The use of amalgam fillings has been controversial since they were introduced in the 1840s. One group of dentists opposed its use because mercury was known to be poisonous then. They were opposed by another group of dentists who wanted amalgam because it was cheaper and more patients could afford amalgam fillings. Those dentists won, and went on to become the American Dental Association, which champions mercury fillings and opposes any dentist who tries to expose the dangers of mercury fillings.
All you have to do is look at the way dentists handle amalgam fillings -- they never touch it, do not breath its fumes, and put all scrap amalgam and old fillings in a deep container of water to prevent its harmful affects from sickening the dentist. But then they put it in our mouths and tell us it's safe!! I had all mine taken out 30 years ago. My dentist wanted $175 per tooth to do it, I went to Tijuana for $25 a tooth. ----- Original Message ----- From: Rowena To: silver-list@eskimo.com Sent: Monday, May 30, 2005 8:59 AM Subject: Re: CS>mercury and silver "Mercury is a liquid metal !! In the second place, there are silver FILLINGS," Fifteen years ago, I had just had my last "silver" filling done. Probably sixteen of them. Chit chatting with dentist after last marathon session, I asked him what was in the fillings. He listed the ingredients. Bit of a pause. "And mercury." My jaw dropped; I stared at him in horror. "Mercury!" I had no idea. Over the last couple of years I've had them out by a dentist who used all the safest methods, with a thing on my nose dispensing oxygen to make sure I didn't get the fumes and stuff up my nose, I suppose. This dentist's wife died of Motor Neurone Disease recently. One of the things that weighed on his mind was the connection that has been made between mercury and this cruel illness. Was at my homeopath today; not a lot wrong with me any more. Only two probs showed up - candida and mercury. Not a lot of metal left in my mouth, just a bit of shiny stuff behind a false front tooth attaching it to the other front tooth. I asked this enlightened dentist (not the one who put it in) what was likely to be in this metal. "I can't tell you, Rowena," he said. "For all we know it might be a bit of melted down car bumper bar from Bosnia." (Why Bosnia? Dunno.) Quite what was happening in my mouth with the metal fillings I shudder to think - but it felt electrical. One day I'd like to sort out some other way to fill the gap in front than a bit of plastic hiding a bit of old scrap metal. Don't know what, though. So what's in gold fillings, I wonder - besides gold? My previous dentist championed amalgam, "used for centuries", he said, though I understand the formula has been changed for the worst in recent times anyway - so much for "centuries"!. At my requeest, he supposedly removed the amalgam from the bicuspid next to my eye tooth, which had been making my tooth look dark and horrible whenever I smiled. When the filling was done, he said, "The amalgam has stained the tooth". Oh well. Tough. It didn't really look any better than before. When the "good" dentist removed the "new, white" filling from this particular tooth, he told me that the other dentist hadn't actually removed all the amalgam. I couldn't help wondering whether it was because it was too dangerous for him. I could not believe that he was ignorant of the problems with amalgam, yet he spouted the party line to me about amalgam's safety, though in a very uncomfortable manner. I quite frankly don't think he believed it. I certainly didn't. But I'm very polite. I didn't contradict him. But I never went back to him, either. Rowena
