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The Mercury Connetion

By: Alireza Panahpour, DDS

 

Every year thousands of people visit their physicians with complaints ranging from depression to fatigue to unexplained pain or simply “not feeling good”. Tests are run, medications are prescribed but often they fail to get better. As they are shuffled from one specialist to another, it can begin to feel hopeless.

Unfortunately, this scenario is playing out with more frequency than necessary due to one major offender: the silver amalgam. Placed in cavities since the early 1800’s, silver amalgams are actually a mixture of metals, with mercury comprising more than half of the amalgam. The American Dental Association maintains that this metal is safe when placed in the mouth, yet the EPA requires that mercury amalgams be treated as hazardous waste before they are placed in the mouth and after they are removed.

Mercury amalgams have been banned in several countries, including Germany, Austria, Denmark and Sweden and the World Health Organization (WHO) is urging all other countries to follow suit. In 1991, the WHO released a policy paper stating that, “Mercury contained in dental amalgam is the greatest source of mercury vapor in non-industrialized settings, exposing the concerned population to mercury levels significantly exceeding those set for food and for air.”

Mercury vapors are released into your mouth every time that you chew, drink hot liquids or grind your teeth. Studies show that mercury levels in the mouth increase 8 – 10 fold after chewing and remain that way for at least 90 minutes in people with mercury amalgams. When mercury vapors are released into the mouth they are then inhaled deeply into the lungs where the heavy metal becomes absorbed into the bloodstream. Once in the bloodstream, mercury is able to travel throughout the body and nestle into organ tissues causing physiological changes to the immune, renal, reproductive and central nervous systems as well as the oral and intestinal flora. In pregnant women, mercury is able to cross through the placenta, exposing unborn children to concentrated levels of the heavy metal. After birth, mercury is also present in the mother’s breast milk, continuing to expose children to the toxic substance.

Fetuses and children are especially susceptible to the toxic nature of mercury. Mercury is particularly harmful to the developing brain and can result lowered intelligence, lowered coordination and other significant neurological problems.

The Autoimmune Response
One of the biggest areas that mercury affects is the immune system. In the general population many people have an allergy to mercury, yet no tests are performed before placing the metal in an individuals mouth. Studies show that people who are allergic to mercury are more susceptible to developing an autoimmune disease as a result of their metal amalgams. When mercury enters cells within the body the immune system sees the cells as a threat and creates antibodies to attack the invader, thereby harming the cell that the mercury resides within. The result can be any number of autoimmune diseases, including, rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, multiple sclerosis and lupus.

A Mind Connection
Mercury has long been known to affect the mind, going back to the days when hatter’s were “going mad” as a result of the mercury solution they used to felt hats. Today, studies have definitively linked depression, irritability, inability to focus, memory loss and tremors to mercury exposure.

Recently scientists have turned their attention to a possible link between Alzheimer’s disease and mercury. Autopsies of deceased Alzheimer’s patients consistently reveal concentrations of mercury within the brain and cerebrospinal fluid. These findings have fueled a host of new studies to delve deeper into the connection.

Antibiotic Resistance
Mercury can also have a detrimental effect on the flora that resides within the intestines. Studies reveal that mercury causes normal bacteria in the intestines to become mercury and antibiotic-resistant. This one-two bacterial punch has frightening implications in that it reintroduces the toxin back into the body and creates an antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Diagnosing mercury toxicity is not always easy. Several factors must be taken into account and considered as a whole when making a diagnosis. For example, mercury has an effect on chemical levels throughout the body, lowering cortisol levels while raising IgM levels. Likewise, the presence of mercury cannot always be detected in blood tests or urinalysis, therefore all of these various factors must be considered as puzzle pieces and fitted together to view the larger picture.

If you suspect that you might be suffering from mercury toxicity, see a physician who is equipped to deal with heavy metal toxicity. After evaluating your situation and securing a diagnosis they may recommend that you have your amalgams removed. If this is the case, make an appointment with a biological dentist who is trained in the safe removal of mercury amalgams. The process of removal can lead to dangerous toxic exposure if not done properly- a situation that should be avoided at all costs.

Removal of mercury amalgams, along with heavy metal detoxification, can have a powerful impact on your health! Take control of your health and your life. See your doctor today!

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