On Mon, 27 Sep 1999 13:03:23 GMT, Brian Sandle
<bsandle at southern.co.nz> wrote:
>In sci.med.dentistry arie_ at hotmail.com wrote:
>: The following Press Release From Germany has been translated by Mats
>: Hanson, Ph.D. of Sweden.
>>: arie
>>:>: BUND, Friends of the earth. The Association of Environment and
>: Environmental Protection, Germany. Dunanstrasse 16, D-79110 Freiburg
>:>: Freiburg/Bonn, 28 January 1997
>: 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)
>>Women can be fertile outside those 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.
>>So 8 fillings are safe.
Who said this? And even if, then only on average. The interpersonal
variability is very large, so I wouldn't say even 1 is safe.
>[..]
>: 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.
>>From that some conclusions might be hypothesised.
>>a. that the mercury is not absorbed from either and or airways and
>gastrointestinal tract.
Can you explain the reasoning behind this conclusion? I think it's
wrong, the mercury can be deposited in the organs before you measure.
You also will have to take account for the bilary excretion of mercury
in the feces.
>b. that mercury does not stay long in the blood but gets irreversibly
>stored in the body. That could be found from autopsies.
It is.
>c. that mercury is excreted via the intestinal tract through the bile or
>other pathway.
also.
>[...]
>: 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 Tubingen
>: 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 casually
>>should spell `causally.'
I didn't write it :)
>: 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.
>> should be `causal.'
>>:>: Relation between symptoms and mercury concentrations in saliva after
>: chewing.
>: The Tubingen 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:
>:>: Mouth-oral cavity: Bleeding gingiva, metal taste, burning tongue.
>: Central nervous system: Concentration difficulties, impaired memory,
>: sleep disturbances, lack of initiative, nervousness.
>: Gastrointestinal tract: not specified; further research is needed to
>: establish the diseases which are covered by the non- specific label
>: gastrointestinal problems.
>>For a start, with a very large sample, as in this study, significance can
>be claimed for only a tiny increase in symptoms.
Why is that?
>That significance could then have other explanations.
>>That is that people with the symptoms of:
>: Mouth-oral cavity: Bleeding gingiva, metal taste, burning tongue.
>: Central nervous system: Concentration difficulties, impaired memory,
>: sleep disturbances, lack of initiative, nervousness.
>>are likely to be clenching and grinding the teeth more,
or chewing gum
>therefore increasing
>the mercury in the saliva. If your correlation were any other than very low
>I am sure you would be reporting it rather than leaving it to the
>imagination.
There was no mention of 'very low', only of 'significant'.
I'm not reporting anything, just copied the text.
>: 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.
>>For some people, but so do crowns and composites, probably worse.
>My gum between the teeth bleed much less since I have had the composites
>replaced with amalgam. I admit that some of that could be because
>composite is hard to fashion to stop intrusion of food between the teeth.
>> 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)
>>What form of Hg? Also in vivo the blood constantly brings in good new
>nutrietns, if in the diet - selenium &c.
In that amounts?
> can lead to damage to
>: human cells. It has also been described that unpolished amalgam
>: fillings can damage nearby cells more than polished ones.
>>The abrasion would not help. But please take some care with the polishing
>residue.
>> :
>: 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.
>>Or comes from the bile.
>>Obviously this Tubingen lot is not serious or they would have taken into
>account the study which I have cited a couple of times from the `Science
>of the Total Environment.'
Please remind me what study that was?
>: 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.
>>It is needed to look at the level of vitamin D absorbtion, from UV or fish.
>>Lack of vit D could be causing poor calcium metabolism, more fillings,
>neurological symptoms - multiple sclerosis, as well as more tooth
>grinding and more mercury in the saliva.
>> :
>: The Tubingen 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
>>(correct spelling for a change)
:-)
>: 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.
>>They should be also checked for vitamin D metabolism, and stress - jaw
>clenching.
>> :
>: Amalgam is with certainty not the material for the future, the
>: Tubingen group stress, however they also warn for exaggerated panic
>: reactions.
>>For a start give us the level of correlation.
I would if I had.
>Just by what per centage were the symptoms increased?
Who's talking about 'increase'???
> 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
Hey! This was right again :)
>: 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.
>>False conclusion.
>If the alternatives lead to more abscesses then that may be a worse risk.
Does it? (composites)
>: under the name SALIVAGAM a dental metal test. This can be mediated by
>: all pharmacies.
>>Sales ploy.
>>>> 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, Fox-11
>: For answers to scientific matters please contact Dr E Roller, Dr. HD
>: Wolss, KH Maier, AK Umweltanalytik, Univ. of Tubingen, Postfach
>: 210352, D-72026 Tubingen, tel 07071/2984802. Interested journalists
>: can obtain detailed information from BUND, Dunanstrasse 16. D-79110
>: Freiburg, Tel: 0761/885955-0, Fax-90
