Quack Dentists & Silver Amalgam Toxicity

The American Council on Science and Health (ACHS) is a pro-science, research and education organization founded in 1978 with a singular focus: "to publicly support and utilize evidence-based science and medicine and to educate the public by debunking junk science and exaggerated health scares." Researchers estimate dental health fraud costs the American consumer over one billion dollars annually on dubious, unnecessary, and poor-quality dentistry. Below is a concise overview of just one dental con: Silver Amalgam Toxicity.  

“Silver fillings, usually called 'amalgams,' are made by mixing an alloy of silver, tin, copper, and zinc with mercury in about a 50/50 ratio. Although the vast majority of dentists recognize that silver fillings are safe, some dentists and 'holistic' physicians blame a large number of diseases — such as multiple sclerosis, immune deficiency diseases, and emotional conditions—on the minuscule amounts of mercury that may leak out of fillings. Anti-amalgam dentists often use a mercury vapor detector to convince patients that they need 'detoxification'. To use this device, the dentist has the patient chew vigorously for up to ten minutes, which may cause a tiny amount of mercury to be released from the surface of the filling. Although this exposure lasts for just a few seconds and most of the mercury will be exhaled rather than absorbed by the body, the machines give a falsely high readout, which the anti-amalgamists interpret as dangerous. 

"The most commonly used device, the Jerome mercury tester, is an industrial probe that multiplies the amount of mercury it detects by a factor of 8,000. This gives a reading fora cubic meter of air, a volume far larger than the human mouth. The proper way to determine mercury exposure is to measure blood or urine levels. Scientific research has shown that the amount of mercury absorbed from fillings is insignificant.  

"Anti-amalgamists also may use a voltmeter to measure supposed differences in the electrical conductivity of the teeth. One such device — the Amalgameter —was investigated by the FDA because literature accompanying it recommended using the device to determine the order in which silver fillings should be removed. The FDA wrote the company: 'there is no scientific basis for the removal of dental amalgams for the purpose of replacing them with other materials as described in your leaflet...We consider your device as being directly associated with...a process that may have adverse health consequences when used for the purposes for which it is intended.' 

"Although the dentist who manufactured this product has stopped production, these and similar gadgets are still in use. There is overwhelming evidence that mercury-amalgam fillings are safe. 

"Although billions of amalgam fillings have been used successfully, fewer than fifty cases of allergy have been reported in the scientific literature since 1905. Yet anti-amalgam dentists often recommend that amalgams be replaced with plastic, gold, or porcelain fillings — a very profitable recommendation but one that can lead to serious complications. A number of patients have needed root canal therapy and even lost teeth after the unnecessary removal of amalgam fillings. Because anti-amalgam advocates have not been able to win in the court of science, they are trying to win in the political arena by attempting to have gullible legislators pass laws making it a crime for dentists not to inform patients that silver fillings contain 'poisonous mercury.' A recent scientific review of the amalgam controversy concluded that 'the evidence supporting the safety of amalgam restorations is compelling.'” 

Consumer Recommendations 

•Remember that dentists are neither trained nor licensed to treat problems outside of the mouth and jaws. 

•If a dentist tells you that silver-amalgam fillings are poisonous, find another dentist! 

•Don’t hesitate to get a second opinion when extensive dental work is proposed, or unorthodox procedures are suggested. 

• Don't let the dentist confuse elective cosmetic procedures with dentistry required to treat disease. 

•If you suspect that you have been a victim of dental quackery or mistreatment, contact your local dental society and your state attorney general.  

Sources  

A Primer on Dental Care: Quality and Quackery                                                          (Includes Smoking, Tooth Whitening, Implants, Bonding, The Dental Exam and X-Rays, Fluoridation, Dental Insurance)                                     https://www.acsh.org/news/2006/09/05/a-primer-on-dental-care-quality-and-quackery                                          

About the American Council on Science and Health                  https://www.acsh.org/about-acsh-0 

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