s a wonderful thing, and I attribute the noticeable improvement to the replacement of the old Mercury fillings with the not so toxic, ceramic crowns. There is nothing else that I have done or has happened to me in the way of change, to account for any other explanation. I am just as old, getting older by the minute, but feel better.

  94. Good for you Nicki yes it is absolutely criminal that something so simple has been kept a secret from the public for so long , its really sad that these lowlife greedy maggots put a big house , swimming pool and an expensive car and maximizing profits down as far more important than the average person health and welfare .Mercury fillings idiocy beyond comparison

  95. I am someone who has recently been diagnosed with a toxic amount of mercury in me. I live in Maui, Hi and eat fish in moderation. I have six amalgam fillings in my mouth. The mercury in my body had to come from somewhere. Mercury poison is no fun let me tell you. I think in a hundred years people will be saying how barbaric it was for doctors to actually put this in peoples bodies. There is no safe level of mercury for people. Don’t disillusion yourself.

  96. So Dr Martha Rich is also wrong??? I think Dr Oz & Dr Martha Rich are correct.
    I have amalgam fillings & grind my teeth. I can feel heat & gaseous/ vapour in my mouth where my fillings are.

  97. Finding a dentist who places a lot of silver or amalgam fillings in the US is becoming more difficult. Not because of uninformed poison patient issues. The issues of having a black ugly filling in a beautiful white glass like structure is like wanting a bullet ridden porcelain tea cup when serving guests at a tea party. They do their job of arresting decay of small enough and do not compromise the integrity of your tooth. If they are giant wide fillings and you grind your teeth, you will have pain not due to poison but due to horrific cracking in the glass enamel tooth structure over time. The cracks run to your nerves and cause long term death of your tooth nerve. Should you remove your silver fillings? The answer YES is if the tooth has notable fracture lines with brown stains around the filling, you are having biting pain unexplained, or if your dentist advises with proper documentation. Are amalgam fillings bad? Perhaps to many who waited too long to get their teeth fixed, amalgams could be horrible and painful… But so could any filling. The number one extracted tooth besides wisdom teeth in my practice is a fractured tooth that had a giant silver filling in it for too long without proper protection of the nerve.

    You may want to ask your dentist to place a liner under your silver filling to avoid a tattoo left on your tooth substructure. You may ask to have your silver fillings removed if they are black and loose looking.

    It is obviously the dentist intent to hurt people by waiting to fix these teeth until they are so mushy and smelly. Smelly barber shop dentist offices are a dream! Dentist belong to a secret society called the Angry Dentist Assholes. ADA for short. Or do they give away more free dentistry per clinic then medicine combined in their city per year? Eh? Do they makeover the grateful single moms mouth so she can get a decent job without being in pain for free? Eh?

    The dentists are working to be helpful and aide in your community so the greedy dentist would be the quack in Colorado who makes people pay thousands in blood tests and removal in a Mars like enviro… Yes that is where Dr. Ox might like to visit.

  98. First off, why would we want ANY poison in our mouth no matter the amount? Secondly, everyone is different, what they can tolerate is different,
    And we take in far too much toxicity in our world on many levels aside from out teeth. Western medicine and regular dentists need to start looking at patients as individuals instead of bulk test studies. Mercury was taken out of thermometers for a reason, it is super toxic. People who grind their teeth are at a particular risk, and u have not even touched on this, and yet you all agree that when taking the fillings out the poison aspect is much greater. Once again, patients are individuals with individual needs, allergies, sensativaties, and toxicity intake levels. This fact makes your article laughable. Doctors and dentists need to start thinking for themselves instead of just what they are taught in school, and asking themselves WHY more often. Until then, patients have to be their own advocates.

  99. I stumbled upon this page accidentally. The original post makes me extremely angry, and I could write a book on why this dentist is wrong, and worse, offensive, but I will leave the following thought instead:

    I think most people generally hope themselves to be decent people, and try to do right in their lives. Generally speaking, decent people don’t kick a person in the teeth who is dying of cancer. If I told you the horrors that mercury had caused me from a replaced amalgam filling, and if I was able to convince you this story was true, I think all naysayers and the original poster would simply go quiet, hang there heads, and contemplate their actions. It is a horror you cannot imagine. You essentially feel like you are losing your mind. Your body starts shaking. You get tremors in your hands. Your muscles start spasming. Your fingers and feet go numb. And the fear that you experience you did not know existed. You start googling “multiple sclerosis symptoms”. All this from an the amalgam replacement. You decide to get them all removed. Every. single. symptom. goes. away. And every symptom you’ve ever had. Ever. Every strange pain. The pleurisy. The sore testicles. The back problems. The “ice pick” headaches. The IT band inflammation. Everything. Gone. History.

    Now just imagine for a second that you are wrong, this story is true, and mercury from amalgams is harmful. Maybe not to every last human, but to many of us. By the words you’ve just written, you’ve just kicked us in the teeth. You’ve just twisted the knife that was already in our backs. I promise you that hurts almost as bad as mercury poisoning. Is that who you want to be? Is that what you want to contribute to?

    Please. For the love of all things holy. Stop. putting. neurotoxins. in. people’s. mouths.

    • You never hear of a dentist who gets sick from amalgam despite working with it all day. So strange.

      • I may have done an injustice by posting my experience. It doesn’t always happen like that, and it is somewhat rare that it does. What I posted was my acute like experience and the symptoms came on strong, likely due to oral galvanization between metals used in old amalgams interacting with a different metal composition of newer amalgams. I had my old amalgams for 25 years before this and never suspected a thing. I had no major issues, but several minor ones (that my standard MD had no solutions for). Only after removing my amalgams was it obvious to me that these were causing my all my minor issues. Also, general health-wise, I had no idea how good it was possible to feel – my sense of normal was completely askew.

        My point is this: Mercury in chronic inhalation conditions is usually subtle. The first symptoms are often anxiety or depression, irritability, shyness, insomnia, etc (see Erethism). Anybody on Xanax these days? SSRI’s? Benzo’s? Hmm…

        I could say here that all these problems in all cases are caused by amalgams, but the truth is, I don’t know that, nor can I prove it. But I know that some are, and I suspect that number is higher than would be medically acceptable for any other implant. There is simply no reason we should be putting the world’s most dangerous non-radioactive neurotoxin in mouths.

        • “But I know that some are…”

          No. You don’t. What you have is a bunch of anecdotes and a strong belief in something for which there is no evidence.

          • No evidence? _I_ got mercury poisoning from a dentist just like YOU and lost 6 months of my life recovering. What exactly is my horse in this race anyway? It isn’t like I knew a thing about this before it happened or even cared. I’m in IT – about the furthest from the medical profession. You tend to get your beliefs in a hurry when it happens to you.

            Keep telling yourself that it must be a lie. I can imagine you have an extremely strong reason to deny this. After all, this would mean some your patients are going to get sick from what you did to them. Honestly, that would be a hard thing to have to confess to I suspect, so denial is probably easier.

            Honestly, the whole thing makes no sense. Other than the “trust” factor in the FDA/ADA, etc. (and why on earth we should trust these entities or any government entity outright without validation is beyond me). We KNOW what mercury does. We KNOW it vaporizes from amalgams. We KNOW it bioaccumulates in the body. We KNOW that this will result in more mercury in brain and other organs. We KNOW that mercury in contact with neurons schrivels them up in 30 minutes. No scientist disputes these things. And we still think it a good idea to put this in somebody’s mouth? Pure insanity.

  100. I don’t think he is interested in justifying years of pain and suffering to a “bird brain” like you and Tom if you read through the comments I have put above you will realise why dentists don’t get sick from mercury fillings and patients do , Dentists simply are not exposed to the mercury vapour as they are not carrying it around in their mouths and they are very careful not to expose themselves to the poisonous gas amalgam emits.

    • I’ve let you troll this blog post for YEARS. Honestly, I’d love to meet you in person. I’ll bet you’re less of a douche in person because the internet lets you say things with no accountability nor evidence.

      My suspicion is that you’re mostly a normal person and that your beliefs would not be obvious to me. It’s only the anonymous nature of the internet that brings out this kind of crazy in people.

      • Alan you obviously think you are very important because you have this website, a pensive look is designed to give one the impression that you are deep in thought, unfortunately this would require you to have a brain in your head.and given that you think mercury fillings are a good idea I doubt that is the case!!!

        • Where’s your website, Peter?

          Oh yeah. You’re an anonymous troll. You create nothing. You just troll. Keep up the good work, tho. It drives lots of traffic to my site! I should put you on the payroll.

      • Nah. I’m all for anonymous posting as there are good reasons for it, and, “studies have shown” – heh-heh – that the quality of posts doesn’t improve with the name. (I’d have banned the guy years ago. There is no reason for you to tolerate abuse). I’m reading your article because today, I discovered that all the enamel on an upper left molar had fallen off today, leaving exposed what appears to be kind of a Devil’s Tower of amalgam, but with irregular bits.

        I never had “bad” teeth, but when I was 15, my mother managed to find the one truly heinous dentist in perhaps the country and allow him to sedate me with general anesthesia – from which I almost died. There was a claim that I had many and deep caries, which I didn’t, but he was believed, and he proceeded to drill out – and I mean “out” 15 teeth and insert large amounts of amalgam. Now, I’ve had memory problems for decades — horrible recall. Do I think the amalgam, and lack of ability to afford dental care might contribute to that? Sure. For overall health, one needs to have good working teeth. A fact that all insurance companies and government programs continue to ignore even in the 21st century. (I consider it one of the biggest sins against continued lies that urge people to take care of themselves, and then don’t provide a means to do so).

        With this tooth – or should I say “amalgam,” I have one choice, and that’s extraction. I cannot afford anything else. It doesn’t hurt at all so far today. It is not sensitive to cold or heat. I can taste the metal. But do I want to have it extracted, and definitely force the issue of dentures – which I cannot afford – (and there is no dental school around) -the answer is “No.”

        I had a composite filling two years ago on a lower tooth. My body, if you will, didn’t like it at all. That tooth was sore for months. I am sure that the composite also shrunk. (I also had the second worst dentist in the country give me too much articane – which I will never have again – and which caused severe numbness of my head for weeks). I say – the heck with composites.

        The dentists who have seen me before around here have only seen me for emergency visits. Now, none of them will see me unless I have everything done – the full monty. Well, how nice for them. I mean, I paid them in full up front and none of them were inexpensive. Why are they punishing me for being poor, I’d like to know. Why don’t they care more that I am ill, and that having this “Devil’s Tower” in my mouth is quite frightening? (I mean, it is black black black).

        But they seem to want to “do things right.” This is when I wonder about dentists without borders – you know – going into 3rd world countries and dealing with people who have teeth that are so bad they are killing the people. Do they say, “I’m sorry, but unless I can give you crowns in all your teeth, I won’t do anything for you?” No. But here, people are truly out of luck.

        So. Back to the mercury and other metals in the amalgam. I don’t doubt that there are toxically bad, and even systemic effects. Having no teeth at all may be actually be more health-full if it comes down to that. But that composite made me more ill, and promptly than anything else I’ve had done. Right now, I’m hoping that my ill body can tolerate all the effluence that must be going into my system from this 100% exposure of 50 year-old amalgam, and that I can keep the amalgam as my “tooth” for a long time to come.

  101. So if I’m a dentist who has 6 amalgams in my teeth, with no intention of removing them, unless they begin to fail to keep my “cavity” filled, I guess I don’t meet your criteria of “Dentists simply are not exposed to the mercury vapor as they are not carrying it around in their mouths”. AND if I am NOT “careful not to expose themselves to the poisonous gas amalgam emits” as I wear a surgical mask when placing and removing amalgams (only to prevent spread of my germs to patient and vice-versa) and certainly would never use a silly apparatus like a “gas mask”. Furthermore, I’m in my 24th year of doing dentistry daily and my question to you would be, why am I not “sick”? I just had a comprehensive physical and bloodwork and at 47 feel better and have more energy than I did at 25.

  102. If your a dentist and you know how poisonous mercury is and you have let another dentist put this toxic rubbish in your mouth then you are a special kind of stupid !!!! unfortunately I have a terrible amount of damage in my body including permanent pain inside my brain, severe pain in the tops of my eyeballs ,severe pain in my hands and damage in my back and my upper teeth are corroded by dental amalgam , I also have severe electrical sensitivity I wont be able to meet with you or any other amalgam dentists as I have a severe pathological hatred of you birdbrains for all the pain I have had ro endure because you put greed before common sense and never did the appropriate science prior the sticking something as poisonous as mercury in people’s mouths !!!!

  103. Of course you would disagree with Dr. Oz..you are a dentist.I can tell you several years ago I was in the “low income” bracket and there fore I qualified for medicaid.I have NEVER had any problems with my teeth up until then.I went to a dentist for a check-up,and low and behold he tells me I have 17 cavities!!I could not believe it,I have always taken great care of my teeth and they were in great shape.Well since he was the dentist who was I to argue,and of course my Medicaid at the time paid for all the work.I have had nothing but tooth problems since those “silver”fillings were put in my teeth,I am 40 years okd and dont have alot of teeth left because they just break off and I end up losing them.I know without a doubt the cause of this is the fillings.You have no idea what I go through everyday of my life ashamed to smile,,laugh and half the time even talk to other people because the fillings have ruined my mouth,my confidence,and my life.I am no longer on Medicaid and have no money to get my teeth fixed,get partials or dentures…I would never wish this upon anyone,it is no waty to live.

  104. At least you know dentistry is one big money making scam now ,im in a similar shitty situation in life thanks to these Birdbrains !!!! I am sorry you got scammed like that!!!!

  105. Mercury Amalgams do poison us. I had blood mercury levels tested prior to having 1/2 of my mercury amalgams removed from my mouth (in approx 6 teeth). Mercury blood levels, tested through a normal lab workup at a conventional medicine doctor, was flagged as high at a value of 21. After removal of 1/2 of the amalgams, I had the blood work done again…levels when down to 9 (down by more than 1/2). Months later I had the other half done (another 6 teeth). I went back and had the blood work done once again…mercury level in blood was negligible (1). Mercury doesn’t stay in your blood long…it eventually finds a home in your tissues. Don’t tell me the mercury in amalgams doesn’t poison people. It does. Many chronic problems are caused by low level, chronic exposure to Mercury vapors from amalgams. I am a perfect example. Happy to share lab work and med hx…it tells no lies. The cost to admitting the need to replace every amalgam tooth in America is staggering…no wonder there is so many folks against the TRUTH. Interesting that countries overseas have already banned mercury amalgams…and the US frowns on it in children and women who are pregnant…WHY? Because it POISONS the very delicate brains that are still developing. Do you really think that an adult human brain suddenly become IMMUNE to the dangers of Mercury like some super power or magic trick? Do you know that when amalgams are removed from your teeth for any reason that they cannot just be thrown away – they have to be properly disposed of as HAZARDOUS WASTE, but is too dangerous for a hazardous waste bag…it could poison the enviornment….it has to be recycled properly (see EPA artlcle: https://www3.epa.gov/region02/waste/mercury/dental.htm). Would you KNOWINGLY put HAZARDOUS WASTE into your LIVING TOOTH!? Think folks…it isn’t rocket science. If it is too dangerous to just throw in the trash why would you put it in your MOUTH!? The public will believe what it is told…start thinking on your own. Stop believe the lies told by the MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR CHEMICAL INDUSTRY and POLITICAL LOBBY!

  106. What’s amazing is it took the world health organization 200 years to work out putting mercury in people’s mouths was a bad idea ,its no wonder nothing gets cured with people as stupid as this running our planet!!!!!!

  107. Unbelievable! The level of ignorance is astounding. Tests of urine, blood and hair show dental office workers in the USA have the highest levels of mercury of any group. It is toxic!!! We are required to dispose of mercury themometors, light bulbs and other devices in a separate way because of their toxic effects. The law requires separate disposal. Even the FDA agrees with this. Studies performed all over the world show mercury poisoning from amalgam fillings is FACT! My hypothyroidism was caused by my fillings. Detoxification is essential. I do not eat fish, high mercury content, I do not drink tap water, high levels of mercury. So where did I get it? My 40 year old, aging fillings leached every time I chewed food, brushed, grinded, chomped, and wore them down. New safe practices for removal are protecting both dentists and patients due to the toxicity. If there’s any doubt, read Dr. Mercola’s story about how he almost died when his fillings were removed in an unsafe way. Think about who benefits from perpetrating this lie — follow the money. Dentists insurance reimbursements are higher for amalgam, ADA cannot be “caught” in a lie or cover up as that would open the floodgates for lawsuits. No different than the tobacco industry. Liars all! Use some common sense – chemicals are bad for the body, people, animals, the planet. Whether Dr. Oz’s test was scientifically accurate ir not, the truth is mercury in amalgam (50%) is bad for your health, and over time can devastate your body. Your liver can never filter all the toxins we are exposed to every second of the day. We do not live in vacuums where mercury is the only toxin, all heavy metal poisoning is bad. Do some actual study and research and educate yourselves.

    • I just can’t worry about the health hazards at this point in time in my life. I can’t get the amalgam replaced anyway, and I think the material in the composites is more foreign to my body than the amalgam – not that the amalgam is better. An interesting effect – if I take a capsule of burdock, which is alleged to remove heavy metals – the cracked and/or worn amalgam fillings give off a distinct metallic taste. I’m not making a direct correlation here – it is simply anecdotal.

  108. Perhaps the world health organization should change its name to the “world were not very good at what we do organization” or perhaps they could be called the “world we have no interest in your health organization” ha ha ha fricken idiots

  109. So, the fact that the experiment varied in small details negates the negative impact of amalgam fillings? No, of course not. You’ve admitted that vapor is emitted and also potentially absorbed directly into the body. What you SHOULD be saying is that, though the experiment may have exaggerated what a normal living person would be exposed to for demonstration purposes, there is real potential for harmful exposure on a DAY TO DAY basis. And also, what should we do about it?

    A little intellectual honesty goes a long way!

    Cheers.

  110. Many lives destroyed ,lots of money made by dentists ,and lots of teeth ruined by a filling material that expands and contracts at extreme rates to crack teeth if mercury fillings are the best you bird brains can come up with you ought to give up!!!!!

  111. Governments around the world and the world health organization might be stupid enough to buy the lies you tell but the public are awake to the scam you criminals have been running.

  112. Have you ever wondered why the ADA will severely censor dentists when they malign the dental profession with information that reflects negatively on the profession as a whole?

    Yeah, you guessed it, because the whole profession would collapse if the masses knew, God forbid, that your health, and your teeth are a reflection of what you have been putting in your mouth (eating)

    It doesn’t help that the dental profession has been championing mercury for, well since the modern age.

    Used to be that maybe the profession was organized to “help” people, now its just a way to expand the extraction of every dollar possible from your pocket and join the ever expanding list of things that compete to do so.

    Dentistry is medevil.

    Eliminate sugar from your diet and watch your health head to the sky.

  113. Suffered from allergies for 40 years. Tried pills, sprays and shots. very little help. I got my silver filling replaced. 2 years later allergies totally gone.

  114. There are many people with various health issues that are directly related to these fillings problem is the public are not told they have poison in their mouth ,and the mercury acts in such a subtle concealed way that many people will never realise that that debilitating condition they have been wishing would get better is a direct result of these dangerous poisonous fillings

  115. Wow dentists are truly dangerous. Poisoning the masses, and then obfuscating and denying. Seems the below quote settles the matter. My health is trashed in large part because of what my conventional dentist put in my mouth. Stop poisoning people.

    “In 1991, the World Health Organization confirmed that mercury contained in dental amalgam is the greatest source of mercury vapour in non-industrialized settings, exposing the concerned population to mercury levels significantly exceeding those set for food and for air.”

  116. 55 years old. I have had severe bruxisme all of my adult life and numerous other stuff I am not going into. While flossing today, a large heavy piece of amalgam flew out. The right side of my jaw is loose and not clenching for the first time in 35 years!
    My left side is still tight. I have amalgam teeth still there. Wow this is how pleasant life can feel. I am not getting that large filling redone in any way no way!

    • Well, that sounds like the amalgam was either badly placed initially, or had cracked and caused a misalignment. I’m not sure what you mean when you say that the right side of your jaw is loose and not clenching, nor that the left side is still tight. Let’s hope both of us can get away with not doing anything about our broken teeth, although it’s not likely.

  117. I had CHD which made be out of breadth to do simple chores for a year until suddenly with amalgams removal I got my breath back and CHD disappeared, so don’t tell me that amalgams are safe they were not definitely not safe for me period. I don’t need any more obvious first hand proof than that to make the assumption that amalgams are not safe! And the truth should be out to eliminate amalgams all together!

    • You would really need to state what other changes were made in relation to the CHD, which, I’m assuming is coronary heart disease?

  118. This is what I find fascinating about the “traditional” dental community’s view of amalgams: they don’t dispute that amalgams give off mercury, and that that mercury is absorbed into our blood, tissue, and, yes, our brains. They just think those levels are “safe.”

    Safe for who?

    The glutathione gene, GSTP1, G allele, has been tied to faster mercury metabolism, but it’s a rare variant. Most people do a poor job of metabolizing mercury, and it binds preferentially with superoxide dismutase (SOD2), one of the body’s most important antioxidants. Patients with mutations in their SOD2 genes in particular (G allele again), should consider amalgam removal.

    Studies show that removal of amalgams cuts mercury levels in plasma by one half in three months, and urine levels by 3/4.

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3229679/

    Subjective health complaints drop significantly in those who have their amalgams removed.

    I get that there is no “smoking gun” as of yet directly tying amalgams to a disease, but why keep amalgams that emit toxic vapors into your body? The health ramifications vary based on genetics, and your body’s ability to flush out heavy metals. I see tremendous nuance in a view that evaluates mercury exposure based on genetics, and very little nuance in a view that says mercury is safe because the government told me so.

    Yes, Dr. Oz sensationalized the point, but he was not wrong.

  119. Why because the big end of town all financially benefit from making us sick and selling us medications and their services to recover our health!!!

  120. OMG you ignorant fool. Your lack of knowledge on what I suspect is your educated profession baffles me. Yes there is metal used in older fillings and yes it slowly deteriorates in your mouth. Aside from acidic saliva (which you believe lubricates and helps what and how?) – if you understood how Rust happens (oxidation of a metal) you would understand all things break down slowly. Urine and blood measurements would be of little value since (something else you seem un-aware of) metal is more likely to end up stuck in your organs then it is to pass through your system. FYI metal is dangerous because it’s particles are small enough to pass through the blood brain barrier – where they Stay ! Also it has been proven that fillings cause health damage it saddens me you have zero knowledge of these facts.
    People like yourself are the reason less educated persons claim the internet is filled w non-sense and don’t know what to believe.
    Before you post something educate yourself. Grrr being stupid is almost worse than lying.

    • 1) Capitalization. It’s not just random. Look into it.
      2) Saying, “also it’s been proven…” doesn’t mean that something is true. When you suggest that you have proof of something, you need to cite that proof. Typically multiple articles from scientific journals are expected just for starters.
      3) “…metal is more likely to end up stuck in your organs then [sic] it is to pass through your system.” Then ” FYI metal is dangerous because it’s particles are small enough to pass through the blood brain barrier – where they Stay ! [sic]” How can it be both?

      It’s worth mentioning for the record…I rarely place amalgam any more because it doesn’t look nice. It’s a damn long lasting restoration, though. There is no credible evidence that it’s unsafe despite what you claim. If you can show me credible scientific evidence and not your strong opinion typed in ALL CAPS than I might look a little harder. Until then…

  121. Gasoline is poison. Breathing gasoline is toxic. Breathing gasoline will cause cancer. Look on your gas pump, there is a warning there, it’s toxic.
    But we all still drive cars. We still pump gas. We are ok with a little bit of toxic gas, so we can get to work. Are you still going to drive a car?

  122. Gasoline is a poison but when you drive a car you don’t do so with your nose inside the fuel tank do you!!!! Otherwise you would get sick !!! Mercury fillings are toxic leak mercury vapours which are inhaled into a persons brain crossing the blood brain barrier into the brain were they stay ,Europe has seen the light and will completely phase out amalgam fillings by 2030 ,If America wasn’t such a backward country they would do the same!!!

  123. If a dentist pays fifty cents for an amalgam capsule and puts it in some unsuspecting mugs mouth and charges $200 for the service ,thats a 40,000 percent return on material costs this is why its 2017 and dentists are still placing this toxic garbage in the publics mouth with full government endorsement ,and these fillings cause a whole host of health problems

  124. You Birdbrain amalgam dentists should be thanking your lucky stars the Minimata convention has been signed by 55 countries,otherwise this situation would have been sorted another way !!!!! Too late for me and many others whos lives have been ruined by your dangerous toxic poisonous fillings

  125. You should get Margaret Hamburg to Ratify the treaty she’s the biggest RAT to ever walk the face of the planet

  126. Q how many dentists does it take to place a mercury filling?
    A one but you will need the medical association,the dental association,the world health organization and governments to lie and say that the fillings are completely harmless

  127. The instant Boyd Haley chimed in and said he was a professor of chemistry at Kentucky university specialising in mercury and that he didn’t want dentists using mercury fillings anymore is the instant government should have placed a blanket ban on these fillings ,instead they do a cost benefit analysis and determine a ban is going to cost them financially and that isn’t going to benefit them,so their not going to ban them ha ha ha fricken idiots

  128. According to Malcolm Turnbull a governments role is to protect and serve the community ,unless of course your besties with the dental association and their making you a lot of money ,then of course a governments role is to maximize profits for the dental association and for the government

  129. I am getting ready to have a couple amalgam fillings removed in a couple weeks by an IAOMT certified dentist. I have had Loads of health issues for 15 years. I cannot guarantee that all my symptoms will go away after removal, but I can guarantee that having a toxic metal in my mouth is NOT helping my body to heal, it is most probably hindering me from healing. My childhood dentist I use to see since I was 5 years old( I am in my early 40′s now) retired a few years ago.He is the one that placed all the silver fillings in my teeth. Back then, little was known about mercury fillings, and that is all they used. He suffered from Hodgkin’s disease.When he saw how many health issues I was having when I was in my thirties, he told me to think about removing my mercury fillings. He removed 3 of them back then. I did not have the other two removed at the time because they were a little deeper and I was worried about damaging the teeth. I think my dentist had a high suspicion that his health issues may have been from being exposed to Mercury all those years. My dentist’s office stopped using amalgam over 15 years ago. My dentist before he retired admitted to me that they can cause health issues for some people. I have decided to have my remaining 2 removed, but this time I am having a IAOMT certified dentist remove them. I think back in the day dentists honestly did not know the dangers of using mercury in their practice. I mean the FDA deemed it safe so they believed it was safe. By the time they found out that they can cause health issues, it was too late. There were millions of people walking around with these mercury fillings in their mouths. Imagine them coming out and admitting that there are dangers implicated in having amalgam fillings. People would be really pissed and there would be lawsuits being brought on the Dental Association. They did not want that to happen so they sugar coated it all. I mean they finally did admit that mercury fillings indeed do cause Vapor in your mouth every time you chew, brush your teeth, grind your teeth, drink acidic beverages or hot beverages etc.. They do not dispute this anymore because it has been scientifically proven. So all they say now is that the mercury that is vaporized inside your mouth are in harmless amounts. Well sorry, but there is no such thing as that, especially when this is an accumulative effect over time. They use to think it was perfectly safe to feed all the livestock antibiotics in their feed. Well now people are dying from antibiotic resistant infections because of this!!! Same thing with all the GMO’s and pesticides in foods. Yes, they are small amounts, but if your eating these things every single day, that builds up in the body. The body is not meant to ingest poisons on a regular basis. It can and will tolerate it for a little while, but there will be a breaking point eventually. My Gastroenterologist told me that the upkick in gastrointestinal disease is at an all time high and that it definitely has to do with all the chemicals and toxins being used in the foods and they way they are being produced. It does not take rocket science to figure all this out, all it takes is a little common sense.

  130. You havent a clue the dangers of amalgam fillings. I have suffered with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, Environmental illness which has many times made me prefer death, because it effects every aspect of life. Thankfully I found a biological/holistic dentist willing to remove this poison from my mouth. My body and brain has been dreadfully effected, by this and other chemical toxions. You obviously are not thoroughly and truthfully educated on this subject. People by the millions are suffering and yes DYING due to the willful ignorance you are passing on as fact. I hope people reading this will be smart and pro active about this before its too late, do your research, listen to the injured people who are suffering. Does life mean nothing over the Almighty dollar???? Apparently not by people who want to get rich at the expense of people, by people and big companies who lie and hide the real dangers.

  131. I had 4 teeth with mercury fillings and those are the only teeth that deteriorated and had to be filled. I have watched a video where the tooth wasn’t in a box and a good amount of mercury vapor did come off the filling. I think the American dental association should have to pay to replace my teeth that mercury fillings f***ed up. Thanks Dr Oz

  132. Penny, that is one of the dumbest comments I have ever read. However, I am sure that if you search long enough,you will find an ambulance chaser (personal injury attorney) to take your case.

  133. Dentists should be volunteering their time to remove these toxic biohazard fillings free of charge !!! But unfortunately when you are so deeply motivated by greed that is never going to happen ,governments won’t pull these scumbags into line either ,they are a complete law unto themselves,at least the public has seen their true colours!!!!

  134. Here’s another joke for you
    Q why would you never see an alien spacecraft hovering over the American Dental Associations headquarters ?
    A the aliens are busy searching for intelligent lifeforms ha ha ha

  135. Well this post actually confirmed my position on the dangers of mercury. You clearly dont understand how mercury works inside the human. And you clearly dont understand basic physics.

    You also make assumptions that would make the case even worse yet you insist it would make it bettter.

    Please stay away from the health profession.

  136. I don’t hear about the electronic activity of these fillings. When I was 14, I ended up getting 11 fillings in a little over 7 months. I had been told to not eat sweets and make sure I brush. I did my best to follow the directives from the dentist—to no real results. When I recently discovered that one filling in my mouth measured + 70 millivolts, another +50 millivolts (mv) and the 3rd also +50 mv. It occurred to me that this might explain my poor results, Since a healthy cell needs to be about -25 millivolts and -50 mv to successfully replicate. What kind of problems can this voltage difference cause? It might explain why I had so many cavities. Positive voltages should create an acidic mouth which would promote tooth decay. If my understanding is correct, the amalgams would create what is at the cellular level know as free radicals. Is this why the dentist are now looking for cancer of the mouth??
    If you want another hot topic get into root canals and infections-in my opinion this practice is insidious. When this practice is closely examined, I think it will be discovered that the infected root canals are responsible for a lot of cancer The ADA doesn’t have a good test to detect infection-they use xrays which won’t show a bacterial infection in a root canal. (This comes from my own experience.)
    In 1845 the American Dental Surgeons Association declared mercury a poison after much turmoil the ADA was born.

    • I think your reasoning on the voltage might be backwards, the acidic environment in your mouth is leading to the voltage readings, like an old acid cell battery, the metal is just a conductor, and I would assume your dentist is looking for cancer in your mouth for the same reason your dermatologist looks for it on your skin and your gastroenterology looks for it in your gut, because that’s what they look at all day. If you don’t want a root canal don’t get one, I’m sure that the infection that is causing the need for a root canal will go away and not kill you (even though not treating teeth that need either a root canal or to be pulled has killed others) or go get your tooth pulled and get dentures even though without your teeth the bone that supported them begins to break down until after a few years your denture won’t stay in, but hey go get implants and that will hold them in. Only problem with implants is that those same people who say don’t get a root canal will say don’t get implants so you loose your ability to eat any but the softest foods which any nutritionist will tell you lacks the nutrients you need to be healthy. And seriously a test for bacteria in your mouth? your mouth is a petri dish of bacteria, that plaque that you are hopefully brushing off every day contains billions upon billions of bacteria growing together in a colony with different bacteria in each level of the plaque, a test for bacteria in your mouth would be useless since all it would find is that just like the rest of us you have bacteria in your mouth.

  137. What a BS shill article for the system. You know mercury is one of the most toxic substances for humans. That is a fact not a theory.

    So why are dentists still in this day using this substance in teeth?

    You really think putting a toxic material in a human is safe?

    And the so called mixing 50 percent makes it safe? What kind of junk science is that because it’s all BS.

    And not everyone can afford to replace or undo the damage mercury has done. Seriously read the stories and do more research.

    But no you put the blinders on and filter it out.

  138. It makes me sad when people push their agenda onto other people who might be in very different situations. Want to believe unsubstantiated snake oil claims about dangers of amalgam fillings, fine. Don’t push that onto people for whom the choice is an amalgam or no care at all. I’m sorry that are so privileged that you can’t see someone else’s perspective. There is a time and place for every restorative material.

    • I call buuuuuuuull$HIT! you are not “sorry” at all madam, as these are not “unsubstantiated” or “snake oil” like at all. Once again I am calling you out on your filthy B$.

  139. Dr. R. Right Rightingington (just ribbing you),
    I wonder after all these years if you still feel the same about silver or mercury or amalgam fillings. It seems that there is growing evidence that some (not all) who have had this sort of filling material in their teeth, once removed, have experienced rather timely relief from certain medical or neurological problems. My sense is that you along with the ADA may be concerned that if proven toxic, there may be an exposure to being sued for your practice of using this material. In any case, thank you for your comments.
    Tom McLaughlin

  140. I would agree with all your information…but mercury fillings were eliminated in about 1840…..

    The only fillings available now are silver amalgam or white resin composite.

  141. Here’s another joke, just like the dental profession and all its bogus treatments
    Q what did the amalgam dentists brain say to itself
    A gee theres a lot of vacant space in here ha ha ha fricken idiots of the highest order

  142. First of all there is a very easy test called V.O.L.T.A.C.. the tests measures up to 150 on the Mercury scale. It’s actually a 32 page report on every single thing going on in your body. Anything beyond that point means death. I was deathly ill I had the test done I found out that I was at level 132 I had fillings that were 40 years old. I have had half my fillings removed. My arthritis is going away, my fibromyalgia is better my lungs are better. It also causes Parkinson’s MS and a host of other medical problems these have all been documented.
    My friends that are dental hygienists or work in dental offices, almost all of them have arthritis in their hands they use safety measures to avoid the off-gassing problems. I wish I could afford to get the other half out but that’s not an option at this point in time because I can’t work due to the fact that my spine is disintegrating. I don’t need any studies to prove it I am living proof that this has happened to me and the test doesn’t lie you can lie to yourself all you like but one day you will not be able to run from the truth or lie to yourself any longer that day is coming I hope you are prepared. I understand that you were lied to and for that I’m very sorry but the fact is you cannot continue to lie to people once you know the truth two wrongs can never make a right. Maybe you can get them to delay and save more for the composite I don’t know what the answer is but I would pray about it as I’ve done that’s how I got well I’m not totally there yet and I could end up paralyzed before long but I think God has better plans for me somehow he will restore me because I believe His word and it is written and if you truly repent and change your ways you’ll be able to make a nice living without lying to people. Or killing them slowly while Big Pharma makes more money from them.
    Have a nice day!
    P.S. Peter thanks for your honesty & bravery for telling the truth even when it was not popular! And for never giving up don’t ever give up keep listening to that strong inner voice it will guide you as it is now the real criminals in this are the companies that are making it & Big Pharma’s schools that are telling you that it’s safe. Mercury is not safe under any circumstances here in Florida recently they shut down an entire School because a little bit of mercury got in and they kept 1500 students there overnight I’m not really sure why I think it was stupid they should have let them get the hell away from the Mercury but that’s what happened.
    The CDC also they should be strung up by their fingernails for lying to us about vaccines with Mercury and aluminum also I’ve watched my friends who had twins that were beautiful happy healthy baby boys get their vaccines and become autistic I’ve watched as my mother who was a nurse who was forced to be vaccinated every year with Mercury and aluminum lose her mind to alzheimer’s these are direct causes.
    I hope and pray that you and your family don’t get these but it’s certainly not guaranteed and I can bet that you don’t put silver in any of the mouths of the people you love! The dentists’ arrogance here is truly shameful! I am praying for a powerful change! In the very near future!

  143. Nurse practitioner ,oh the lies !!!! Up until just recently you could purchase amalgam capsules on ebay that clearly stated the quantity of mercury being around 43percent,now they have moved onto mercury ???we haven’t used that since 1840 !!!!!

  144. A lot of this argument keeps coming back to the idea that amalgam has less mercury than a can of tuna. That’s verifiability incorrect.

    Can of tuna = 18.11 micrograms
    Average amalgam filling = 0.5 grams (FDA)

    Seeing as a gram=1000000 micrograms, that means amalgam contains about 500000 micrograms of mercury.

    That’s 27609 times the amount of mercury. That’s a lot of cans of tuna.

    Also, the FDA itself admits that amalgam fillings can leak due to the instability of the compound, and is the cause of 50-90% of the total mercury load of an individual with amalgam fillings. Oddly enough, this is not enough to settle the debate amongst the dental professionals.

    However, Dr. Oz isn’t alone on his side. There are many, many studies by reputable doctors all over the globe about the dangers of amalgam.

    Some link the inability to process the mercury to autism- not in the way that mercury CAUSES autism, but that there is a correlation of a child’s inability to flush mercury and other heavy metals to the occurrence of autism. Because this is simplified by naysayers to mean mercury = autism, there is little funding or motivation to find out the truth.

    Because your argument is based on anecdotal references and not adequate study, I purpose you either amend or delete this article. It is a disservice to those seeking true knowledge, as you add to the misinformation and not to solid science.

    Clearly, this happens on both sides of this matter.

    I must agree with Neil deGrasse Tyson; when science becomes a debate, it is a sad day indeed. I’d rather you all stop clinging to your beliefs based on outdated or incomplete information and start using real data to piece this puzzle together. It’s messy and complex, which means to some extent BOTH sides are right and wrong. When people let go of their ego in favor of truth, maybe we will have a hope in finding it.

    And as for Peter- seriously, just stop. You’re not right by default of proving him wrong, either. You’re BOTH clinging to misinformation. You’ve spent four years of your life on this article/post. How much more of your precious time do you have to waste on this? I really worry for you. This obsession needs to stop, for your own health and well-being. It’s clear this dentist doesn’t care about you, but don’t you care about yourself?

    Let go of the anger, and move on with your life. I’m sure you have family and friends that worry, too. Please, I’m begging you, cast off the obsession and really enjoy the life God gave you. You’ve done enough. These things won’t change overnight, and the proper research takes time. Use your knowledge for you and your loved ones and let the science continue to speak for itself. The truth needs no champions; it IS whether we like it or not.

    It doesn’t help that your presence on here for so many years only feeds the opposition’s beliefs that it is crazy to put stock in any part of your argument. So if only for the cause, please bow out here and move on. I hope that you find peace, friend.

  145. This isnt about science ,its about money !!!! Boyd Haley did the science he put these fillings under distilled water and found the toxicity levels were up to 600 times more toxic than the fda estimates and thats where this should have ended ,but what you fail to realise is many neurological conditions will dissapear once these fillings are banned completely,and that is a lot of money for medications that won’t be heading towards pharmaceutical companies,that’s the real truth in amalgam fillings you have a dual edged sword ,dentists benefit cause they can buy these fillings cheap ,place them quick and make massive returns and medicine benefits cause eventually once this toxin slowly bioaccumulates in the body they get sick people to treat ,the big end of town all profit and the person who is stupid enough to get amalgam fillings loses out bigtime.