Is Mercury safe in your head?

The results of two independent and well-designed studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association add to the substantial body of peer-reviewed scientific literature that supports the safety of dental amalgam as an option for patients and their dentists in treating dental decay.

Newswise — The results of two independent and well-designed studies published in tomorrow’s Journal of the American Medical Association add to the substantial body of peer-reviewed scientific literature that supports the safety of dental amalgam as an option for patients and their dentists in treating dental decay.

The published studies measure whether children with dental amalgam fillings experienced any adverse effects related to neurobehavioral, neuropsychological (IQ) and kidney function. They found that there was no difference in neurological performance and kidney function in children who have amalgam fillings compared to a control group with composite (white) fillings.

Mad from mercury poisoning

These studies support the existing scientific understanding that the minute amount of mercury released by amalgams during such common activities as eating and drinking does not affect health adversely. Both studies support the continued use of dental amalgam as an important treatment option.

Dental amalgam contains elemental mercury combined with other metals such as silver, copper, tin and zinc to form a safe, stable alloy that dentists have used for generations to restore teeth damaged by decay.

The bottom line for consumers: Dental amalgam remains among several safe, effective options for treating dental decay. Of course, the best option is still to prevent dental disease through brushing, flossing and regular dental visits. For comprehensive information about fillings and all other aspects dental care and oral health, ask your dentist and visit http://ADA.org.

The not-for-profit ADA is the nation's largest dental association, representing more than 153,000 members. The premier source of oral health information, the ADA has advocated for the public's health and promoted the art and science of dentistry since 1859. The ADA's state-of-the-art research facilities develop and test dental products and materials that have advanced the practice of dentistry and made the patient experience more positive. The ADA Seal of Acceptance long has been a valuable and respected guide to consumer and professional products. For more information about the ADA, visit the Association's Web site at http://www.ada.org. (Now there's an objective crew... -ED)

SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/health/267209_fillings19.html

2 studies vindicate mercury fillings
No link found to birth defects

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

By JULIE DAVIDOW
P-I REPORTER

Two new studies, one from the University of Washington involving orphans in Portugal, found no evidence of IQ or other neurological impairment caused by dental fillings made with mercury.

But the studies have come under fire from some groups who say researchers unnecessarily exposed children to a known toxic substance, failed to get the proper consent from parents and guardians and overstated the results.

The studies are the first to follow children from the time they received the fillings rather than trying to piece together evidence of health problems in retrospect.

"It's the first bit of objective evidence other than heated opinion and observational studies," said Dr. Timothy DeRouen, lead author of the Lisbon study and executive associate dean for research and academic affairs at the UW School of Dentistry.

DeRouen tracked neurological development in 507 children, ages 8 to 10, at a school in Lisbon where about 20 percent of the students are wards of the state.

The other study, led by researchers in Boston, looked at the effect on intelligence, memory and kidney function in 534 children, ages 6 to 10, from New England.

Neither study found a difference in neurological or kidney function in the children with amalgam fillings compared with their peers who received fillings made with other materials. But those with amalgam fillings did have higher levels of mercury in their urine. (YET WE ARE TOLD THAT THE MERCURY, IN AN AMALGAM FORM, IS STABLE AND DOESN'T PRECIPITATE... Now they are saying that it does, but it is safe. -ED)

Funded by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, part of the National Institutes of Health, the studies were published in The Journal of the American Medical Association.

The studies, which both began enrolling children in 1997 and ended last year, did not test for autism. In recent years, the discussion about mercury toxicity has centered on parents who believe a mercury-based preservative used in vaccines may have caused their children's autism. Most experts, however, say there is no evidence of a link between vaccines and autism.

Fewer and fewer dentists are using amalgam fillings, which have been around for more than 100 years. Patients prefer the newer white, resin composite fillings because they blend with teeth, said Dr. Robert Kelly, spokesman for the American Dental Association and a professor of dentistry at the University of Connecticut. Some dentists, however, still favor amalgam for its durability, Kelly said.

Amalgam can last up to 14 years, while composite fillings need replacing after four to six years, he said. "I have amalgams in my teeth, and I would use them in my family." (And WHY should your family's teeth even HAVE cavities to fill in the first place, professor? -ED)

Last year, the UW's Human Subjects Office, at the request of the federal Office for Human Research Protections, investigated concerns raised by Consumers for Dental Choice, according to DeRouen. The advocacy group wants to end the use of amalgam for fillings.

In a letter sent to DeRouen in August, the Human Subjects Office said the consent forms could have more clearly spelled out that the amalgam contained mercury.

"However, we don't know how these terms translate into Portuguese, and the terms used may be culturally appropriate," the letter stated.

The university office found no basis for other allegations, including claims of conflicts of interest, inappropriate advocates for the wards and that the benefits of the research were overstated in the consent forms.

A spokeswoman for the federal agency said the UW study is still under investigation.

The authors acknowledged the limitations of the studies. For example, in the study of the New England children, the authors said the "possibility of very small adverse effects of amalgam on IQ score cannot be completely ruled out."

Others cautioned against reading too much into either study.

"It is predictable that some outside interests will expand the modest conclusions of these studies to assert that use of mercury amalgam in dentistry is risk-free," Dr. Herbert Needleman, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh, wrote in an accompanying editorial. "This conclusion would be unfortunate and unscientific."

He said, for example, that it is not clear whether either study could measure subtle effects on IQ.

Charlie Brown, counsel for Consumers for Dental Choice, said the studies ignore research that indicates that mercury causes a host of physical and mental problems.

Brown blasted both studies as unethical, saying that children or their guardians were never told of the potential risks of the mercury fillings.

DeRouen said the children at the Lisbon school had a large number of untreated cavities and tend not to move around and change schools -- both important criteria for the seven-year study.

"We were not doing anything experimental. We were providing standard dental care," DeRouen said.

Critics of the study said purposely exposing children to mercury is unethical and potentially dangerous.

"It's obscene, outrageous and definitely wrong," said Dr. David Kennedy, a dentist and past president of the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology.

The group, which has about 500 members, including dentists and physicians and is opposed to using mercury in fillings, filed ethics complaints with the schools involved in the new studies, including the UW.

IAOMT fires back...

IAOMT Files Ethics Complaint on Child Amalgam Study

The IAOMT, along with consumers for Dental Choice, has filed a formal complaint with Harvard University, the University of Maine,the University of Washington, and other sponsors of what it terms an "outrageous" human experiment on orphaned and indigent children. Read the press release here; the full legal brief is at www.toxicteeth.org/Critique-CACF.pdf.

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