Chapter 8

The dangers of modern dentistry

In the last chapter I discussed the dangers of mercury amalgam fillings, but this is only one of the dangers that people face when going to a dentist.

It is estimated that 70% of all medical illnesses are directly or indirectly caused by human intervention in the dental structures (teeth and jawbones). This includes: Impacted teeth, infected root canalled teeth, new and recurrent decay around old fillings, cysts, bone infections in areas of previously extracted teeth, granulomas and areas of bone condensation to osteitis represent some of the more common factors.

Dental mercury poisoning in focus

In Chapter 7 I have described in detail the effects of mercury on health in general, as well as discussing the health issues related to dental amalgam fillings. Here is a brief summary of some of the findings:

The World Health Organization has found the average individual can absorb as much as 120 micrograms of mercury per day from his or her amalgam fillings, a level which is considered a toxic dose.

Further research has shown a positive correlation between the concentration of mercury in mothers’ breast milk and the number of dental amalgams in these women’s mouths. The mean level of mercury in the milk of amalgam-free mothers was less than 0.2mcg/litre, while milk from mothers with one to four amalgam fillings contained 0.50 mcg/litre, with five to seven fillings at 0.57mcg/litre and more than seven fillings at 2.11 mcg/litre.

Dr Murray Vimy, clinical associate professor of the Department of Medicine, as well as several other medical researchers from the Departments of Radiology, Medicine and Medical Physiology at the University of Calgary in Canada, have spent more than a decade examining the effects of amalgam fillings on sheep, monkeys and humans. Their published evidence conclusively proves that mercury from amalgam fillings migrates to tissues in the oral cavity, the lungs and the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, causing a ‘time-released poisoning’. Vimy’s animal studies, which were met by ridicule within the dental community, have been vindicated by the work of Professor Vasken Aposhian, Head of the Molecular and Cellular Biology Department of the University of Arizona in Tucson. Aposhian and his team graded the amalgam filling content of human volunteers, from which they were given an amalgam score.

New evidence on human health shows that mercury fillings in pregnant women may also affect the growing foetus. In 1989, the University of Calgary Medical School published evidence that showed that within three days of placing amalgam fillings in pregnant sheep, mercury showed up in the blood, pituitary glands, liver and kidneys of their lambs. By 33 days (around the time of birth), most foetal tissue had higher levels of mercury than that of the parent animals. During nursing, the mother sheep were found to have eight times more mercury in their milk as in their blood.

More recently, Professor Gustav Drasch, a forensic toxicologist and his colleagues at the Institut fur Rechtsmedicine in Munich, examined the brain, liver, and kidneys of dead human babies and foetuses that had been aborted for medical reasons. They found these levels the mercury levels correlated significantly with the number of amalgam fillings in their mothers. Meanwhile, children were found to have accumulated mercury in their kidneys apparently from the mothers’ amalgams, to a similar extent that adults do from their own fillings. As most of the children weren’t breastfed, or only for a short period, the researchers concluded that mercury must have passed through the placenta.

Current research suggests that mercury vapour from fillings may be a predominant underlying cause of a broad spectrum of conditions, ranging from gum disease, migraine, headaches, poor memory, depression, anxiety, mental lethargy, chronic fatigue, allergies such as eczema and asthma, sensitivity reactions to food and inhalants, rheumatism, arthritis, backache, kidney disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis and other neurological disorders.

In light of the evidence for such wide-ranging mercury poisoning effects, many patients and dentists then began replacing amalgams with alternative materials, without realizing the risks involved in the amalgam removal process. The removal of toxic materials calls for specially-prepared, expert handling and many dentists are simply not trained or equipped for the job.

Dental amalgam fillings slowly leak mercury, tin, silver, copper and sometimes nickel. All of these metals have various degrees of toxicity. A fairly large mercury filling contains enough mercury to kill a child if given as a single dose!

Mercury and tin are prime neuro-toxic substances. Mercury has the ability to destroy and or damage the transport fibres inside each nerve. The latest research from one of the top German toxicologists, Max Daunderer, MD, reveals that the entire jawbone (upper and lower) has become a toxic waste dump for the following substances:

1. Pesticides
2. Solvents (mostly present in lower jaw)
3. Formaldehyde (mostly lower jaw)
4. Amalgam (mercury, tin, copper and silver) – jawbone and maxillary sinus
5. Palladium (from gold/palladium alloys) – mostly upper jawbone

Through biopsies, Daunderer found that virtually all inhaled toxins are stored in the jawbone in the areas adjacent to the root tips. Also of great interest is Daunderer’s serial biopsies on malignant tumours in patients that had amalgam fillings and found, predictably, mercury in the tumour. The concentration is highest in the centre of the tumour (malignant melanoma, brain cancer, bladder, stomach, colon and tongue cancer).

The most common symptoms caused by amalgam fillings are:

1. Chronic fatigue
2. Tendency to chronic inflammatory changes – rheumatoid arthritis, phlebitis fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome
3. Chronic neurologic illnesses, especially when numbness is one of the primary symptoms
4. Lowering of pain threshold.

Removing amalgams can seriously damage your health! TAKE PRECAUTIONS BEFORE REMOVAL!

I have already mentioned in the previous chapter the dreadful health consequences that I had as a result of mercury amalgam removal, without taking safety precautions and being on a proper chelation protocol. Therefore, I must issue a strong warning here for all those who are thinking of removing their amalgams without the proper preparation – DO NOT DO IT! Do not go to any dentist and begin to remove amalgam fillings without understanding the safety precautions that you need to take. I will outline some of these below so there will be no excuse for ignorance.

Removing amalgams safely

A dental mercury detoxification protocol is a demanding task. If you intend to remove any metal fillings from your mouth, the following steps can help prevent plenty of grief and suffering. There are a few safety issues that you should have in mind:

1. The mercury in the filling is in the elemental form. It easily penetrates the rubber dam^[1] and all mucous membranes (the oral cavity, GI tract and lungs).
2. Mercury is highly volatile when heated. The dental drill operating at 100,000 rpms will generate much mercury vapour during the removal procedure.
3. It is estimated that 80% of the mercury vapour inhaled enters the body through the lungs and is distributed to various bodily tissues and organs, with the potential for causing severe illness.

Despite the fact that the very best precautions are taken to prevent mercury exposure during dental removal, some exposure still occurs. Therefore, the patient needs to take detoxification agents to chelate any mercury and prevent inadvertent absorption.

Patient protection protocol

Here are some guidelines for removing amalgams – most of these follow Dr. Huggins’ protocol^[2] but has been somewhat adapted based on my experience and research with mercury detoxification– he is one of the leading research dentists in this field of Holistic Dentistry and has written much based on his empirical knowledge.

Always prepare your body as best as you can before, during and after amalgam removal. It is always prudent to observe the heavy metal detoxification protocols in Chapter 7 before removing any amalgams. It may take three to six months to prepare your body to withstand the potential mercury intoxication from the removal process. Otherwise, you risk ending up with more health problems than when you started. The good health of the human organism must be built up and maintained so it can withstand the risks of amalgam removal. Even if the removal is done at a modern dentistry office with a biological setup, accidents with hazardous materials can happen anywhere! I have seen too many patients who developed very serious chronic disease after mercury amalgam removal – heart disease, cancer, MS and other degenerative diseases.

While the detoxification protocols are crucial, there are other preparations to help optimize health, too, such as proper nutritional support. Chapter 6 regarding nutrition provides another line of defense to strengthen your body. The stronger your body is, the more capable it will be to handle an accidental mercury overdose.

It is imperative to be on a safe chelation protocol using HMD^®, Organic Lavage, Chlorella^[3] and a potent nutritional supplementation program before, during and after the amalgam removal. A rule of thumb is to use the chelation and the supplements protocols long BEFORE you start the amalgam removal – at least 3 months – to remove some of the toxic metal burden that you already have. You should also continue the chelation protocol throughout the removal procedures, and for at least six months to a year thereafter. Only after all symptoms have subsided and hair testing^[4] has shown that you are low on toxins can you relax the protocol, but always be on guard regarding this issue. Observe and listen to your body. Tell your practitioner about your symptoms. He or she should correlate them with further testing to guide you.

Only once you are in good shape should you dare to have the mercury amalgams removed by a qualified, experienced, capable and fully-equipped biological dentist. While nearly any dentist is technically qualified to replace your amalgam fillings, less than 1 per cent of dentists have any clue on how to do it properly, so that your risk of mercury poisoning is minimized. Do it right the first time and you will save yourself the grief and expense associated with severe mercury poisoning-derived diseases.

Do not extract more than one amalgam every month. This will buy you time to detoxify your body slowly. Better safe than sorry. If you are not in a desperate hurry, allow even longer spacing between amalgam removals.

It is best if the dentist measures the electrical potential of each amalgam filling in order to determine the sequential order in which the restorations should be carried out. The most negatively charged tooth is the one that is removed first, followed by the next negatively charged and so on. Never work on both sides of the head in any one sitting.

Do not take Vitamin C the day of dental procedures. Vitamin C by mouth will shorten the effect of the dental anaesthetic to literally around 10 minutes – after that it gets painful! The IV form of Vitamin C does not do this for reasons unknown, but even 500 milligrams in the tablet form will detoxify the anaesthetic adequately to let you feel the pain of drilling or surgery.

It is wise to get a practitioner like myself who can perform a VEGA or ART test, to determine whether the composite materials that will be used to fill the tooth after the amalgam is removed, is immune-compatible with you. 

At the Davinci Natural Health Centre we take a sample of the patient’s hair from the nape of the neck and this is sent to a lab in the USA for mineral and toxic metal testing. This Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis provides a baseline of metals and minerals present in the blood over the previous two months and can then be compared with another hair test a couple of months later.

Observe the Patient Protection Protocol as closely as is possible during removal procedures. Complete protection includes the use of the rubber dam during amalgam removal and the use of a face flannel soaked in charcoal or chlorella powder placed over the face of the patient, to absorb any stray mercury. Moreover, the mouth can also be painted with a slurry mix of chlorella powder and water – the rubber dam can also be coated with this chlorella slurry. A cotton roll can also be coated with chlorella and placed as a reservoir around the teeth to catch escaping mercury vapour. It is best for the holistic dentist to remove the filling in as large chunks as possible to minimize vapourization of mercury during drilling. A copious amount of water should be used to cool the drill and contain the amalgam dust, and reduce vapour formation. There should be a large high-power suction hose at the side of the patient’s mouth leading to a special mercury filter outside the clinic premises.

It is best to use nasal oxygen during the whole procedure as this allows the patient’s face to be covered with a flannel coated with chlorella or charcoal while they are still able to breathe in through the nose. The presence of a negative ion generator in the dental office will also facilitate the removal of mercury vapour. If your dentist does not have all these safety protocols in their office then you need to assess what you could do without. A dentist that takes none of these precautions will only worsen your health, so it is best to search for another dentist rather than risk your health further.

If surgery is done during the procedure, use ice packs immediately after the procedures are finished, as well as magnets if desired, to help the inflammation. Minimal travel after surgery is advisable (i.e. one or two miles) as the vibration in a car can release a blood clot, resulting in the famous painful ‘dry socket.’ Smoking after surgery will almost guarantee the formation of a painful dry socket. Be forewarned.

If your dentist is using vitamin B12 in an IV then tell them not to – Vitamin B12 in any form is a methylator, and methyl mercury is extremely damaging to your nervous system.

The International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT)^[5] posts correct and incorrect protocols for amalgam removal for dentists. Read every word and discuss the issues raised with your dentist, as well as your holistic medicine practitioner. I would not necessarily adopt all their guidelines, like the possibility of removing two amalgams in one visit, but their overall recommendations are a good starting point. Bear in mind that judgment and discretion in dealing with individual cases is crucial. The IAOMT website also contains images of how a biological dentist goes about removing amalgams.

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