Mercury poisoning from Dental crown

[PandaBear]

I freaked out today when I browse the web and found that a typical Mercury crown can cause more mercury ingestion than safe daily intake, and even more freaked out that Europe has banned Amalgam crown and filling.

For those of you who are dentists, how safe is this thing? I had an Amalgam crown because my dentist said my upper teeth is very sharp and Porceline / Composite will not work in that area (it will crack).

 

[Al]

This has been discredited in many studies as I understand it. Its not pure mercury its a compound. It is absolutely not a problem. (IMHO

This stuff is perpetuated by lawyers, uninformed, nut cases, etc.

Just like the mercury preservative in vaccines. Again nut cases (in my opinion) not getting their kids vaccines bc of ***** stupidity. (entire thought censored

)

People are still suing vaccine makers bc of this and even now suing when mercury preservatives was removed years and years ago.

For g0d's sake we used to play with mercury when I was a kid. I have had at least a couple dozen Amalgam cavities in my mouth for 50+ years.

Maybe that's what's wrong with me. I think it is.

 

[moribundman]

Depending on the chemical composition of your saliva, mercury may leach more or less out of dental amalgams. Metal fillings and crowns can also lead to considerable electrolysis occuring, which would be sort of like having a mouth that's a battery. That is less than ideal and can also literally fry your gums over time (blueish outline on gums is an indication).

I got one gold inlay (due to a fissure in molar) as a young teen many years ago, and it was lead-free. Luckily that's all the dental work I've ever needed! I don't have a single filling.

The use of mercury was banned for reason in many countries. And it's unlikely that it's mostly about preventing contaminated cemetaries.

 

[moribundman]

quote:

---

For g0d's sake we used to play with mercury when I was a kid. I have had at least a couple dozen Amalgam cavities in my mouth for 50+ years. [Roll Eyes] Maybe that's what's wrong with me. I think it is.

---

I agree. By the way, how does lead paint taste, and why do some kids eat it?

 

[moribundman]

quote:

---

Just like the mercury preservative in vaccines. Again nut cases (in my opinion) not getting their kids vaccines bc of ***** stupidity. (entire thought censored

---

As far as I know, the mercury in vaccines is not a preservative like the mercury that used to be found in contact lens sterilizing solutions (also mostly banned for a reason). The residual mercury is an impurity left from the sterilizing process. Mercury-free vaccines are commonly available (maybe not in the US? I was never vaccinated here), but more costly.

 

[Shannow]

I've got a mouth full of amalgam, and if I knew then what I knew now, I would still have gone for metal, but not the mercury ones.

Like every other chemical that we expose ourselves to, some people are super sensitive, and have problems (my sister goes into anyfylactic shock when exposed to surgical latex)

That being said, I'm not getting them dug out either.

The studies that show the mercury is safe (both in fillings, and in thimerasol...still used in kids vaccines down here) are prepared by the industries that have the most to benefit by it being safe.

 

[NJC]

Al:

quote:

---

People are still suing vaccine makers bc of this and even now suing when mercury preservatives was removed years and years ago.

---

Al, you're reacting to overly-far swing of the pendulum to safety, environmentalism and increased lawsuits.

But some of the claims can't be dismissed entirely. As for the elimination of thimerosal (mercury-containing preservative), I think it's a good thing and one that only happened about ~6 yrs IIRC.

You may have received mercury containing vaccines as a kid, but you wouldn't have gotten as many during a single doctor's visit. And repeat within a few months and I'd be concerned about an acculumation of mercury in the child's system.

But I'd rather keep lawyers out of it..

 

[Pablo]

It is a good question. I have my share of silver fillings. Next year I will be getting them replaced. I will keep you posted.

 

[NJC]

mori, it's thimerosal:

"Introduction

Thimerosal is a mercury-containing organic compound (an organomercurial). Since the 1930s, it has been widely used as a preservative in a number of biological and drug products, including many vaccines, to help prevent potentially life threatening contamination with harmful microbes. Over the past several years, because of an increasing awareness of the theoretical potential for neurotoxicity of even low levels of organomercurials and because of the increased number of thimerosal containing vaccines that had been added to the infant immunization schedule, concerns about the use of thimerosal in vaccines and other products have been raised. Indeed, because of these concerns, the Food and Drug Administration has worked with, and continues to work with, vaccine manufacturers to reduce or eliminate thimerosal from vaccines.

Thimerosal has been removed from or reduced to trace amounts in all vaccines routinely recommended for children 6 years of age and younger, with the exception of inactivated influenza vaccine (see Table 1). A preservative-free version of the inactivated influenza vaccine (contains trace amounts of thimerosal) is available in limited supply at this time for use in infants, children and pregnant women. Some vaccines such as Td, which is indicated for older children (> 7 years of age) and adults, are also now available in formulations that are free of thimerosal or contain only trace amounts. Vaccines with trace amounts of thimerosal contain 1 microgram or less of mercury per dose. "

http://www.fda.gov/cber/vaccine/thimerosal.htm#pres

 

[moribundman]

I did not know that the mercury in vaccines was used as a preservative. I was pretty sure it was used as a sterilizing agent and then removed from the final product as much as possible. Maybe that's the case with the almost-mercury-free vaccines?

I remember thimerosal from the '80s. I started wearing contacts at that time, but I was wearing hard lenses and the sterilizing solutions for those were already mercury-free. These days, I often see "thimerosal-free" printed on lens solution containers, but I don't know if it's still in any lens cleaning or storing solution.