Mercury

“The occurrence of multiple sclerosis in clustered groups of cases that are often related to others in time and place has been observed on several occasions in the last 50 years. Selected clusters are here reviewed in relation to suspected sources of heavy metal (mercury, lead) poisoning as background for the analysis of the 1983-1985 ‘outbreak’ of 30-40 cases of multiple sclerosis in Key West, Florida. Evidence is presented that the time-place clustering resulted from environmental pollution stemming from a nearby dump pile of rocky debris. The probable mechanism is discussed.”

“Instrumental neutron activation analysis has been used to determine the concentrations of 16 elements in selected brain regions and separated gray- and white-matter specimens from histologically verified Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and age-matched control patients. Significantly different (p less than 0.05) mean concentrations of Br, Cl, Cs, Hg, N, Na, P, and Rb were observed in AD bulk brain samples compared to controls, while no significant differences were observed for Ag, Co, Cr, Fe, K, Sb, Sc, and Se. The differences that are most persistent and largest in magnitude for the pooled bulk samples, males and females, left and right hemispheres, and separated gray and white matter are the elevation of Br and Hg and the depletion of Rb in AD compared to controls. Significant interelement correlations for the latter elements in both AD and control brains are also documented. Based on these studies, the possibility of an etiological role for trace elements in AD clearly deserves further investigation.”

“An evaluation of the data on the exposure of individuals with amalgam restorations results in the current conclusion that these levels are within the limiting values for mercury and should not present health hazard except to those individuals who have an allergic response to mercury.”

This study examined the contact surface area in the coupling of a class II amalgam restoration with another class II amalgam restoration or with a stainless steel or nickel-chrome crown in 1% NaCl solution. The characterization of interfaces was carried out by using SEM and EDX microanalysis. The results indicate that the coupling of an amalgam-stainless steel crown and an amalgam-inconel crown in NaCl solution forms a deposit on the crown surfaces. This deposit contains all the constituents of corrodible phases of amalgam, including Zn. If amalgam restorations in adjoining teeth are contemplated, non-Zn-containing amalgam alloys of the same composition should be considered.

The main current-generating corrosion cells in the oral cavity are the bimetallic cell and the concentration cell, the latter mainly occurring due to differences in access to oxygen in the various parts of the metallic material. Corrosion resistance is not an intrinsic property of a metal or an alloy for it depends on an interaction with the environment. Thus, the contents of the oral cavity, have a decisive influence. This implies that corrosion tests in vitro are of limited value in predicting the clinical corrosion behaviour of a metallic material. Results from a series of clinical studies concerning a possible relationship between galvanic currents and certain oral and other symptoms in a group of patients who had been referred to the Faculty of Odontology, University of Umeå, are briefly presented. The possibility of local and systemic effects of intra-oral galvanic cells is discussed.

“In conclusion, we think it unlikely that the sources of error mentioned above or factors known to be related to glioblastoma explain the observed excess risk.  Most probably the origin is some occupational factor common to dentists and dental nurses–for example, amalgam, chloroform, or radiography.”

One hundred consecutive patients, 74 women and 26 men, aged between 18 and 83 years (mean = 54.8 years), referred with complaints related to oral galvanism were investigated and treated and the treatment results were evaluated after 2-3 years. Forty of the patients reported facial pain, pain from the teeth, temporomandibular joints (TMJ) and masticatory muscles and TMJ clicking and locking and 26 reported headache. Smarting in the oral mucosa, smarting of the tongue and xerostomia were reported by 26, 21 and 24 patients, respectively, and 30 patients reported an unpleasant taste, a metallic taste or a battery taste. The same patient often reported several symptoms. The patients also reported various general symptoms, above all joint symptoms, pain in the back, neck and shoulders and general muscular pain but also tiredness, weakness, difficulty in concentrating, depression and insomnia. After clinical and radiological examination, salivary tests, determination of the maximum galvanic current at metallic contacts and screening for contact allergy to dental materials, various oral diagnoses could be established. Most of the patients exhibited functional disturbances of the masticatory system, periodontitis, smarting of the oral mucosa, xerostomia, pulpitis and pulpal necrosis and mucosal lesions. The medical illnesses the patients reported themselves to be suffering from or had been treated for included cardiovascular disorders, high and low blood pressure, asthma, rheumatic disorders, diabetes, pernicious anaemia, gastritis and peptic ulcer. Seventy-six patients took drugs regularly. In most cases there were several oral, dental and medical explanations for the symptoms.

US. safety standards for mercury exposure, as established by the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (1972) is 0.1 mg/ M3 7- ten times this amount. Later, in 1972, the standard was lowered to 0.05 mg/M3 (ANSI, 1972) based on the studies of Smith et al. (1970). In the October issue of the ADA Journal, it recommends 0.02 mg/M3 (Kantor and Woqdcock, 1981). Russia established 0.01 mg as their maximum allowable count ration more than 30 years ago (Smelyanskiy and Nlanova, 1959). Trackh ten berg (1974) states, “Changes in immunological reactivity brought on by low mercury concentration generally fall into two periods, one of stimulated immunological reactivity, and the second in which it begins to decline.” Excerpts from his studies demonstrate these changes

Historically, hatters in England who used mercury in the felt hat industry got the shakes and became unstable – thus the term “Mad as Hatter.”

“We all have Candida albicans in our intestinal tracts, yet only some of us develop an illness associated with it. The illness has been termed candidiasis, candidosis, Candida albicans hypersensitivity, yeast hypersensitivity, yeast hypersensitivity syndrome, etc., etc., The illness could also be termed immunological/biochemical dysper-ception, since the yeast itself is not the problem any more than ragweed is the problem in hayfever. The patient immunologically and biochemically views both substances in a distorted manner and reacts inappropriately. “Yeast hypersensitivity” should be viewed as a symptom of immune/biochemical dysfunction, not as a disease.”