What's your opinion on the mercury issue?

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Dental Mom said:

I read tons of info. last Summer about mercury and how in few European countries they have eliminated mercury in dentistry. They say that they have done research and that there is evidence that mercury IS bad in the mouth.

I have also seen here in South Florida few dentists offering free mercury treatments.

So what do you know and think about this?

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The ADA, the FDA, and the WHO have all issued policy statements on the safety of dental amalgam. If anybody can find a dissenting group with more authority on the subject than those three organizations combined, I'll be glad to listen. In the meantime, I won't lose much sleep over the alloys I'm putting in patients' mouths.

fish Hg > amalgam Hg

Dental Mom said:

What's your opinion on the mercury issue?

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Not to sound like smarta$$, but opinion has no place in this issue. Only facts and good science. Not the junk "science" put forth by the likes of Hal Huggins.

Dentistry is one of the few professions that has tried repeatedly to put itself out of business (fluoridation), and amalgam ranks at the top for a cheap, reliable, durable material.

"Mercury-free" practices are preying on the layperson who gets all his/her knowledge from Nightline and Ladies Home Journal. It is against the ADA Code of Ethics to recommend removal of amalgam for reasons related to the mercury alone. Of course you can swap them out for composites (tooth-colored) for cosmetic reasons, but then you are replacing them with a less-durable and more expensive material that will have to be replaced sooner (on the average).

There are also people out there who think public water fluoridation is a communist plot...seriously.

Dental Mom said:

I read tons of info. last Summer about mercury and how in few European countries they have eliminated mercury in dentistry. They say that they have done research and that there is evidence that mercury IS bad in the mouth.

I have also seen here in South Florida few dentists offering free mercury treatments.

So what do you know and think about this?

Click to expand...

You say you've read "tons of info". If your source is the Enquirer or the lay press, don't expect them to make a distinction between good and bad research, they only care about good headlines. Go to the sources aphistis cites or do a pubmed search on mercury and dental amalgams, then let us know what your opinion is.

I have to agree with Aphistis. But... I have seen this controversy in dentistry from a personal perspective because of my background in dental hygiene. This issue is as touchy as religion to those who don't believe in fluoride and amalgam. These patients will act like you are poisoning them by even suggesting they need it (this has been my 6 years of previous experience and working for a dentist who had a large naturopathic patient base). There has been research in dentistry to support the recommendation of fluoride on adults because of recession related root caries (cementum is not as calcified as enamel), drug induced xerostomia, autoimmune malfunctions of the salivary glands/or cancer, and other issues that cause an increase in caries in adults that warrant the use of topical fluoride on them. Boy let me tell you that it is a challenging conversation to explain to patients who look horrified at this recommendation that systemic is not the same as topical, but I digress....

My point is that they don't (the patients) have the level of understanding and critical thinking usually to dissect all this misinformation and false research that is out there. Some do as they are the N.D.’s and other health practitioner that have bought into this philosophy. As health practitioners it is our job to help them, but keep in mind this is a very, very touchy issue with those that bring up their aversions to it.

This issue will not go away, and is something that depending on where you practice you may become more or less embroiled in. Personally, like I said earlier agree with the ADA on the use of fluoride and amalgam. I am just shedding some light on my experience in a "naturopathic" like practice and what I saw while working there.

My opinion of the issue is that factually it is not an issue.