What are dental schools saying about mercury?

[Fuji]

I am reading a book called, "Whole-Body Dentistry," by Dr. Mark Breiner, and it's got me thinking about material incompatabilities with the body. His particular concern is that mercury from amalgam fillings leeches into the body causing all sorts of systemic and acute problems. He argues that the ADA has known about the risks and tried to squash all dissenting dentists, even modifying their ethical standards to specifically prohibit the removal of amalgam fillings if it is suggested by the dentist.

My question to those of you in dental school: what are you being taught, if anything, about the risks associated with mercury and other incompatable materials? Is this Breiner fellow raising valid concerns or is he quack? He does pose some pretty rediculous arguments about the body's energy channels, but that's another thread...

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[aphistis]

I am reading a book called, "Whole-Body Dentistry," by Dr. Mark Breiner, and it's got me thinking about material incompatabilities with the body. His particular concern is that mercury from amalgam fillings leeches into the body causing all sorts of systemic and acute problems. He argues that the ADA has known about the risks and tried to squash all dissenting dentists, even modifying their ethical standards to specifically prohibit the removal of amalgam fillings if it is suggested by the dentist.

My question to those of you in dental school: what are you being taught, if anything, about the risks associated with mercury and other incompatable materials? Is this Breiner fellow raising valid concerns or is he quack? He does pose some pretty rediculous arguments about the body's energy channels, but that's another thread...

We're taught that the risks associated with dental mercury lie somewhere between negligible & nonexistent, and we're given the science to back it up.

"Whole-body dentistry", "holistic dentistry", and everything similar are quackery and embarrassments to the profession.

 

[Biogirl361]

we're taught that the mercury a patient gets from their amalgams is much too small to be even close to a concern. mercury is in its most toxic form as a vapor, which is why we have to dispose of it in special containers (if it is incinerated with the rest of the trash the fumes generated could be a huge hazard to the disposal workers). during the first day or so after placement of an amalgam, blood levels rise slightly but go back to negligible levels after the amalgam has fully cured. at least this is the way i understood it. i think we were also shown studies that showed that people with amalgams could not be distinuished from those without based on their blood mercury levels.

 

[scalpel2008]

I am reading a book called, "Whole-Body Dentistry," by Dr. Mark Breiner, and it's got me thinking about material incompatabilities with the body. His particular concern is that mercury from amalgam fillings leeches into the body causing all sorts of systemic and acute problems. He argues that the ADA has known about the risks and tried to squash all dissenting dentists, even modifying their ethical standards to specifically prohibit the removal of amalgam fillings if it is suggested by the dentist.

My question to those of you in dental school: what are you being taught, if anything, about the risks associated with mercury and other incompatable materials? Is this Breiner fellow raising valid concerns or is he quack? He does pose some pretty rediculous arguments about the body's energy channels, but that's another thread...

anytime i see a health professional base their treatment around the "body's energy channels" i consider them a quack. i don't remember coming across these channels in phys, anatomy, or any other science.

 

[dentalman]

I thought the body's energy channels were proven already. I have FOX, UPN, and Comedy Central myself.

 

[itsall3324453!]

As a practicing acupuncturist for the last ten years I can comfortably say that there are no such things as either Qi in the form of some esoteric energy or energy channels( which are misrepresented as meridians in Chinese Medicine) this misunderstanding is based of course on a pleothra of mistranslations not the least of which is the Chinese word for meridian is "jin luo" which literally means "silk wrapping" which is of course fascia. Where there are certainly a lot of quacks out there espousing all sorts of "alternative" models, there are well qualified practitioners. It seems to me a good litmus to distinguish is the use of fear in marketing and even the use of marketing by itself. In all things there is a process and it is important to remember that even implants were concidered quackery at one time. There is a place for alternatives to allopathic medicine but generally the people representing this field and the lack of reasearch are its achilles heel. Over time I hope this will change with more stringent requirements and serious reasearch. I am sure though this will not happen untill someone figures out how to make a mountain of money from it. It is my further wish to remember myself through my dental training ( should I get accepted ) and remind current students that nothing is 100% effective or successful all of the time. I say this knowing that on many occasions I have treated post operative dental pain very successfully. So beware of closing your mind but of course keep it a critical one. Best to all.

 

[sjdent]

Have you guys seen this BS? I found her site the other day - just unbelievable what she's putting out there.

http://www.debrahopkins.com/biological.htm

http://www.debrahopkins.com/open.htm

 

[Da Bomb]

Ok this woman and her partner need to get their heads checked. She bashes amalgam as being harmful when no research has ever proven so and then she advertises "one day whitening" which may or may not cause damage to teeth (jury is still out) and she advocates full mouth rehab as the only way to restore a healthy smile.

Ok so let me see if I get this...Amalgam, the most reliable dental material to date is BAAAD while cutting down every tooth in the mouth to little stubs is GOOOOOD "holistic" dentistry.

What a Quack!!

 

[aphistis]

What a Quack!!

That sums it up. My head started hurting after just a couple minutes on this crackpot's website.

 

[djeffreyt]

That sums it up. My head started hurting after just a couple minutes on this crackpot's website.

sadly...not the only one...too many dentists have been swayed by the lax "science" in the books by people espousing the dangers of mercury in dental fillings. Too many books out there based on circumstantial evidence, friend of a friend stories of miraculous recoveries from cancer after removal of amalgam, and citations of scientific tests done on mercury in utterly unrelated conditions to dental amalgam...it's just sad

 

[Biogirl361]

I'm offended by the flouride page, especially the part that says dentists who support flouridated water are unaware of the controversy and real facts because all they know is what the ada tells them...

 

[DrJeff]

I will have to give credit to my partner for this response, but when a patients asks me if I'm going to put a "mercury filling" in their tooth, my new reply is "well if you like I can put an estrogen, 5-beta mercapothoethanol and plastic filling in instead!"

This generally opens up even the most staunch anti amalgam tabloid believing patient to a more objective discussion of the research out there.