Dental Mercury Detox

[Guest guest]

Dental Mercury Detox

> Dental Mercury Detox- http://www.cfsn.com/detox.html -

>

> Mercury exposure from mercury dental fillings, also known as " silver "

> fillings and " amalgams " , is a life long threat. When a person chews,

drinks,

> swallows and breathes, mercury released from dental fillings is absorbed

by

> the lungs and the linings of the digestive system into the bloodstream. As

> they corrode, mercury fillings release ionized mercury into the saliva,

> tooth pulp, and gum tissues leading to the digestive system and

bloodstream.

> There has been a long running debate over the safety of these dental

> fillings. Dental industry trade representatives, most notably the American

> Dental Association (ADA) have long denied that there is any detrimental

> effects from the use of mercury in repairing dental cavities.

>

> For more than a century, the ADA has contended that once a mercury amalgam

> filling has " cured " , the mercury is chemically bound, and cannot escape

the

> filling. This speculation has always been at odds with the commonplace

> observation that mercury fillings " wear out " ; corroding, eroding,

breaking,

> and falling out of the teeth - requiring replacement with new fillings

over

> time.

>

> Recently, evidence has come forward that soundly refutes the

> contention/speculation that the mercury " stays put " in the fillings.

(Please

> see our page: Dental Mercury Exposure).

> The center of debate over safety has now switched to the question of " how

> much mercury exposure does it take to become ill ? " . Most of the classical

> work establishing mercury as a potent neuro-toxin has come from acute,

that

> is high dose, short duration exposures. Such exposures demonstrate high

> levels of mercury in blood and urine, and are the basis of present

> diagnostic standards for mercury toxicity.

>

> Many current investigators have come to believe that chronic low-dose

> exposure - small amounts over a long time - such as is received from

mercury

> dental fillings follow a different dynamic.

>

> Because of the strong attraction for molecules containing sulfur, low

doses

> of mercury clear from the blood quickly taking residence in the body in an

> immobilized and not easily detected state. Traditional diagnostic methods

> and standards for acute mercury toxicity are inadequate for determining

> health dysfunctions arising from long term low-dose exposure to mercury

via

> dental fillings.

>

> Recent scientific investigations have shown that persons suffering from

> Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) commonly demonstrate immune T-cells that

are

> programmed to react against mercury and other dental metals. (Please see

our

> page: MELISA and Dental Metals)

> Independent researchers have also shown that CFS sufferers have

continuously

> activated immune systems, though a long sought viral cause for this

> activation still cannot be identified.

>

> Immune sensitization against mercury and other dental metals changes the

> nature of the discussion regarding the safety of dental metals. Acute

> exposure criteria no longer apply when the immune system is directly

> involved. The standard of practice in allergic immunology is to avoid the

> substance that stimulates the immune system.

> Below we outline what we have gathered from various sources, including

> researchers and those practicing dentistry and medicine, regarding the

> resolution of dental mercury and/or dental metal caused illness.

>

> 1. Diagnosing metal caused illness. Every commonly used method of

diagnosing

> dental metal caused illness has problems. Hair tests can show elevated

> mercury, but very rarely show enough mercury to meet acute exposure

> standards. Urine studies are also insufficient to agree with acute

exposure

> criteria. Even with a chelation challenge, persons who are not ill will

> often show similar levels of mercury as those who are ill and suspecting

> their dental fillings.

>

> We are left with only two methods of diagnosing dental metal caused

illness

> that appear logical, supported by the objective facts.

>

> Process of elimination. When all other potential causes have been

> eliminated, then the teeth at long last become suspect. If you have

mercury

> dental fillings, you have mercury exposure.

>

> You don't need hair, urine or blood studies to determine that you are

> exposed to mercury- just count your fillings in the mirror. All dental

> metals release small amounts of their metal in the mouth under normal

> conditions. Mercury amalgams are reliably exposing the person to mercury

on

> a near constant basis - the more amalgam surfaces, the greater the

exposure.

>

> You are immune exposed to all the dental metals in your mouth. However,

that

> alone doesn't mean you are immune sensitized to any of the metals.

>

> People ultimately act on faith and hope to remove their mercury dental

> fillings when following a process of elimination.

> MELISA® Test. Melisa is the only objective test in our awareness that

> provides direct evidence for illness caused by dental metals. Lymphocytes

> don't lie or imagine, they swell up and multiply when stimulated with the

> metal or pathogen they are programmed to remember - or they don't if there

> is no direct connection.

>

> 2. Detoxifying the teeth. Whether a person is receiving toxicity from a

> mercury buildup, or immune stimulation from a sensitized metal, the first

> step towards recovering health is to remove the controllable metal

sources.

> This would be the metal dental restorations in the teeth.

>

> Safe removal of mercury fillings is an important consideration. Drilling

can

> cause a large one-time exposure of mercury vapor. Mercury vapor is

> poisonous, and can cause a worsening of problems if allowed to be added to

> your other exposures. 80% of mercury vapor breathed into the lungs enters

> the bloodstream where it freely travels to the brain and other vital

organs

> and tissues.

>

> A rubber dam properly installed during drilling will slow the rate mercury

> vapor directly enters the tissues of the mouth, will stop amalgam

particles

> from going down the throat, and will funnel mercury vapor out of your

mouth.

>

> Suction under the rubber dam will remove mercury vapor that accumulates

> underneath the dam. A rubber dam doesn't stop mercury vapor, it slows it

> down so that the high speed drill created vapor doesn't impel directly

into

> the mouth tissues.

>

> Breathing from a respirator becomes essential to reduce exposure since the

> opening to the mouth is in the immediate area where your nostrils draw

air.

> Using the rubber dam will protect the mouth and throat tissues while

> increasing the mercury vapor available for nostril breathing.

>

> There are other considerations that don't have a wide consensus, such as

the

> order the fillings should be removed, and how much to do in one sitting.

> These are important individual considerations for you and your

physician(s)

> to work out.

>

> 3. Go to metal-free dental restoration materials. All ceramic systems are

> now becoming widely available. These have the highly desirable attribute

of

> not corroding and releasing any metals into the mouth.

>

> Metal-free is the standard of care for those suffering " amalgam illness "

in

> Sweden. Even with a MELISA test you cannot determine what metals you will

> become immune sensitized against. Persons with immune sensitivity to one

> metal have much higher odds of developing a similar sensitivity to another

> metal.

>

> If you are acting on a process of elimination and without certain

knowledge

> from a MELISA test, then you are further increasing your odds of a

positive

> outcome by eliminating all metals - since you cannot know which ones or

how

> many you are reacting against. It is very common to be sensitized to more

> than one dental metal.

>

> Every metal used in dentistry, including gold, titanium, and platinum, has

> been demonstrated to cause a T-cell mediated immune allergy in some

people.

>

> Nickel, a common base metal used in low cost crowns and as a hardening

agent

> in expensive gold crowns, causes immune sensitivity the most often,

followed

> by inorganic mercury. Even with gold a CFS sufferer has a 1 in 3 chance of

> being immune sensitized to the metal.

>

> We are aware of a case where a person became immune sensitized to gold

after

> having all amalgams removed and gold alloy crowns installed for the first

> time.

>

> Gold sensitivity was demonstrated by bleeding gums in association with the

> gold crowns, and a ring finger rash from a previously tolerated gold ring.

> This person was objectively demonstrated to be immune sensitized to gold,

> nickel, and mercury via subsequent MELISA® testing.

>

> 4. Restore normal metabolism. Many of the symptoms arising from " amalgam

> illness " are believed to result from a persistent immune activation

wasting

> away nutritional resources, and the direct consumption and disregulation

of

> nutritional resources by metals, particularly mercury.

>

> Depletion of intracellular glutathione stores are a common result of

> extended immune activation and from extended mercury exposure. This

> depletion can be directly related to symptoms of poor immune response and

> symptoms of hypothyroidism (low thyroid), among many other problems.

>

> In a healthy state the body's stores of glutathione come to the defense by

> binding circulating mercury as it oxidizes, and carrying the metal in the

> waste flow via the liver and kidneys. A slow down in this natural process

> may be the first step in immune sensitization, allowing mercury levels to

> build to a level that enrages the immune system.

>

> An activated immune system further consumes body stores of glutathione,

> possibly leaving the body even more sensitive and with less defense

against

> the continuous exposure of toxic dental mercury.

> Restoring intracellular glutathione, antioxidants, B-vitamins, and rare

> trace minerals are the long term remedy for many of the symptoms of

" amalgam

> illness " . Metabolic restoration can begin even when the suspect metals are

> still in the teeth.

> For some people, IV preparations of nutrients will be required at first to

> by-pass disrupted digestion and absorption.

>

> Others can go straight to much less expensive oral supplements such as

> " Double Defense & Double Replenish " from CFS Nutrition.

>

> 5. Reduce the body burden of mercury. There are several drugs and at least

> one nutrient that seem quite effective in enhancing the body's

> detoxification rate of extracellular mercury. Each of these are described

as

> a " dithiol " compound.

> DMPS is an experimental drug, legally available in the USA only from

medical

> researchers under special FDA license.

> DMSA is available for prescription under a general FDA approval, though

its

> primary approval is for eliminating a body burden of lead, not mercury.

>

> Alpha lipoic acid is a naturally occurring compound found in very small

> amounts in potatoes and other foods, and is available over-the-counter as

a

> food supplement.

> In doses able to heavily influence the excretion of mercury, all of these

> compounds have anecdotal problem reports. One reason that seems likely is

> the further disregulation of important trace minerals caused by these

> powerful chelating agents.

>

> Dithiols pull strongly on essential minerals and not just heavy metals

like

> mercury and lead.

>

> You should know there is an ongoing controversy regarding the safety of

> dithiol chelators and the use of DMPS in particular. Visit Jana's DMPS

> Backfire website for information you may not receive at a DMPS chelation

> clinic.

>

> We suggest that a person be on a sure metabolic footing before pursuing

any

> chelation strategy to further enhance mercury detoxification beyond the

> normal glutathione pathway.

>

> Two supplement programs containing alpha-lipoic acid are available from

CFS

> Nutrition: " Advanced Defense & Replenish " and " Super Defense & Replenish " .

> These offer relatively small and periodic doses of lipoic acid while

> supporting glutathione levels. We are aware of some persons advocating

much

> more aggressive dosing of lipoic acid for mercury detoxification. We urge

> caution.

>

> We recommend a person be free of mercury dental fillings and first

complete

> a course of " Defense & Replenish " or " Double Defense & Double Replenish "

or

> their equivalent, before moving on to supplements containing

> alpha-lipoic-acid.

>

> For more aggressive strategies in enhancing mercury excretion, we strongly

> recommend you consult a physician with a proven record of success in

> chelating heavy metals while avoiding " backfires " , restoring their

patients

> to a more normal health.

>

>

>