Author: Hahn LJ, Kloiber R, Vimy MJ, Takahashi Y, Lorscheider FL.
Source: FASEB J.
Year: 1989
Comment:
This primate study found that mercury from dental amalgam was released into the body, especially the kidney, gastrointestinal tract, and jaw.
Abstract / Excerpt:
“The fate of mercury (Hg) released from dental ‘silver’ amalgam tooth fillings into human mouth air is uncertain. A previous report about sheep revealed uptake routes and distribution of amalgam Hg among body tissues. The present investigation demonstrates the bodily distribution of amalgam Hg in a monkey whose dentition, diet, feeding regimen, and chewing pattern closely resemble those of humans. When amalgam fillings, which normally contain 50% Hg, are made with a tracer of radioactive 203Hg and then placed into monkey teeth, the isotope appears in high concentration in various organs and tissues within 4 wk. Whole-body images of the monkey revealed that the highest levels of Hg were located in the kidney, gastrointestinal tract, and jaw. The dental profession’s advocacy of silver amalgam as a stable tooth restorative material is not supported by these findings.”
Citation:
Hahn LJ, Kloiber R, Vimy MJ, Takahashi Y, Lorscheider FL. Dental "silver" tooth fillings: a source of mercury exposure revealed by whole-body image scan and tissue analysis. FASEB J. 1989; 3(14):2641-6.