FAB Radio

The condition of our teeth has a huge impact on the health of our bodies. Mercurial materials used by dentists since 1832, to essentially keep teeth healthy by filling cavities, have been proven in recent years to inflict immense harm, affecting body, mind and spirit.

In Greek mythology, Mercury is the fleet-footed messenger who ruled over wealth, good fortune, commerce, fertility and thievery. He supposedly escorted the departed to the underworld. As a physical substance in the living organism, however, mercury is the antithesis of the fleet-footed messenger’s finer qualities.

The largest exposure to mercury among adults comes from dental amalgam fillings. In the body, mercury disrupts cellular function at all levels, robbing the body of health and escorting the victim to the underworld of neurological dysfunction. Mercury is a powerful poison. Published research has shown that mercury, even in small amounts, is more toxic than lead, cadmium and even arsenic. Some of the most common signs and symptoms of mercury exposure include irritability, fits of anger, lack of energy, fatigue, low self-esteem, drowsiness, decline of intellect, low self-control, nervousness, memory loss, depression, anxiety, shyness/timidity and insomnia.

Elemental mercury forms a monatomic gas that is highly volatile and readily inhaled.1 Mercury vapor is absorbed across the pulmonary membranes. It then dissolves in plasma, persisting as a gas for a period sufficient to cross most of the diffusion barriers in the body including the bloodbrain barrier. Once it enters cells, mercury oxidises and accumulates in the body. It also reacts with bacteria in the mouth to produce a highly toxic compound called methyl mercury.

A study carried out by M. J. Vimy in 1990,2 brought to light the highly absorbable nature of mercury from dental fillings. He placed twelve amalgams containing radioactivelytagged mercury in the molars of pregnant sheep. By the third day mercury was found in the amniotic fluid and foetal blood. By day 26, most foetal tissues (especially the liver, bile, bone marrow, blood and brain) had a higher mercury level than that found in the maternal tissues. During lactation, mercury levels in the milk were eight times greater than those in the maternal blood serum.

Vimy’s team concluded that placing amalgam during pregnancy puts the foetus at risk and endangers the health of our children. Vimy also found that the tagged mercury concentrated within three days in the sheeps’ kidneys. In a second animal study of monkeys, a team of microbiologists from the University of Georgia working with Vimy found that mercury from dental amalgam promoted the development of mercury-resistant bacteria in both the mouth and the intestine.3

Most poison molecules that enter the body are processed by the liver or kidneys and broken down into smaller components, then excreted in relatively less toxic forms. Heavy metals are different. They cannot be broken down, so unless they are excreted immediately after ingested, these indestructible elements accumulate. The toxicity of mercury came into world prominence in the 1950s as a result of mercury dumping in the Minamata Bay in Japan. Consumption of seafood from the bay led to widespread neurological damage. After all the cats in the neighbourhood died and birds began falling from the sky, the government began an investigation. By 1997, 2,200 people were certified as having Minamata disease and qualified for compensation. More than 8,000 suffered with some degree of physical and psychological symptoms.4-5

I have a busy dental practice which specializes in patients suffering from mercury toxicity. The typical patient is a female with numerous amalgams in her mouth and who has followed the advice of the Australian Heart Foundation, consuming a low-protein, low-fat, lowcholesterol diet that includes fish as the chief animal food, often eaten several times per week.
Case Study

Nervanne was such a patient. She first consulted our practice in November 2001 with a multiplicity of symptoms including migraines; tremors with associated tingling in the hands and feet; poor memory and decline of cognitive function; chronic unrelenting fatigue and depression; tinnitus; painful joints; night urination; a metallic taste in her mouth; and abdominal bloating with a history of diarrhoea and now constipation. She was also on thyroid medication due to an autoimmune thyroid disease, and suffered recurrent yeast and bacterial infections. An MRI revealed evidence of deep white matter disease, demyelination and possible multiple sclerosis. She also had three root-filled teeth. Her children suffered with attention behavioral problems and one of her sons was autistic.

By doing a comprehensive blood chemistry, based on the principles of Free Radical Therapy,6 we can gain a fairly accurate idea of which toxin or combination of toxins we are dealing with. We can know where the toxin is located, how much is there, how it is being transported, and thereby gain some idea of how best to neutralize the toxins and get them out.

Our protocol is a multi-step process. The first step involves changing the diet to enhance the body’s ability to handle contaminant materials. The next step adds specific supplementation and chelation therapy. We then do a comprehensive survey of the mouth to determine the best order for removal of amalgams and the most compatible type of dental material with which to replace them. Only then do we proceed with the removal of amalgam fillings.

Upon examining Nervanne’s blood results the following findings were of particular interest: her total serum cholesterol was very low at 3.9mm/l with HDLcholesterol at 1.2mm/l; and her total protein and albumin levels were low. Her total cholesterol and total protein levels had never before been this low. Nervanne had not eaten eggs, red meat or dairy products for several years prior to her devastating decline in health. She had reduced her diet to salads, pasta, fruits, an occasional serving of skinless chicken and frequent canned tuna. She regularly consumed “cholesterol-free” crackers with margarine and “lite” cheese as a snack. She also consumed many other sources of trans fatty acids—margarine, pastries, breads, cereals and chocolate.

Did Nervanne’s health fail as a result of her new eating habits, or was it mere coincidence that her decline followed the adoption of a low-fat, low-cholesterol, and low-animal-protein diet? I believe it was the former and the scientific literature confirms my beliefs. Nervanne’s reduction in cholesterol and total serum protein had made her vulnerable to bacterial and viral infection by promoting T-cell suppression. This is especially so in the presence of mercury, which has been shown to reduce resistance to viruses, cancer and autoimmune disease.7-8 Low levels of cholesterol also make T-cell proliferation more difficult and the excretion of mercury nearly impossible.9-12

The onset of depression and irritability is frequently reported in people who suddenly lower their cholesterol levels. These symptoms have occurred in all of the longer-term studies on cholesterol lowering. Neurotoxins require cholesterol for their transport and elimination. A rise in cholesterol prevents attachment of the neurotoxin to the nerve and brain cells. Symptoms of neurotoxicity are most likely to occur when cholesterol is lowered suddenly or when the patient goes on a low-fat, low-cholesterol, low-protein diet.

In a human trial, a high-protein, lowcarbohydrate diet was compared to a low-protein, high-carbohydrate diet. The researchers found greater clearance of toxins with the high-protein, lowcarbohydrate diet and diminished clearance when the ratio was reversed.13-14 The use of additional butter is of paramount importance. By having adequate fat, bile production is stimulated, absorption of minerals increased and the excretion of mercury facilitated as long as constipation is avoided. The proteins in the diet must be animal proteins, providing a complete spectrum of amino acids. A study of Asian total vegetarians showed reduced clearing of xenobiotics.*15 Low levels of hydrochloric acid impact the availability of amino acids, even in a higher protein diet, so stimulating the pancreas using lacto-fermented foods is crucial. Our protocol makes the use of cultured dairy products rich in whey protein. Not only will whey provide the complete protein needed for metabolization of xenobiotics and mercury, it has also been shown to increase glutathione content in the liver.16-17 We recommend sheep’s milk yoghurt, rich in lauric acid, whey and glutathione.

Our treatment for Nervanne involved a radical change in her diet followed by the removal of her amalgams and root canals. We advised Nervanne to eliminate tuna and other seafoods, but to incorporate a variety of organic meats, eggs and whole cultured dairy products. By April 2002, Nervanne’s migraines completely ceased and her gastrointestinal symptoms abated. For the first time in years, she could string a sentence together without stuttering. Her inability to cope, irritability and feelings of helplessness had resolved.

For nearly twenty years my practice has worked closely with Living Valley Springs on many cases. Together we have achieved amazing results as we have witnessed the recovery of health in hundreds of mutual patients. Living Valley Springs provides a comprehensive tenday healing program which is effective as preparation for dental revision, or as post revision therapy. Patients who have completed the Living Valley Springs program prior to dental revision are well educated in the necessary biology, and their eliminating systems are ready to deal with mobilization of mercury.

In conclusion, if we are to protect our own health as well as that of future generations, it is imperative that we pass legislation for reducing or halting the indiscriminate use of mercury in all of its various forms; especially the conscious act of implanting mercury directly into people like you and your children through the use of mercury dental fillings.

Eric Davis is Australia’s leading Biological Dentist