MERCURY*

Abstract
Mercury toxicity and intoxication (poisoning) are realities that every American needs to face. Both the Environmental Protection Agency and National Academy of Science state that between 8 to 10% of American women have mercury levels that would render any child they gave birth to neurological disorders. One of six children in the USA have a neurodevelopmental disorder according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Yet our dentistry and medicine continue to expose all patients to mercury. This article discusses the obvious sources of mercury exposures that can be easily prevented. It also points out that genetic susceptibility and exposures to other materials that synergistically enhance mercury and ethyl-mercury toxicity need to be evaluated, and that by their existence prevent the actual determination of a "safe level" of mercury exposure for all. The mercury sources we consider are from dentistry and from drugs, mainly vaccines, that, in today's world are not only unnecessary sources, but also sources that are being increasingly recognized as being significantly deleterious to the health of many.

Dental amalgam constitutes the greatest source of mercury for the general population - up to six times more than all other sources combined. - WHO 1991 Criteria 118

The No Observable Effects Level (NOEL) for Mercury is ZERO

80% of inhaled mercury vapour is absorbed through the lungs and distributed throughout the body

Mercury from amalgam is absorbed into the body at a rate of 1 - 27 mcg per day

Mercury is the third most toxic substance known to man after lead and arsenic

Mercury constitutes about 50% of amalgam fillings

Mercury is released continuously form set amalgam for the life of the filling

Mercury causes single strand breaks in DNA

Mercury is Mutagenic

Mercury causes a reduction in immune function

Mercury can bind to proteins in the body and begin a chain of autoimmune disease

Mercury from amalgam crosses the placenta and breast milk

Mercury enters the fetus and new born child from the mother's amalgam fillings

Mercury levels in the fetus are directly related to the number of amalgam fillings in the mother's mouth

Mercury from amalgam causes a reduction in Kidney filtration function

Mercury from amalgam can cause kidney disease and other kidney dysfunction

Mercury from amalgam can have a devastating effect on cardiac function

Mercury from amalgam can spread to every cell in the body

Mercury from amalgam concentrates in the Central Nervous System

The brain accumulates about 10 times more mercury after exposure to mercury vapour,
compared to equal amounts of mercuric ions being injected or ingested

Mercury can bypass the blood brain barrier and enter motor neurons

Mercury from amalgam has been directly related to many neurologic disease including
motor neurone disease and glioblastomas

Mercury has been definitively shown to cause neurofibrilar tangles in nerve tissue
which is identical to Alzheimer's disease.
Lead, cadmium and Aluminium did not have this effect.

Mercury is transported along nerve fibres at a rate of about 10mm per day

Mercury is also absorbed into the peripheral nerves

Mercury causes deficits in both cognitive and motor function tasks

Small amounts of Mercury from amalgam can cause changes in the brain that are identical to those
observed in Alzheimer's Disease Patients

Mercury is bound to haemoglobin in the red blood cells and blocks oxygen carrying capacity of the blood

Mercury causes changes in the numbers of white blood cells

Mercury is related to increased blood cholesterol levels

Mercury interferes with female and male reproduction

Mercury can cause infertility, miscarriage and still birth

Mercury in utero causes learning deficits in children

Mercury is converted to Methylmercury in the human body -
this is the form of mercury we are warned about when eating fish

Mercury causes photophobia - bright light sensitivity

Mercury causes Acrodynia - Pink Disease

Mercury toxicity increases substantially when combined with other metals such as lead or Cadmium

Mercury has been associated with a range of respiratory problems including asthma

Mercury poisoning is associated with development of Autism

Mercury damages blood vessel walls

Mercury is strongly related to heart attacks

Mercury from amalgam causes an increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the human gut

Mercury causes a change in the normal bacterial inhabitants in the gut

Micro-mercurialism means poisoning form long term, low level mercury exposure - precisely the type of exposure to mercury that amalgam fillings provide. Early symptoms are usually sub-clinical (meaning that you would normally not yet show symptoms that you would consult a doctor about) and neurological (affecting the nervous system). These early symptoms include;

Fatigue - physical and mental
Lack of initiative
Loss of short term memory
Lack of concentration
Poor to no decision making ability
Irrational obsession Compulsions
Timidity & lack of self confidence
Grave depression
Rapid mood changes,
Sudden anger
Unexplainable fear of death
Hallucinations
Shyness and timidity
Tendency to isolation
Suicidal

Dental Amalgam is treated as Toxic Waste everywhere, except in a living human mouth.