September 21, 1997INDEX
Out of the mouths of dental patients -- and sometimes a corpse -- comes treasure.
By Andrea Gerlin
INQUIRER STAFF WRITEROctober 3About $1 million a year's worth.
Local firm takes big bite of gold-recycling marketFort Knox it's not.
But each week, hundreds of packets of dental debris arrive in the Wynnewood office of estate-jewelry buyer Lippincott Inc. Washing out of patients' mouths and flowing through the mail, the gold nuggets are the castoffs of the dental world.
At Lippincott's office, two workers clean and sort the pieces, which are then shipped off to refineries around the country. The refineries melt and purify them into commercial-grade bricks for resale on the open market.
They add up to a nice chunk of change.
The upscale recycling process generates about $1 million a year in business for privately owned Lippincott, or nearly as much gold as a dozen American miners produce annually. The gold comes from thousands of patients who have had it removed during dental work, a network of 2,000 dentists, and the occasional funeral home. Within three days, they're sent checks averaging $10 to $15 for a typical three-gram piece.
``There's gold in them thar teeth,'' crows Lippincott marketing director Richard Zakroff.
Three years ago, after prices for the precious metal had rebounded, his company began advertising in dental journals and magazines ranging from the Atlantic Monthly to Modern Maturity. That set off a rush of gold teeth, fillings, crowns and bridges, enclosed in the postage-paid ``dental scrap recycle kits'' that the company supplies.
Lippincott even has its own page on the World Wide Web. Among its contents is a warning: ``Do not attempt to separate tooth matter from the dental gold. It can splinter off, causing injury. Our sophisticated equipment will separate the material.'' The sophisticated equipment is an acid bath that strips foreign material from gold much as turpentine strips paint from wood.
Today, Zakroff estimates, Lippincott receives 100 troy ounces of gold every week or two, or about 75 to 150 kilograms of gold a year. Having enjoyed a three-year average price of about $386 a troy ounce between 1994 and last year, Zakroff has smiled all the way to the bank.
At least one medical ethicist said prospecting for gold in people's mouths could raise ethical considerations. Arthur Caplan, director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania, said recycling dental gold would be ethically wrong if patients were unaware of their dentists' reuse of it or if survivors were unaware of its removal from deceased relatives.
``In biology, things that used to be junk are now valuable,'' Caplan said. ``Because more and more things from inside the body can be put to new uses, it makes us think twice.'' But Caplan adds that he sees no problem with consumers' voluntarily recycling their dental gold.
In its marketing, Lippincott, which has been buying estate jewelry for seven years, emphasizes consumers' profit motive. ``Isn't cash in the bank better than dental scrap sitting in your drawer gathering dust?'' its brochure asks.
Lippincott's double-digit profit margins would be the envy of any industry. They're easily competitive with the gold-mining industry's estimated operating profit margins of about 20 percent during the last five years, says mining analyst Victor Lazarovici of Smith Barney in New York.
The company pays close attention to spot gold prices, which stood Friday at $321.20 a troy ounce, because its profits are sensitive to the slightest fluctuations. Lippincott even speculates in the market. ``We may hold the gold a few days because we think it's going to go up a little,'' Zakroff said.
Dental gold accounts for a very small amount of gold recycling, outpaced by richer sources such as jewelry and electronic circuit boards, said John Lutley, director of the Gold Institute, an industry group in Washington. But he said most of the gold contained in mouths probably will eventually be recycled.
A dense metal that never corrodes or degrades, gold has been prized through the ages. Historically one of the costliest elements, there is significant incentive to recycle it.
Buyers of gold jewelry who may worry about contracting a contagious disease from a bracelet or wrist watch made of gold that rested in someone else's mouth for decades can relax. The gold is melted at 1,760 degrees Fahrenheit and undergoes a purification process that uses highly acidic bubble chlorine.
``Any trace of the person's mouth disappeared long ago,'' Lutley said.
Philadelphia Online -- The Philadelphia Inquirer, Business -- Copyright Sunday, September 21, 1997
INDEX
DENTAL MERCURY POISONING
Canadian News Wire
June 26, 1997HOUSTON, Oct. 3 /CNW/ - At the 11th Annual Meeting of the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (I.A.O.M.T.), information was presented raising serious concerns regarding potential illegal and improper behaviour on the part of Health Canada officials. Information I.A.O.M.T. gathered via Access to Information indicates that Health Canada was aware of a large body of scientific research and risk information that clearly identifies potential health risks posed by dental silver/mercury fillings. Despite this knowledge, Health Canada, after private meetings with the C.D.A., failed to inform dentists, physicians, and medical and dental patients regarding the full extent of these risks for over 20 years!
FACT: As early as August 31,1976, Dr. Pierre Blais (at that time an employee of Health Canada, Medical Devices Bureau) raised serious concerns about mercury exposure from dental ``silver/mercury fillings'' in an internal government document. Dr. Blais stated that ``the potential hazards with the product (silver/mercury fillings) are so transparently obvious that we (Government of Canada) cannot even appear to ignore it without attracting ridicule...''. Yet ignore it they did for 20 years, even though 4 subsequent internal Health Canada documents raised similar strong concerns! (Chawla & Karov: July 10, 1991; Karov, May 5, 1993; Sinclair, July 15, 1994 and Richardson, August 18, 1995.)
Given these Government scientific reports and the considerable published medical research evidence indicating that ``silver/mercury'' fillings are not suitable for human use, its odd that Health Canada officials have rejected the proper course of action - phasing out the use of this material in Canada. These Health Canada officials have also ignored the conclusions of the Swedish Expert Medical Committee, which has recommended and proceeded with the phase out of silver/mercury fillings in Sweden.
FACT: On October 7, 1982, the Privy Council enacted Amendment No. 3105-1982, which directed the Department of Health to require pre-market review of all materials to be implanted into the human body for more than 30 days. Tooth filling materials, including silver/mercury fillings, obviously qualify in this category. But . . .
In 1985, Health Canada bureaucrats entered into private agreements with the Canadian Dental Association (C.D.A.) and the Dental Industry Association of Canada to exempt all dental restorative materials from pre-market review (see Health Canada Information Letters, No. 608, 625, 638 and 696; CDA Dental Materials & Devices Document; from Dr. D.W. Jones, May 17, 1985 to the Health Protection Branch; and the CDA Journal, January 1986 News Update, p.6). In doing so, the laws of the House of Commons of Canada were apparently arbitrarily violated by government employees after being influenced by dental trade organizations! Between 1982 and 1994, when the Privy Council officially changed the law (January 13, 1994: Amendment 1994-18), dental restorative materials, regardless of chemical composition, were allowed, uncontrolled, into Canada for human use. This policy continues to this day!
FACT: According to government officials, dental silver/mercury fillings have never been officially approved in Canada by the Department of Health/Health Canada! Moreover, Health Canada officials recently had to inform the C.D.A. on the issue of misinforming the public on issues concerning silver/mercury filling safety. (Letter: from Richard S. Tobin, Ph.D., Director, Medical Devices Bureau, Health Canada to Dr. James Brookfield, past President, CDA, February 27, 1996.).
Given these disturbing facts, the I.A.O.M.T. wishes to inform the people of Canada of this grave situation. Further, we call upon the present Government Ministers of Health, Justice and Taxation and the RCMP to investigate the circumstances surrounding these facts to ensure that illegal acts by government officials have not occurred and to ensure that the Canadian Dental Association and the Dental Industry Association of Canada have not improperly influenced Health Canada for their professional and corporate advantage at the expense of the public health.
For further information: Dr. Michael Ziff, Executive Director, I.A.O.M.T., (403) 290-9670, Fax: (407) 299-4149
INDEX
Decision by the Colorado Court of Appeals
Dr. Hal Huggins
In a precedent setting action, the Colorado Court of appeals reversed a lower court decision that charged Dr. Hal A. Huggins to pay in excess of $132,000 to Diane Bailey. The claim was based in essence upon the fact that Huggins' book, "Its All in Your Head" states that mercury presents a hazard to people with amalgam fillings. She claimed that she had her mercury fillings and root canal teeth removed as a result of reading Huggins' book, and it was his responsibility that they were gone.July 4, 1997The court pointed out that it was Ms. Bailey's husband that supplied the book and video of 60 Minutes presentation on amalgam, not Huggins himself. They also found that there was no dentist-patient relationship between Ms. Bailey and Dr. Huggins, and that "Huggins played no part in any of the treatment provided to the plaintiff". Referring to the 60 Minutes program, the court found that "Huggins did not appear in that videotape, and there is no evidence that he was in any manner responsible for any of the statements made by the persons interviewed." They also noted that "both the majority viewpoint and the minority viewpoint were presented in that segment".
Ms. Bailey's attorney, Ms. Derry Adams characterized the book, "Its All in Your Head" as stating that mercury emitted from amalgam fillings was toxic and presented a hazard to patients.
The appellate court pointed out that Ms. Adams' ADA witnesses had stated that the ADA argued almost daily about the mercury issue, and the implication was that if the ADA didn't know for sure, Huggins could not be sanctioned for selecting one side of the argument. Despite the ADA's lack of decision, the president of the ADA "insisted that any dentist recommending the removal of amalgams for the sole purpose of eliminating the mercury vapors would be guilty of 'unethical' conduct".
The court stated that, "these materials (Huggins' book and the video) clearly acknowledged that a majority of the dental profession did not share Huggins' concern over the health risks of amalgams". They continued, "we conclude that the social utility of encouraging authors to address issues of public concern, and the magnitude of the burden that would be imposed upon them if a duty of care were recognized, far outweigh the private interest of any individual reader."
They further concluded that "The expression of opinions upon matters of public concern is the core value protected by the First Amendment. To subject authors of such opinions to the risk of multiple claims for personal injuries, at least in those instances, as here, in which the opinions do not address or impugn any specific individual, based solely upon the majoritarian view that the opinion is "false," would impose an intolerable burden upon the author of such opinions. And, the imposition of such a burden would have a ruinous and unjustifiable chilling effect upon free speech."
As an example, Judge Criswell pointed to the responsibility of stock brokers if they gave information that caused clients to lose large sums of money, no responsibility falls upon the broker. It is up to individuals to be responsible for their own decisions.
The appellate court decided that in the case against Huggins, "the jury was in error and that its resulting judgment must be reversed".
This is the case that was dramitized on Dateline NBC (5/13). Some people have subtitled the segment "DateRape".
INDEX
COLORADO LEGISLATURE INTERVENES ON DENTAL AMALGAM!
BioProbe
Dental Boards in several states have actively sought to discipline mercuryfree dentists, not the least of which is Colorado, where the license of Dr. Hal Huggins was suspended in 1996. The Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) in the Huggins case even stated that patients do not have the right to request removal of mercury amalgam fillings. The outrage of the Huggins case stirred considerable citizen activity in Colorado, where legislative action finally resulted.Although a number of people in Colorado, and elsewhere, were instrumental in the victory, the ultimate hero was Representative Mark Paschall of the Colorado Legislature. Representative Paschall initiated the legislation and, along with CoSponsor Senator Richard Mutzebaugh, steered it through to the Governor's signature. This landmark legislation represents the first outright legislative action specifically directed to protect the interests of patients and mercuryfree dentists regarding dental amalgam, and creates a truly level playing field in Colorado.
HOUSE BILL 971187.
BY REPRESENTATIVES Paschall, Tupa, Mace, and Pfiffner; also SENATORS Mutzebaugh, Hernandez, Congrove, and Duke.
Concerning the ability of dentists to use mercury amalgam as a dental restorative material.
SECTION 1. 1235118, (1.7)(a) ÒNothing in this section shall be construed to deprive any dental patient of the right to choose or replace any professionally recognized restorative material, nor to permit disciplinary action against a dentist solely for removing or placing any professionally recognized restorative material.Ó
In addition, the word ÒlegitimateÓ was stricken from (ff) of the section ÒPracticing outside the scope of legitimate dental or dental hygiene practice.Ó
It might be hoped that this dramatic legislation will serve as impetus for similar legislation in other states. At the least, it should send a strong message to State Dental Boards that they cannot discriminate against mercuryfree dentists with impunity. It is time that patients and mercuryfree dentists were afforded their due rights. Representative Paschall is to be highly commended. We recommend that everyone do so by writing him at: Representative Mark Paschall, 7903 W. 62nd Way, Arvada, Colorado 80004.
June 19, 1997INDEX
Japanese brain scan can detect Alzheimer's
LONDON (Reuter) - Japanese scientists said Friday they had found a way to use brain scans to diagnose Alzheimer's disease in living patients.Currently the fatal and incurable dementia can only be diagnosed for certain with a brain biopsy -- usually done after death.
But Dr. Toshiaki Irie and colleagues at the National Institute of Radiological Sciences in Chiba said they had found a way to use radioactive chemicals in an accurate brain scan.
Writing in the Lancet medical journal, they said they had made use of research that showed Alzheimer's victims had reduced activity of acetylcholinesterase, an enzyme that breaks down the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.
Neurotransmitters are chemicals that carry signals between cells and acetylcholine is associated with cognitive functions such as learning, memory and judgement -- all impaired in Alzheimer's.
Irie's group injected five patients with Alzheimer's with a radioactive but harmless chemical that attaches to acetylcholinesterase in the brain. Eight elderly but healthy volunteers were also injected.
They then used positron emission tomography (PET) scans to watch where the enzyme went.
All five Alzheimer's patients showed several regions with reduced activity of the enzyme. This indicated less activity of the neurotransmitter, meaning the whole system was slowed down.
"As the duration of the illness becomes longer, the number of regions with reduced regional cerebral blood flow increases in Alzheimer's disease," they wrote.
They said their method could not only be used to diagnose Alzheimer's in living people, but could help researchers understand the biochemical processes that underlie the disease.
"Furthermore, this method may also be helpful in developing and assessing new therapies, such as cholinesterase inhibition," they wrote.
REUTER@
June 12, 1997INDEX RESEARCHER DIES FROM MERCURY POISONING
In late March of this year an AP news release announced that an experienced researcher had been poisoned by mercury at Dartmouth. Yesterday was reported that the researcher, aged 48, died from dimethylmercury poisoning. The accident may have happened 8 months ago. The diagnosis was made 3 months later, and 3 weeks after diagnosis the researcher went into coma lasting until death occurred.
Comparing the two successive news releases provide interesting information for reflection on the nature of openness and free information flow versus concealed information. Openness and free information flow serves the purpose of providing the ground for well informed decisions where responsibility means that relevant information is gathered and taken into account. Concealed information has the opposite scope and works for promotion of special interests, vested or of other kinds. This seems to be a cultural trauma wherever mercury in any form is at focus.
Another accident with mercury, this time metallic, occured in Australia last year. The victim is alive, but handicapped. His experience besides the lost health is with the ignorance in the medical community of the health effects from mercury, and he pays the price for this ignorance. The cultural trauma comes at a cost.
A summary of her CV from the San Jose Mercury News:
Joined Dartmouth's faculty in 1976
Served as dean of graduate studies
Served as associate dean of the science faculty
Officer of the American Association for Cancer Reasearch
Author on over 85 research papers
Founded the Women In Science ProjectHer disposable latex gloves had been exposed to one or a few drops of dimethylmercury (a particularly toxic mercury compound) last August. She first exhibited symptoms of mercury poisoning in January which, despite treatment, progressed to coma late February and her death this week. Apparently there are more details of Dartmouth's investigation of the accident in the May 12 Chemical and Engineering News, including info that the gloves she used offered no protection beyond the first 15 seconds of exposure, if at all. Since there are no immediately noticeable effects, the exposure had to have been either observed by her as it occured or by the wet spots on the gloves as noted afterwards.
Quoting from the Associated Press News, Wed. June 11,1997 by J.M.Hirsch from Hanover,H.H.
The article stated a college scientist whose speciality was the DANGERS of Heavy Metals died of Mercury Poisoning this week 10 months alter as little as a drop of a rare toxic compound of mercury seeped through her rubber gloves.
Hospitalized wince January when tests showed 80 times the lethal dose of mercury in her blood. Three weeks after her diagnosis she went into a coma which lasted until her death.
Karen Wetterhahn,48, was a cancer researcher using the compound to ex- amine the effects of toxic metals on human cells. She was studying how mercury prevents cells from repairing themselves, much like cancer does.
Wetterhahn had two episodes of nausea and vomiting abvout three months after the spill"mercury attacks the central nervous system well before the victim shows symptoms" and Wetterhahn began losing her balance and was having trouble speaking and hearing in January, according to the Chairman of the Chemistry department John Winn.
The material dimethylmercury looks like water but is three times as dense, the compound is attracted to the oil in human skin and is absorbed in the body.
The U.S.Occupational Safety and Health Administration also is investigating and will have a report in October.
Wetterhahn , a Univ. of Dartmouth Faculty member for 21 years had been Dean of graduate studies and Associate dean of the science faculty and was internationally recognized in her field.
She also was a past officer of the American Association for Cancer Research and the Author of more than 85 Research papers.
Wetterhahn lived in Lyme with her husband, Leon Webb and their two young children.
DAMS ( a victim support group) sends our condolences to another Valuable Mercury researcher and Victim,including her family.
Once oagain the MESSAGE reads LOUD and CLEAR- MERCURY KILLS!
June 6, 1997INDEX
Is there a connection between mercury from silver fillings in pregnant women and Sudden Infants Death Syndromes (SIDS)?
Recently it was reported in media that the rate of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndromes) declined for the first time in decades in Sweden. In reporting on this smoking as a cause for SIDS was discussed, however the mothers are not smoking less now than a couple of years ago, so this does not offer an explanation.What has not been discussed is that mothers since decades have had free dental care and recieved amalgam/silver fillings exposing them and their unborn children to mercury released from these fillings. The decline in SIDS coincides with a ban on the use of amalgam/silver fillings for pregnant women in Sweden. These facts about the amalgam use and a shift in death rates for newborn children merits attention. Maybe it is a sign of a civilizational disease for which humanity has a longstanding tradition of being blind for.
How open eyes can get closed may be illustrated by the Swedish researcher who together with a fellow researcher in 1991 presented two cases of trombocytopenia (lack of blood platelets) with bleeding disorder in children after having amalgam/silver fillings placed in primary teeth. The conclusion was that tooth status of both mother and child should be assessed when bleeding disorder was suspected with children. The spring after this presentation the ADA visited Sweden, and a conference was held and ended in a concensus statement that there was nothing pointing to a possible connection between amalgam fillings and health. The Canadian researcher Murray Vimy attended this conference and refused to sign the statement. This was easily solved by putting his name to it anyhow. In spite of diplomatic activities to have this corrected nothing has been changed. The Swedish researcher has since been a member of the expert committee of the Swedish Board of Health and Welfare and vigorously maintained the view of no connection between mercury from amalgam fillings and health. His turnaround was a joint action with the rest of the specialists in Sweden within occupational medicine who previously in many cases had another view.
Together with this news item online you will find some interesting links to texts online offering some perspective.
April 5, 1997INDEX Chronic diseases to cost US a bomb
ATLANTA -- The cost of treating chronic diseases could reach "mind-boggling" heights as the population in the United States aged over the next 20 years unless preventive efforts were increased dramatically, health officials warned on Thursday.A St Louis University study, published by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, showed state public-health departments allocated only about 3 per cent of their budgets currently to prevention and control efforts.
In 1994, just over US$287 million (S$413 million) was spent at the state level on preventive efforts aimed at the six leading chronic diseases -- heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic liver disease.
The figure represented 0.07 per cent of the estimated US$425 billion spent annually to treat those same diseases, the study showed.
Dr Ross Brownson, director of St Louis University's Prevention Centre, said: "At least spending one-tenth of that on prevention seems to me to make sense. There's such a huge amount spent at the other end, and we know prevention would save us dollars up the road in a big way."
Chronic diseases, which are largely preventable, account for about two-thirds of all medical expenditure in the US and nearly three-quarters of all deaths.
Experts said that the financial toll of treatment could be expected to rise dramatically as the American population aged in coming decades, compounding problems for federal Medicare and Medicaid health-care programmes. -- Reuter.
April 13, 1997INDEX COLORADO ACTION
A message on April 3, 1997 from Executive Director Susan Haeger of Citizens for Health based in Boulder Colorado, brings us up to date on legislative action in Colorado.Governor Roy Romer has signed into law a bill to increase access of the people of the state of Colorado to mercury-free dentistry.
House Bill 97-1187 was introduced by Rep. Mark Paschall with the support of Sen. Muntzebaugh to support consumers' rights to choose safe, effective alternatives to conventional dental procedures.
This dental freedom law is the FIRST OF ITS KIND to be passed in the United States. It enables patients to choose mercury-free dentistry through dentists licensed in the state. It further assures that trained and licensed dentists can continue to practice mercury free dentistry without fear of retribution from the Colorado Board of Dental Examiners.
This is a total reversal of Colorado Administrative Law Judge Nancy Connick's decision last year which in essence forbade dentists from removing mercury based on the decision to remove toxic substances from the mouth. She also forbade patients from requesting removal of mercury based on its toxicity.
This law, "House Bill 97-1187", Section 1., 12-35-118, Colorado Revised Statutes, 1991 Repl. Vol., is amended by the addition of a new subsection that says: (1.7) (a) NOTHING IN THIS SECTION SHALL BE CONSTRUED TO DEPRIVE ANY DENTAL PATIENT OF THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE OR REPLACE ANY PROFESSIONALLY RECOGNIZED RESTORATIVE MATERIAL, NOR TO PERMIT DISCIPLINARY ACTION AGAINST A DENTIST SOLELY FOR REMOVING OR PLACING ANY PROFESSIONALLY RECOGNIZED RESTORATIVE MATERIAL.
Citizens for Health applauds the passage of this bill and all of the individuals who worked to bring this important issue to the attention of the state legislature. "Passage of this law demonstrates that the public's increasing interest in expanded access to dental treatment options has been heard by our elected officials," stated Susan Haeger. "In the past, conventional and alternative options in dentistry have not been evaluated by the same standards of safety and efficacy prior to adopting them as accepted standard of care. I see this important law as opening up lines of communication to the consumer about risks and benefits of all treatments, and encouraging more dentists to consider adding safe alternatives to mercury amalgams into their practices."
Haeger continues in her press release that, "The use of mercury amalgam in dental fillings is a controversial issue. Individuals and organizations concerned with the potential health hazard of mercury in dental amalgams have now brought the debate to the public. Although used for over 100 years in fillings, presumably safely, mercury is a highly toxic metal that is being investigated in numerous studies as a possible cause of ailments such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease. Recent research has shown a causal link between mercury amalgams and Alzheimer's disease. (Haley and Pendergrass, 1995)."
Susan Haeger is Executive Director of Citizens For Health which is an international grassroots advocacy organization committed to protecting and expanding consumer natural health choices. She may be reached in Boulder Colorado at (303) 417-0772 or by Fax at (303) 417-9378 or E-Mail: cfh@ares.csd.net
March 28, 1997INDEX Associated PressPoisoned Researcher
HANOVER, N.H. (AP) - A respected Dartmouth College professor is in the hospital after an apparent research accident left her poisoned by the toxic mercury she was studying.Professor Karen Wetterhahn was diagnosed with mercury poisoning eight weeks ago. The college and hospital won't discuss her condition, but her family issued a statement saying treatment is continuing.
Officials from Dartmouth's Chemistry and Environmental Health and Safety departments believe Wetterhahn was poisoned sometime in August while working alone with dimethylmercury. The mercury compound has no practical uses, but Wetterhahn was using it in her studies of mercury toxicity. There also is a delay between exposure and when a victim begins feeling the effects.
No one knows for sure how Wetterhahn was poisoned, but they suspect some of the mercury touched her skin and was absorbed into her body.
John Winn, chairman of Dartmouth's chemistry department, said it was hard to tell how much she had absorbed. He was not sure whether the mercury compound soaked through protective gear or touched her skin directly.
Wetterhahn was diagnosed after tests in January showed she had an elevated level of mercury. She was tested due to numbness in her fingers, unsteady walking, difficulty in speaking and vision and hearing problems.
Wetterhahn's demonstrated ability within her field makes her poisoning difficult to accept. She has been at Dartmouth for about 20 years and is a recognized expert in metal toxicity.
"We're all devastated," said Chemistry Professor Gordon Gribble. "It was a terrible accident. She's a wonderful colleague, teacher and researcher."
Research accidents happen, said Professor Joseph BelBruno, but "you don't have terrible accidents very often."
An information sheet on dimethylmercury describes the metal as a colorless, volatile, liquid with a sweet odor that can cause permanent nervous system damage or death.
One of the reasons Dartmouth continues to gather information about Wetterhahn's poisoning is so it can distribute information about dimethylmercury to others who work with it, said Michael Blayney, Dartmouth's director of environmental health and safety.
"It's something Professor Wetterhahn would certainly want,'' he said ``It's a very important responsibility for us."
March 6, 1997INDEX Ontario Dental Association Briefs Dentists On Mercury Fillings
PRESS RELEASE
Canadians For Mercury Relief
Suite 1812, 181 University Ave.,
Toronto, Ontario Canada M5H 3M7
416) 410-6314 Fax: (905) 876-4203
E-Mail: business@yesic.com
TORONTO - 3/4 Concerned with patient's reactions to the information received by the "Canadian's For Mercury Relief" and the planned Class Action Suit, the ODA has issued an internal briefing paper to it's dentists suggesting proper responses to patient's inquiries regarding Silver- Mercury fillings."Although we disagree with some of the conclusions of the ODA, and the material they have selected to support their position, we are very happy about the fact that they are at least telling the dentists that there is a proper protocol to be followed in the removal of amalgams and that they should be ensuring that their patients make informed decisions", states Dr. Richard Riley an ODA Member and Director of "Canadians For Mercury Relief."
"We have received so many calls over the past two weeks, from persons wanting to know how to tell if their Silver Fillings contain Amalgam or Mercury. The number of people who still believe that a 'Mercury or Amalgam Filling' is different from what is also still referred to as a 'Silver Filling', is a strong indication of just what a poor job many dentists have done in ensuring that their patients are informed and aware of their options.. We sincerely hope that the ODA's Briefing Paper is a wake up call to these dentists, and that they realize that this issue is not going to go away. Dentists have an absolute obligation to ensure that their patients are up to speed, and able to make informed decisions", states Riley.
"If a dentist sees no risk in using amalgam, or is not informing his patients of any potential risk, it is highly unlikely that he or she is going to be well versed in the proper procedures for the removal of Mercury-Amalgam and the results can be devastating to the patient. My advice to a patient in this situation is to turn around and run like hell to find another dentist", states Dr. Walter Pressey a North York Dentist and President of the International Academy of Oral Medicine & Toxicology.
Canadians For Mercury Relief is currently preparing a national list of dentists well versed in the proper and safe protocol for mercury amalgam removal, for distribution to concerned Canadians. CFMR welcomes input from both the ODA and Canadian Dental Associations in this regard.
Contact: Wayne Obie, Media & Public Relations (416) 410-6314
February 27, 1997
INDEX Sender: bpinfo@bioprobe.comAmalgam "Cover Up" Exposed In Canada!!
Information just published in the March 1997 issue of the Bio-Probe Newsletter:
"Decouverte" is the French word for "Discovery". It is the title of a respected news program on the French network of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Decouverte's mission is to "discover" scientific issues that might be covered up. Last October, Decouverte aired a 16 minute report on the health risks of amalgam following publication of Health Canada's Position Paper on the issue. The show was so unfavorable to the pro-amalgam position that it elicited public outcry in dental offices everywhere in Quebec. The following week, the Order of Dentistsof Quebec published rebuttals in major newspapers across the province to reassure dental patientsof the "total safety and biocompatibility" of dental amalgam!On 23 February, Decouverte aired a second report on amalgam, this time exposing Health Canada's failure to inform Canadians of the possible dangers of this material. Since 1976, four Health Canada reports by medical scientists have warned of these dangers; only in 1996 did Health Canada publish a position statement on amalgam, recommending dentists limit its use in certain groups of patients.
The program started with host Charles Tisseyre informing viewers that a group of Canadian dental patients had this week announced their intention to file a class action suit against Health Canada, the Canadian Dental Association and amalgam manufacturers for failure to inform them of the possible side effects of amalgams.
Since 1982, according to Canadian law, all medical devices destined to be implanted in the human body for more than 30 days must have pre-market studies done to prove their safety and biocompatibility. The president of the Canadian Dental Association admitted his predecessors and the dental industry had lobbied the government to exclude dental restorative materials "that do not come into contact with blood" from this law. Decouverte obtained information that this was to protect small amalgam manufacturers who did not have the necessary funds to completethese studies.
Dr. Pierre Blais, former risk analyst with Health Canada and author of its 1976 report on amalgam, denounced this lack of quality control saying how "he could manufacture cadmium or other metal filings and sell them as amalgam and it would take months or years before it would be found out." He shared how the continued use of amalgam was contrary to Health Canada's policy on mercury hygiene and pollution control: "The Government was concerned over picograms and micrograms of mercury in apples and looked the other way when milligrams, one million times more, were being implanted directly into a child's mouth." When asked why it took 20 years to publish a position paper on amalgam, Richard Tobin, Director of Health Canada's Medical Devices Bureau, said in interview that he was not aware that Canadians were not informed of the possible dangers of amalgam and that the risk was deemed minimal anyway. Questioned about the Quebec Order of Dentists advertisement claiming "total safety" of amalgam mercury exposure, Dr. Tobin said he was not in agreement with it and he would have to discuss it with the Order. The president of the Quebec Order of Dentists declined invitation to be interviewed and explain his point of view on Decouverte.
Dr. Mark Richardson's studies on the relative risks of mercury in amalgams and bisphenol-A incomposites were quoted: The average Canadian, with 8 amalgams, was 3.5 times over the daily threshold limit for mercury exposure, whereas the patient with 8 composites was 125 times UNDER the daily threshold limit value for escaping bisphenols-A.
The program concluded with both CDA President, Dr. Barry Dolman, and Dr. Pierre Blais agreeing, in the end, that the dental patient must beware and take responsibility for his/her own health. Health Canada is presently revamping its medical devices policies; there are currently no plans to require pre-market studies for amalgam.
Comment: Richard Tobin of Health Canada was courageous to answer questions from reporter Michel Rochon, but he just did not have the answers! The fact that the Order of Dentists, Quebec's licensing body and government appointed public protector, would not appear on the program was very detrimental to them. Health Canada's disagreement with their advertisement on the "total safety" of amalgam mercury exposure and their refusal to appear on the show further damaged their rapidly diminishing credibility on the dental amalgam controversy. Signed Pierre Larose.
BIO-PROBE COMMENT:
We are grateful to Dr. Pierre Larose for providing this timely report on the Decouverte program. The key factor in this important expose' is the fact that four internal studies by Health Canada scientists were buried. The Medical Devices Act of Canada mandates Health Canada with the "duty to inform", a duty which was clearly and shamefully ignored. Dr.Pierre Blais, in a memorandum to the Chief of the Division of Medicine for Health Canada on his 1976 study questioning the safety of amalgam mercury, stated: "The potential hazards associated with the [amalgam] products are so transparently obvious that we cannot even appear to ignore it without attracting ridicule."The fact that Health Canada failed to inform the Canadian citizens of these four studies for twenty years demands accountability from the responsible officials. The recommendations of these studies should not have been ignored, in favor of yielding to the influence of the dental establishment, for whatever reason. The first responsibility of the Health Canada officials is supposed to be to the citizens, not to a special interest group. The following article adds further insight to the rapidly developing situation in Canada.
February 20, 1997INDEX Transcript of Statement of Dr. Richard Riley To All Canadians From News Conference for Canadians For Mercury Relief
My wife taped a passage by Rosalie Abella on our refrigerator door, and it seems so appropriate for the situation I find myself in with respect to the amalgam issue. I have taken the liberty to paraphrase the passage for you, as follows:"As an informed Canadian Dentist, I have lost the right to remain silent in the face of injustice to the Canadian Public. As a member of 'the Healing Arts Profession', I must exercise my right to fight for justice so that Canadians are fully informed of the potential risks and dangers associated with dental amalgam."
To that end I refer all Canadians to the Health Canada document entitled " THE SAFETY OF DENTAL AMALGAM". (This document is available at the automated fax - on - demand service at Health Canada - (416) 362-8329).
This is the first step in fully informing yourself. Take the time to read the material. I'm sure you will find as I did, many contradictory and confusing statements. The more you read the more it becomes obvious that the tittle of the document is obfuscating. This document, could just as easily have been entitled "Dangers & Risk of Dental Amalgam". Because this document is a study in contradiction you will need a "Cookbook" version to help extract the entire story, the UNTOLD VERSION that says "Any Canadian Citizen with amalgam dental fillings is "BEING UNNECESSARILY EXPOSED TO TIME RELEASED POISONING BY A TOXIC HEAVY METAL."
Dr. Pierre Blais 'then with the Division Of Medicine, Bureau of Medical Devices Branch of Health Canada', stated in one of his many internal memorandums to the Chief of Medicine that " Unlike other Mercury sources, Dental Amalgam is an insitu contribution to metallic injection-IT IS THE ONLY INSTANCE WHERE A KNOWN TOXIC METAL DEVOID OF THERAPEUTIC VALUE, IS IMPLANTED INTO MORE THAN 85% OF THE NORTH AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN POPULATION."
Many other documents obtained through the Freedom of Access To Information Act, were equally disturbing. .. Blais in a 1976 memo to Dr. R.W. Campbell, Chief, Division of Medicine stated...."yet the potential hazards associated with the products (Dental Amalgam) are so transparently obvious that we cannot even appear to ignore it, without attracting ridicule."
BUT IGNORE IT THEY DID....
Blais went on to say - "The Mission of the Health Protection Branch is to promote and preserve the most strategic of all of our national resources - Our Health - . Yet without the support and cooperation of the Health Professions, this aim is unattainable. It seems that Dental Amalgam Hazards are real and that they have long been recognized within the Profession."Blais goes on to say that , "Historically the safety of Dental Amalgam has frequently been questioned by the health professions. Cases of acute systemic poisoning due to grossly unstable Amalgam composition or faulty restorative techniques are frequently cited in the literature until about 1940. This date correlates with the discard of copper containing amalgams....It is of considerable interest that high copper content alloys are currently enjoying a renaissance amongst manufacturers in the Western Hemisphere."
After describing some of the hazards associated with amalgams (amalgam means mixed with mercury) of reactive metals, Blais continues by saying "More worrisome, however is a currently emerging pattern of findings which suggest that low levels of the metal &mercury act as a ballast on the affected individual's well being and may have learning rate and behavioral effects in children. With such a frame of reference, sub-clinical or clinical occult symptoms in large segments of the population exposed to heavy metal ingestion are easily misinterpreted or discarded as normal; these are often described in vague terms such as early senilism, viral influenza, irritability, inatrocrality, loss of memory and other complaints frequently classified as psychosomatic."
The foregoing material was extracted from a 20 Page manuscript entitled: "Dental Amalgam and The Public Health - A View from the Health Protection Branch" Bureau of Medical Devices Government of Canada August 31, 1976.
It is very clear from this documentation, that contrary to the date given as 1992 in Health Canadaís 1996 document, that Medical Devices Bureau actually began a study of the issue as early as 1976! Many of the concerns that Blais raised at that time have taken more than 20 years to be heeded, affecting amongst others our greatest resource and most vulnerable segment of our population - Our Children's health, as well as women attempting to conceive and at various stages of pregnancy or lactation.
In 1976 a "Product Deficiency Report For Amalgam Dental Restorations" was authored by Pierre Blais and C. Miron of Health Canada. In this document they stated that......"current ongoing studies confirm that the metallurgy of the finished amalgam is slightly different and perhaps more reactive in the mouth..." "The extent of the defect and the number of batches which have been involved are not known with precision. Spot checks revealed that faulty batches have been distributed country wide." It goes on to say that "Dealing with the other similar products (amalgam) however, is more difficult and the frequent release of deviant batches suggests that the problem will recur."
This latter information became available when a more thorough investigation regarding "MODERN" dental alloys was carried out between June & September 1979. This prompted Dr. A.K. Das Gupta, Director of Bureau of Medical Devices to write a memorandum to Dr. E. Somers, Director General, Environmental Health Directorate, Government of Canada. The context of that memo included the following: " The attached draft alert letter addresses a concern which has beset the dental community for many years. It has no obvious solution other than increases in vigilance on the part of the user and their recognition that the alloys have unique problems. If not properly used the alloys (Dental Amalgam) constitute a significant hazard to the Canadian Population because of accelerated heavy metal releases in the mouth, premature disintegration of restoratives and eventual loss of teeth."
Other material obtained in our access to information request included a Manuscript by Dr. Joseph Karor entitled "The Possible Immunopathologic Effect of Mercury Released From Dental Amalgams". (31.5.93) His conclusion was that......"Mercury emitted from dental amalgams presents a potential risk to the immune system...".
In an other document "Cadmium & Lead in Dental Amalgam" by Pierre Blais, with RESTRICTED DISTRIBUTION, printed under the title, Blais states that "Mercury which is approximately at the 50% level in common alloys overwhelms the toxicology of anything else that may be put in and that includes, bismuth, beryllium, lead, cadmium, indium and perhaps even thallium."
In conclusion, all of this material disturbed both myself and my partner, Dr. Jim Jenkinson to such an extent that we sent a letter to Justice Minister Allan Rock in May of 1996. In this letter we outlined our concerns including those which I have shared with you today.
On August 1, 1996 when we finally did receive a reply from the Attorney General of Canada, on the issue of potential liability Mr. Allan Rock stated that "On the issue of potential liability, as Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, one of my responsibilities is to provide legal advise to the Federal Government, itís departments and agencies. As such, I trust you will appreciate that I am not in a position to provide legal advise to members of the public. A lawyer in private practice may be in a better position to assist you."
Ladies and gentlemen, and it is on that very advise from Mr. Allan Rock, our Minister of Justice, that we are here before you today. Thank you ....
February 20, 1997
INDEX Sender: bpinfo@bioprobe.comAmalgam Class Action Suit In Canada.
On 17 February 1997, two organizations provided press releases announcing a possible class action suit against dental amalgam in Canada. These organizations are "Canadians for Mercury Relief (CFMR)" in Toronto and "Alliance For Public Accountability (AFPA)" in Ottawa.The CFMR release opened with: "The silver dental fillings that you have been receiving are comprised of fifty percent mercury and have been exposing you to mercury vapor concentrations in your mouth, that in many cases exceeds the World Health Organization's Safe Occupational Exposure Limits by as much as 1200%." The release went on to cite the twenty year old study of Dr. Pierre Blais for Health Canada. A spokesperson for CFMR emphasized that the purpose of the lawsuit was to educate Canadians and dentists alike as to their options and also the importance of proper procedures for the removal of mercury amalgam fillings.
CFMR has retained the Toronto law firm of Paroian, Raphael, Courey, Cohen & Houston to take preliminary steps prior to the commencement of a class action lawsuit. The primary thrust of the potential legal action is based on the fact that Health Canada failed in its duty to inform the citizens of Canada of the results of its own internal studies questioning the safety of mercury exposure from dental amalgam fillings.
The AFPA news release expressed full support for the CFMR action and stated: "We believe that it is imperative that their message be heard, as it affects so many Canadians. Citizens have a right to know the potential risks they are taking in using Mercury Amalgam." The two groups held a joint news conference at the law firm at 10:00 am on Thursday, 20 February 1997.
February 19, 1997
INDEX Group Plans Lawsuit Over Mercury Fillings
TORONTO (CP) -- An advocacy group is trying to convince millions of Canadians with mercury dental fillings to join a class-action lawsuit.Canadians for Mercury Relief said today it will sue for compensation, although the group hasn't decided who will be named. It's also fighting to ban mercury from fillings.
"We should not be placing one of the most potent toxins known to man in the mouths of our children," said dentist Richard Riley. "It's slow, time-release poison."
An estimated 20 million Canadians have had cavities filled with a compound known as dental amalgam, a mixture of metals that can include as much as 50 per cent mercury.
Amalgam can release toxic mercury vapor every time people chew, grind their teeth or drink coffee, said Riley, who noted mercury poisoning has been linked to a number of neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's disease.
"We're hoping that thousands and thousands and thousands of people jump on board."
The group claims Health Canada has known about possible dangers for at least 20 years but, like the Canadian Dental Association, has refused to ban it.
Lawyer Raymond Colautti said the suit is still in "the very preliminary stages" and could take six months to prepare.
Possible targets are the federal government, the dental association and manufacturers. Legal costs are estimated at over $1 million.
February 17, 1997
INDEX Alliance For Public Accountability Supports CFMR
NEWS RELEASEThe Alliance For Public Accountability
13 Pentry Lane
Ottawa, Ontario
K1S 0X1
[Ottawa](The Alliance For Public Accountability is fully supporting Canadians For Mercury Relief, the organization formed to seek remedy on behalf of Canadians who have received Amalgam Dental Fillings containing as much as fifty percent Mercury.We applaud the efforts of CFMR, states Michelle Brill Edwards M.D., formerly of the Health Protection Branch of Health Canada. We have been working alongside the members of CFMR in recent months and believe that it is imperative that their message be heard, as it affects so many Canadians. Citizens have a right to know the potential risks they are taking in using Mercury Amalgam.
The Alliance's accountability expert, Henry McCandless states The dental amalgam issue is yet another example of the need for those with regulating responsibilities to apply precautionary principle in decision making. The CFMR has assembled a team of extremely knowledgeable scientists and medical experts on mercury poisoning and they are all in accord, that putting a toxic substance in your mouth is not good for you.
The CFMR has scheduled a NEWS CONFERENCE to be held at the Toronto Offices of Paroian, Raphael, Courey, Cohen & Houston at 10:00 A.M. Thursday February 20, 1997.
Contact: Pam Forward (613) 731-6392
February 17, 1997
INDEX All That Glitters Is Not Silver
NEWS RELEASECanadians For Mercury Relief
c/o Suite 1812, 181 University Avenue
Toronto, Ontario M5H 3M7
[Toronto](The silver dental fillings that you have been receiving are comprised of fifty percent mercury and have been exposing you to mercury vapor concentrations in your mouth, that in many cases exceeds The World Health Organizations Safe Occupational Exposure Limits by as much as 1200 %.The Australian Society of Oral Medicine & Toxicology states that Mercury is Poisonous. There is no safe form of Mercury in Living Tissue.
As early as 1976, Dr. Pierre Blais (at that time an employee of Health Canada, Medical Devices Bureau) raised serious concerns about mercury exposure from dental silver/mercury fillings in an internal government document that stated that the potential hazards with the product (silver/mercury fillings) are so transparently obvious that we (Government of Canada) cannot even appear to ignore it without attracting ridicule, yet while mercury thermometers have been removed from hospitals and exposure limits for safety have decreased, mercury fillings continue to be put into the mouths of Canadians from coast to coast.
CFMR has retained the law firm of Paroian, Raphael, Courey, Cohen & Houston to take preliminary steps prior to the commencement of a Class Action lawsuit, that could according to Class Action Specialist Raymond Colautti, become the largest in Canadian History.
Although there are possibly thousands of Canadians suffering from the adverse health effects related to sensitivity to mercury fillings, the potential class on whose behalf action is being investigated, could conceivably include anyone who received silver fillings containing mercury since 1976, putting the size of the class possibly into the millions, states Colautti.
While we very much wish to involve Canadians in our efforts and solicit their support, we feel that it is equally important to educate Canadians and Dentists alike, as to their options and proper procedures in the removal of mercury amalgams, states Dr. Richard Riley a prominent Huntsville Dentist and member of CFMR. The last thing we wish to do is incite panic.
A News Conference has been scheduled by CFMR at the University Ave., Toronto Offices of Paroian, Raphael, Courey, Cohen & Houston for 10:00 A.M. Thursday February 20.
Contact: Wayne Obie, Talk International (416) 410-6314
February 16, 1997
INDEX The original is in Swedish. Translation by Bo Walhjalt. The letter was sent from the Swedish PO "Tandvårdsskadeförbundet".Sweden Questions ADA Putting Words in Their Mouth
The American organization for vested and trade interests in mercury amalgams the ADA published a news release on its website: ADA News Releases: International Experts Report: No Amalgam Bans in Effect. Swedish professor Maud Bergman frankly states that amalgam use in Sweden will continue. Since this is against agreed to conventions from the Swedish dental community, the Swedish dental victims' PO have asked a question to Secretary of Environment, Anna Lindh.
February 16, 1997To
Secretary of Environmental Department
Anna LindhAdded is a copy of an internet page by American Dental Association (ADA). ADA is the organization for dentists and the amalgam industry. On this page professor Maud Bergman is cited. She says it is unlikely Sweden will ban the use of amalgam.
Is it your view that this statement is in agreement with the voluntarily agreed upon decision on outphasing of amalgam, which is supposed to be followed up with a legal ban if not achieved on January 1, 1997?
January 28, 1997
INDEX The following Press Release From Germany has been translated by Mats Hanson, Ph.D. of Sweden.Amalgam Ban Demanded In Germany
BUND, Friends of the earth. The Association of Environment and Environmental Protection,Germany. Dunanstrasse 16, D-79110 Freiburg.
Review/Background InformationPresentation of the results of the largest trial on mercury release from dental amalgam fillings in world demands: No respite for amalgam - Amalgam ban overdue. Amalgam has been the dental filling material of choice since 150 years. The criticism of this debated material has now been further strengthened after the current results of the Tübingen amalgam tests.
The largest test in the world on mercury release from amalgam fillings into the saliva was initiated in summer 1995 by BUND and carried out by the department of environmental analysis at the university of Tübingen. After a few hundred tests at the BUND- Environmental exhibition ÖKO-95 in Ulm had shown a mean of more than four times higher mercury levels in the saliva than the Bundesgesundheitsamt had reported, BUND decided to act because of apparent governmental inactivity. Funded by the MOMO- Children Foundation, we engaged the environmental analytical group at the university of Tübingen for the scientific realization of the largest experiment in the world on mercury release from dental amalgam fillings. The analysis of the data have been completed and sent to the Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte for publication.
Part 1: Mercury concentration In saliva from amalgam fillings.
In the first part of the study mercury levels in the saliva were measured in 20,000 persons and related to the number of amalgam fillings. The aim was to evaluate whether and to what degree there was an exposure to mercury from amalgam fillings. The second part of the study examined the relation between the levels of mercury In saliva and a special spectrum of symptoms.
Mercury levels strongly elevated.
The more than 4-5 times higher mercury levels in saliva compared to the levels reported by the former Bundesgesundheitsamt in 1984 (now Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittels und Medizinalprodukte) caused alarm, both among the public as well as among professionals. The continuation of the analyses were increasingly made more and more difficult for the scientists at the University of Tübingen, a sign of the alarming nature of the results. In addition to a great deal of irrelevant criticism, it was also reported that WHO had distanced itself from interpretations of the Tübingen study, which also proved to be false. Especially the exceeding of the established tolerable limits caused worry: The total tolerable weekly uptake of mercury (including the vapor phase) of WHO was exceeded. About 43 % of the test persons had higher, often several fold, exposure than the permissible intake. Since it has already been demonstrated that the mercury in the saliva is dissolved but not particulate, one has to calculate with a much higher absorption and mercury load than previously supposed. Of importance is that in the 20-39 year old group (including women in the fertile ages) the tolerable levels were especially often exceeded. This can be explained by the fact that the number of fillings in this group is especially high with 9-11 fillings, compared to a mean of 8 in the general German population. The tolerable intake was also often exceeded for children with fewer fillings because of their lower body weight.
Mercury load from amalgam fillings.
As a further statistical result the study established that the mercury concentration in saliva (before and after chewing) depends on the number amalgam fillings. The exposure to mercury from amalgam fillings has been scientifically debated, The results from the Tübingen study clearly show an increased mercury load from amalgam fillings.
Saliva test a method to establish the mercury load.
The criticism of the Tübingen amalgam study concentrated on the question whether saliva was a better medium than for instance blood and urine to evaluate mercury exposure. Recent research confirms the advantages of the saliva test. The load on the oral cavity and the gastrointestinal tract can be estimated better with the saliva test than with any other available method. Hg can be present in both the oral cavity and the gastrointestinal tract without being detectable in blood or urine. It is clear that blood and urine do not reflect the Hg-concentration in the oral cavity/upper airways and in the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, it was not possible to obtain a certification/standardization for either blood (Dtsch Ges für Arbeitsmed) or urine (Dtsch Ges für Klin Chem) in the exposure range relevant for amalgam fillings. In contrast, a standardization test by the State Medical Dept of Stuttgart confirmed the excellent reproducibility for the saliva test; laboratories which processed the samples with the same method obtained consistent results;the standard error between the 10 laboratories was less than 15 %.
Part 2. Measured levels In saliva and disease symptoms.
Every saliva test was accompanied by a questionnaire In which the persons were asked for 30 symptoms. The analytical group at Tübingen university evaluated 17500 completely answered questionnaires. The question was whether there was a significant relation between report of a symptom and the measured level of Hg in the saliva after chewing.
It has to be stressed that the established relation has a direct mathematical and statistical character and should not be causally interpreted. A statistically significant difference does not automatically mean a medical or biological relevance. Not even multi variance analysis can decide which relations are caused by chance and which by a casual relation.
Relation between symptoms and mercury concentrations in saliva after chewing.
The Tübingen amalgam study could establish in the especially examined group of 21-40 year old persons a statistically significant relation between mercury levels in saliva and symptoms. Only symptoms which are characteristic of subacute or chronic mercury exposure in the low-level range were studied.
The set of symptoms are often called micromercurialism in the literature.
There was a significant relation between the measured mercury concentration and the following symptoms:
1. Mouth-oral cavity: Bleeding gingiva, metal taste, burning tongue.
2. Central nervous system: Concentration difficulties, impaired memory, sleep disturbances, lack of initiative, nervousness.
3. Gastrointestinal tract: not specified; further research is needed to establish the diseases which are covered by the non- specific label gastrointestinal problems.
Plausibility and explainability of the demonstrated symptoms.
In addition to high levels of mercury in saliva there has also been demonstrated high levels in gingiva, pulp, oral mucosa, dentine, roots and jaw bone. Amalgam fillings, as described in the literature, lead to increased inflammation of the gingiva. In addition the oral cavity will be affected by the Hg-vapor released by the fillings. Experiments with cell cultures demonstrated that the Hg-levels measured in the oral tissues (up to 8000 ng/g in the mucosa) can lead to damage to human cells. It has also been described that unpolished amalgam fillings can damage nearby cells more than polished ones. Also for the gastrointestinal tract it has been demonstrated that there are high levels of mercury in the intestinal wall, intestinal lymph nodes and in feces. The cause of this is that the mercury which is swallowed with the saliva is only absorbed to 10% and the rest remains in the gastrointestinal tract.
For both these body parts it has been established that blood and urine levels are unsuitable to evaluate the mercury load. The symptoms from the central nervous system show a remarkable similarity with the classical mercury symptoms described in the literature. For instance, effects of mercury on memory and concentration has been repeatedly described in the literature.
The Tübingen group for environmental analysis stress that some aspects of the study require further examination. For instance, the relationships between mercury exposure to metal allergy,or loss of hair, or the relationship to involuntary infertility. In each of these considerations, tendencies were noted, however, extensive and expensive further questionnaires are required. It should be stressed that the results are statistical and do not establish a causal relation for single cases for any symptom.
After the statistical relations found in the study, persons who complain over problems with amalgam must not further be dismissed a "Ecochondriacs" or "Hypochondriacs," and furthermore a possible Hg-load must be take into account in the anamnesis, especially when the patients exhibit the described symptomatology.
Amalgam is with certainty not the material for the future, the Tübingen group stress, however they also warn for exaggerated panic reactions. As in medicine in general, in every single case one must together with the treating doctor evaluate whether an amalgam removal is necessary and if yes, how rapidly a removal should take place.
The relations found, which as stated above, should not be causally interpreted, however clearly prove that humans will be exposed to a continuous load of mercury from amalgam fillings. The filling material amalgam is thus suspected of being able to cause damage to health. This should be sufficient for health policy measures and at last start to end the amalgam era.
Demands by BUND as a consequence of the amalgam study:
¥ BUND demands that minister of health, Seehofer, immediately acts on the basis that: Amalgam,as an additional risk factor, does not belong in the oral cavity.
¥ The amalgam ban should not only be restricted to pregnant women and children but should immediately be general for dentistry.
¥ The university dental clinics must immediately remove the technique of amalgam placement from their educational agenda, as has already happened in renowned dental clinics in Switzerland.
¥ Teaching and education on amalgam problems, safer removal techniques for amalgam filling and on plastic alternatives for molar teeth.
¥ Further studies are indicated by the amalgam study. The Minister of Health Seehofer must not further burden environmental organizations with the expense.
¥ BUND demands that the Minister of Health release funds for follow-up studies at the University of Tübingen.
- After an overdue amalgam ban the costs for alternative materials must be taken over by the insurance system.Dental metal test can be mediated by all pharmacies. BUND can, in cooperation with the environmental analytical group at Tübingen, offer under the name SALIVAGAM a dental metaltest. This can be mediated by all pharmacies. In addition to mercury levels in saliva all other dental metal are analyzed. Further information in all pharmacies and from BUND- Umweltlabor, Tel: 0781/9383-21, Fax-11.
For answers to scientific matters please contact Dr E Roller, Dr. HD Wolss, KH Maier, AK Umweltanalytik, Univ. of Tübingen, Postfach 210352, D-72026 Tübingen, tel 07071/2984802. Interested journalists can obtain detailed information from BUND, Dunanstrasse 16. D-79110 Freiburg, Tel: 0761/885955-0, Fax-90
October 8, 1996
INDEX Mia Stainsby, Southam NewspapersBody energy helps detect health problems
VANCOUVER - Life began slipping away from Stephen Wallace about four years ago. An anxious, depressed man displaced the energetic, positive and healthy person he used to be. He began to suffer from tremors, memory loss, muscle cramps, back problems. He returned home each day from his job as a mould-maker flattened by fatigue."I thought I was getting Alzheimer's and was very concerned," says the 42-year-old father of two young daughters. "I didn't get any answers from MDs, and my faith in them deteriorated."
He began his own search for answers and came upon something that sounds profoundly alien to western ways of thinking about the body.
A friend told him about the Avatar, an instrument based on principles used by acupuncturists and homeopaths, except that this instrument belongs to the high-tech world of the 21st century.
The bio-energetic assessment system was developed by a German medical doctor and acupuncturist in 1954. The EAV, as originator Reinhold Voll called it, measured the energetic functioning of body systems, as well as their response to remedies.
The Avatar, a brand name, is a computerized, high-tech version of that system.
It is said to be able to pinpoint the sources of dysfunction by gathering information from the body's electrical energy. It's an advanced version of instruments that have been used in European countries, particularly Germany, for decades.
Wallace says the Avatar restored his body to health.
"Biological electrical energy is generated in internal organs and flows through channels near the skin surface, known as meridians," says Robert Cass, a retired naturopath who holds a PhD in biochemistry.
"Low-voltage stimulation, generally not felt by the patient, causes a response at the acupuncture point that reflects the condition of systems and organs associated with those meridians," says Cass, who provides training on the Avatar system.
"There is a direct relationship between the quality of organ function and the energy generated.
"The Avatar doesn't diagnose diseases," he says. "Cancer, for instance, is simply a physiological working out of something. It helps to find out what's creating the problems."
However, Dr. Wah Jun Tze says an instrument like the Avatar needs good science to back it up.
"I wish it could do what they say it can, but whether these energetic disturbances mean anything is yet to be confirmed by studies," says Tze, president of the Tzu Chi Institute for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at Vancouver Hospital and a professor of medicine at the University of B.C.
"It's an interesting concept, though, and if it can be demonstrated that it works, it potentially may be helpful. That's all I can say. I can't endorse it at this point."
The Avatar gets a ringing denunciation from Dr. Derryck Smith, president of the B.C. Medical Association.
"First of all, there isn't one shred of scientific evidence to support homeopathy as having any basis in science, and not any scientific evidence that electrical meridians exist, period," he says.
"The public has to be very skeptical. Let's see them in scientific, peer-reviewed journals first, with double-blind, controlled studies. That's the challenge for anyone who brings forward new treatment methods."
Anecdotal evidence, Smith says, doesn't constitute acceptance based on science.
But signs of the efficacy of such bio-assessment systems as the Avatar are starting to appear in journals.
"It is truly modern and has a scientific foundation," writes Dr. Julia Tsuei, in the Winter 1995 issue of the Journal of Advancement in Medicine. "It is computerized and produces data that are quantifiable and reproducible. Based on advanced physics, it is arguably more modern than the mechanistic and biochemical models that dominate current medical thought," Tsuei writes.
Wallace claims the Avatar confirmed suspicions of the presence of dental mercury affecting his health. He had his dental amalgam removed. The instrument then helped select botanical and naturopathic remedies to rid him of mercury, and to find dental products compatible with his physiology.
He is still not back to normal six months later, but says his tremors are gone, his memory and his energy are back, and he's emotionally stable.
An Avatar scan costs $100 to $150. Wallace's remedies are costing him about $1,000 over six months.
Avatar technician Janine Romaner says the instrument taps into the body's electrical circuitry by introducing a tiny electric current in one of many acupressure points on the hands or feet.
Romaner specializes in the area of dental toxicity and detoxification and says Wallace's lymph meridian showed substantial disturbances, stemming from mercury.
Cass explains that if biological systems are not functioning properly, the machine will note the disturbances when a client is hooked to the circuitry. It can detect if something like mercury is interfering with the body's functioning by reading its energy vibrations or oscillations. The system has been programmed with the electrical vibrational patterns of thousands of substances, including the chemicals in pesticides and insecticides, as well as allergens, parasites, bacteria, such mycotoxins as yeast, fungi or moulds, and even electromagnetic frequencies, as are found around power lines.
As well, the energy patterns of about 200 botanical and nutritional remedies have been programmed into the system. The remedies are narrowed down and tested on the Avatar to see if they bring balance to the electrical flow.
Cass says that "energetic medicine tends to imply new-age, but it isn't." He says about 40 practitioners across Canada use the Avatar.
"This is like a virtual pharmacy," says Cass.
"We're talking a different language from mainstream health, which is based on Newtonian physics and doesn't take energetic functions into account.
"We are looking a technology that is actually a complement to mainstream medicine, and it doesn't hurt anybody."
- The Vancouver Sun
February 16, 1996
INDEX Groups urge Health Canada to phase out mercury fillings
TORONTO (CP) - Getting a tooth filled is a discomfort most Canadians try to forget about once they leave the dentist's chair.But new studies show that the mercury in those fillings could cause a lifetime of painful health effects.
This weekend, environmental and health advocates will be lobbying the government to completely phase out mercury-based fillings, saying they pose a real health threat to Canadians.
Dr. Walter Pressey, executive vice-president of the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology, says he's seen patients with serious health problems linked to "silver" fillings.
One woman he treated couldn't even open her car door because of mysterious, arthritic-like symptoms, losing 35 lbs. in a few months.
Once he removed her fourteen fillings she made a complete recovery, he said. "Health Canada had originally gone to the Canadian Dental Association about this but they were insisting it was safe - unfortunately the government didn't have the resources then to do their own research," Pressey said.
The fillings used by dentists contain, on average, 50 per cent toxic mercury, once believed to be protectively sealed within the silver setting.
But a report by Health Canada last November showed mercury vapor is continuously being released, and then inhaled, swallowed and absorbed into the body at a faster rate than it can be expelled.
Mercury has been shown to affect the immune system, put unborn babies at risk and harm the central nervous system. As a result, the government's report proposed a limit of four fillings for adults and only one for children.
But Pressey and other anti-mercury activists say mercury/silver fillings should be abolished altogether. He says he hopes Health Canada won't bow to pressure from dentists who don't want the system changed.
"Dentists don't want to do away with silver filings because the new materials require much more skill to use, and they'd have to be trained," Pressey said. The mercury in fillings also indirectly affects health through our water systems and environment, says Susan Sang, a researcher with the Toronto-based Pollution Probe group.
Dentists who prepare the mercury/silver fillings in the office, and flush waste down the drain are polluting both the air and water, Sang said. Even with the best water treatment, there is no method of destroying mercury. "It's one of the most toxic heavy metals on earth," Sang said. "According to the World Health Organization, there is no safe threshold for mercury pollution."
January 26, 1996
INDEX MARK LOWEY, Calgary HeraldLimits on mercury fillings one step away
CALGARY - Opponents are fighting tooth and nail as Health Canada prepares to hear final arguments on restricting mercury fillings.Caught in the middle is former federal scientist Mark Richardson. His scientific report for Health Canada recommended limits on the widely used, silver-colored mercury amalgam fillings.
Federal health officials have scheduled a final meeting of stakeholders in the battle for mid-February, after which new government policy on the fillings is expected.
Richardson's report in December recommended limiting the number of fillings in patients' mouths, to reduce the health risk from exposure to mercury - a toxic heavy metal with no known safe dose.
Mercury vapor from the fillings enters people's bodies every day over the fillings' lifetime.
Richardson recommended toddlers and children be limited to one filling, teenagers to three and adults to four.
In the U.S., the powerful American Dental Association alleges that Richardson "inappropriately used" an ADA-sponsored study of dentists - exposed to mercury at work - in recommending limits for the general population.
"We think that his recommendations are not based on sound science," spokesman Chris Martin said from ADA headquarters in Chicago.
Martin said the ADA also fears that if the Canadian government restricts use of the the fillings, it will have repercussions in the U.S.
Richardson says the ADA's allegation reveals its ignorance of the science involved. He noted that the main author on the study he referenced "told me directly that she believed Ihad properly used that research."
Richardson questioned the scientific credibility and the motives of both the American and Canadian dental associations in responding to his report.
"It is extremely frustrating when mere propaganda is used in an attempt to discredit a reasonably rigorous and peer-reviewed" report, scrutinized by 18 independent experts in the field, he said from Ottawa.
Richardson said the Canadian Dental Association, with virtually no expertise in toxicology or risk assessment, persists in sending factually incorrect and misleading information on mercury fillings to dentists and, through them, their patients.
None of the CDA's dental committee members spearheading the effort to keep the fillings has ever "published one paper on the biological effects of amalgam," says University of Calgary medical researcher and dentist Murray Vimy, who did a search of the scientific literature.
CDA committee member Peter Williams, a dentistry professor at the University of Manitoba, argues that the group draws on outside expertise, in concluding that amalgam's benefits as a tooth repair material outweigh the risks.
Richardson, however, noted that the CDA declined his invitation to provide such expertise or other input in November, 1994 - more than a year before his Health Canada report was released.
Although the mercury exposure from fillings has yet to be directly linked to any disease, he added, "I view such effects as adverse and to be reduced or avoided, where possible."
Richardson said studies of workers exposed to relatively low levels of mercury clearly show impaired central nervous system functions, including reduced concentration and increased tension.
Distributed by the SouthamStar Network.