Dental Mercury Detox

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Dental Mercury Detox- http://www.cfsn.com/detox.html -

 

Mercury exposure from mercury dental fillings, also known as " silver "

fillings and " amalgams " , is a life long threat. When a person chews, drinks,

swallows and breathes, mercury released from dental fillings is absorbed by

the lungs and the linings of the digestive system into the bloodstream. As

they corrode, mercury fillings release ionized mercury into the saliva,

tooth pulp, and gum tissues leading to the digestive system and bloodstream.

There has been a long running debate over the safety of these dental

fillings. Dental industry trade representatives, most notably the American

Dental Association (ADA) have long denied that there is any detrimental

effects from the use of mercury in repairing dental cavities.

 

For more than a century, the ADA has contended that once a mercury amalgam

filling has " cured " , the mercury is chemically bound, and cannot escape the

filling. This speculation has always been at odds with the commonplace

observation that mercury fillings " wear out " ; corroding, eroding, breaking,

and falling out of the teeth - requiring replacement with new fillings over

time.

 

Recently, evidence has come forward that soundly refutes the

contention/speculation that the mercury " stays put " in the fillings. (Please

see our page: Dental Mercury Exposure).

The center of debate over safety has now switched to the question of " how

much mercury exposure does it take to become ill ? " . Most of the classical

work establishing mercury as a potent neuro-toxin has come from acute, that

is high dose, short duration exposures. Such exposures demonstrate high

levels of mercury in blood and urine, and are the basis of present

diagnostic standards for mercury toxicity.

 

Many current investigators have come to believe that chronic low-dose

exposure - small amounts over a long time - such as is received from mercury

dental fillings follow a different dynamic.

 

Because of the strong attraction for molecules containing sulfur, low doses

of mercury clear from the blood quickly taking residence in the body in an

immobilized and not easily detected state. Traditional diagnostic methods

and standards for acute mercury toxicity are inadequate for determining

health dysfunctions arising from long term low-dose exposure to mercury via

dental fillings.

 

Recent scientific investigations have shown that persons suffering from

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) commonly demonstrate immune T-cells that are

programmed to react against mercury and other dental metals. (Please see our

page: MELISA and Dental Metals)

Independent researchers have also shown that CFS sufferers have continuously

activated immune systems, though a long sought viral cause for this

activation still cannot be identified.

 

Immune sensitization against mercury and other dental metals changes the

nature of the discussion regarding the safety of dental metals. Acute

exposure criteria no longer apply when the immune system is directly

involved. The standard of practice in allergic immunology is to avoid the

substance that stimulates the immune system.

Below we outline what we have gathered from various sources, including

researchers and those practicing dentistry and medicine, regarding the

resolution of dental mercury and/or dental metal caused illness.

 

1. Diagnosing metal caused illness. Every commonly used method of diagnosing

dental metal caused illness has problems. Hair tests can show elevated

mercury, but very rarely show enough mercury to meet acute exposure

standards. Urine studies are also insufficient to agree with acute exposure

criteria. Even with a chelation challenge, persons who are not ill will

often show similar levels of mercury as those who are ill and suspecting

their dental fillings.

 

We are left with only two methods of diagnosing dental metal caused illness

that appear logical, supported by the objective facts.

 

Process of elimination. When all other potential causes have been

eliminated, then the teeth at long last become suspect. If you have mercury

dental fillings, you have mercury exposure.

 

You don't need hair, urine or blood studies to determine that you are

exposed to mercury- just count your fillings in the mirror. All dental

metals release small amounts of their metal in the mouth under normal

conditions. Mercury amalgams are reliably exposing the person to mercury on

a near constant basis - the more amalgam surfaces, the greater the exposure.

 

You are immune exposed to all the dental metals in your mouth. However, that

alone doesn't mean you are immune sensitized to any of the metals.

 

People ultimately act on faith and hope to remove their mercury dental

fillings when following a process of elimination.

MELISA® Test. Melisa is the only objective test in our awareness that

provides direct evidence for illness caused by dental metals. Lymphocytes

don't lie or imagine, they swell up and multiply when stimulated with the

metal or pathogen they are programmed to remember - or they don't if there

is no direct connection.

 

2. Detoxifying the teeth. Whether a person is receiving toxicity from a

mercury buildup, or immune stimulation from a sensitized metal, the first

step towards recovering health is to remove the controllable metal sources.

This would be the metal dental restorations in the teeth.

 

Safe removal of mercury fillings is an important consideration. Drilling can

cause a large one-time exposure of mercury vapor. Mercury vapor is

poisonous, and can cause a worsening of problems if allowed to be added to

your other exposures. 80% of mercury vapor breathed into the lungs enters

the bloodstream where it freely travels to the brain and other vital organs

and tissues.

 

A rubber dam properly installed during drilling will slow the rate mercury

vapor directly enters the tissues of the mouth, will stop amalgam particles

from going down the throat, and will funnel mercury vapor out of your mouth.

 

Suction under the rubber dam will remove mercury vapor that accumulates

underneath the dam. A rubber dam doesn't stop mercury vapor, it slows it

down so that the high speed drill created vapor doesn't impel directly into

the mouth tissues.

 

Breathing from a respirator becomes essential to reduce exposure since the

opening to the mouth is in the immediate area where your nostrils draw air.

Using the rubber dam will protect the mouth and throat tissues while

increasing the mercury vapor available for nostril breathing.

 

There are other considerations that don't have a wide consensus, such as the

order the fillings should be removed, and how much to do in one sitting.

These are important individual considerations for you and your physician(s)

to work out.

 

3. Go to metal-free dental restoration materials. All ceramic systems are

now becoming widely available. These have the highly desirable attribute of

not corroding and releasing any metals into the mouth.

 

Metal-free is the standard of care for those suffering " amalgam illness " in

Sweden. Even with a MELISA test you cannot determine what metals you will

become immune sensitized against. Persons with immune sensitivity to one

metal have much higher odds of developing a similar sensitivity to another

metal.

 

If you are acting on a process of elimination and without certain knowledge

from a MELISA test, then you are further increasing your odds of a positive

outcome by eliminating all metals - since you cannot know which ones or how

many you are reacting against. It is very common to be sensitized to more

than one dental metal.

 

Every metal used in dentistry, including gold, titanium, and platinum, has

been demonstrated to cause a T-cell mediated immune allergy in some people.

 

Nickel, a common base metal used in low cost crowns and as a hardening agent

in expensive gold crowns, causes immune sensitivity the most often, followed

by inorganic mercury. Even with gold a CFS sufferer has a 1 in 3 chance of

being immune sensitized to the metal.

 

We are aware of a case where a person became immune sensitized to gold after

having all amalgams removed and gold alloy crowns installed for the first

time.

 

Gold sensitivity was demonstrated by bleeding gums in association with the

gold crowns, and a ring finger rash from a previously tolerated gold ring.

This person was objectively demonstrated to be immune sensitized to gold,

nickel, and mercury via subsequent MELISA® testing.

 

4. Restore normal metabolism. Many of the symptoms arising from " amalgam

illness " are believed to result from a persistent immune activation wasting

away nutritional resources, and the direct consumption and disregulation of

nutritional resources by metals, particularly mercury.

 

Depletion of intracellular glutathione stores are a common result of

extended immune activation and from extended mercury exposure. This

depletion can be directly related to symptoms of poor immune response and

symptoms of hypothyroidism (low thyroid), among many other problems.

 

In a healthy state the body's stores of glutathione come to the defense by

binding circulating mercury as it oxidizes, and carrying the metal in the

waste flow via the liver and kidneys. A slow down in this natural process

may be the first step in immune sensitization, allowing mercury levels to

build to a level that enrages the immune system.

 

An activated immune system further consumes body stores of glutathione,

possibly leaving the body even more sensitive and with less defense against

the continuous exposure of toxic dental mercury.

Restoring intracellular glutathione, antioxidants, B-vitamins, and rare

trace minerals are the long term remedy for many of the symptoms of " amalgam

illness " . Metabolic restoration can begin even when the suspect metals are

still in the teeth.

For some people, IV preparations of nutrients will be required at first to

by-pass disrupted digestion and absorption.

 

Others can go straight to much less expensive oral supplements such as

" Double Defense & Double Replenish " from CFS Nutrition.

 

5. Reduce the body burden of mercury. There are several drugs and at least

one nutrient that seem quite effective in enhancing the body's

detoxification rate of extracellular mercury. Each of these are described as

a " dithiol " compound.

DMPS is an experimental drug, legally available in the USA only from medical

researchers under special FDA license.

DMSA is available for prescription under a general FDA approval, though its

primary approval is for eliminating a body burden of lead, not mercury.

 

Alpha lipoic acid is a naturally occurring compound found in very small

amounts in potatoes and other foods, and is available over-the-counter as a

food supplement.

In doses able to heavily influence the excretion of mercury, all of these

compounds have anecdotal problem reports. One reason that seems likely is

the further disregulation of important trace minerals caused by these

powerful chelating agents.

 

Dithiols pull strongly on essential minerals and not just heavy metals like

mercury and lead.

 

You should know there is an ongoing controversy regarding the safety of

dithiol chelators and the use of DMPS in particular. Visit Jana's DMPS

Backfire website for information you may not receive at a DMPS chelation

clinic.

 

We suggest that a person be on a sure metabolic footing before pursuing any

chelation strategy to further enhance mercury detoxification beyond the

normal glutathione pathway.

 

Two supplement programs containing alpha-lipoic acid are available from CFS

Nutrition: " Advanced Defense & Replenish " and " Super Defense & Replenish " .

These offer relatively small and periodic doses of lipoic acid while

supporting glutathione levels. We are aware of some persons advocating much

more aggressive dosing of lipoic acid for mercury detoxification. We urge

caution.

 

We recommend a person be free of mercury dental fillings and first complete

a course of " Defense & Replenish " or " Double Defense & Double Replenish " or

their equivalent, before moving on to supplements containing

alpha-lipoic-acid.

 

For more aggressive strategies in enhancing mercury excretion, we strongly

recommend you consult a physician with a proven record of success in

chelating heavy metals while avoiding " backfires " , restoring their patients

to a more normal health.