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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 13
Sophmore Member
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i just went to see a dentist about a broken left molar and the possibility of removing the 2 amalgams in my right molars.
he seems like a bright fellow...he gave me a free consultation a free full mouth x-rays.
he told me not to mess with the amalgams as removing them could be dangerous and could leave a weak tooth. he talked about dead dentists' autopsied kidneys containing no more mercury than common people even though they've worked with the vapors etc for decades.
he wants to cap the molar with gold.
he said these were just his opinions after all his years of research and he seemed to know a lot about the subject. he says he'll do whatever i wanted him to do though.
personally i like the guy and agree with some of his points. he said if he wanted to make more money he could just advise me to get the amalgams out and he knew i was ready to have them out as well, but he advised against it.
i still believe though higher powers want us filled up with mercury and i want to get them out eventually.
but right now i have a busted molar that needs urgent care.
i'm assuming that the gold alloy is also toxic? do i need to tell him to do porcelain instead? is it not strong enough for molars? and does it need a metal substrate that's toxic?
what should i do?
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 1,403
Master Elite Member
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Gold is supposedly the best filling material, assuming it is high purity and not mixed with toxic metals. Gold is very expensive though. I have porcelain inlays or onlays for my large cavities, and composites for the smaller ones. Composites are not recommended for large fillings, especially on the biting surfaces of molars. How much more will gold inlays or onlays cost compared to porcelain?
There is one other issue. Having gold and mercury fillings in your mouth might cause a galvanic reaction, and a greater rate of mercury leaving the the amalgams. Asthetically, I think porcelain looks much more natural than gold, but gold might last longer. I say go for porcelain.
Do you feel ill now? How old are you? Some would say if you don't feel ill and the amalgams are in good shape, then leave them alone. Others would say gets them out ASAP. How old are the amalgams? If they are quite old, it would be a good idea to have them replaced before they start leaking.
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 13
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the amalgams are nearing 20 years old. i'm 31.
when i got the amalgams i was a straight A student with a lot of energy. around that time my grades began to plummet and i've dealt with fatigue issues the rest of my life. i'm healthy...i do deal with a lot of fatigue...i've dealt with mental cloudiness all my life...even mild schizophrenia at one point. actually recently i've been more able to overcome the cloudiness with focus, but it does take a lot. i take NAC, fish oil and chlorrela or other green powders regularly for the last year. as well as cilantro when i think about or when i'm listening to hildegard. looks don't matter to me at all..especially the molars...just want to feel good and be able to chew on some corn nuts occasionally.
from what i've read gold is more durable on the molars than porcelain. how do i know if it's high purity? i asked him and he said its about 60%..that pure gold is way too soft.
if i got gold i would probably get the amalgams out once i had paid my bill off. if it's as safe as porcelain i'd probably do it. i like gold and maybe i could get some of that monatomic mfktz in my system if the alloy isn't toxic.
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 1,403
Master Elite Member
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You got your amalgams when you were 11? I doubt that is the casr for most of them.
If the gold inlays and onlays are 60% gold, what else is in them?
If many are at least 15 years old, then perhaps they should be replaced. Did you ask you dentist about the cost for gold? I have a feeling dental insurance will not cover gold. Sometimes they don't even cover porcelain inlays and onlays.
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Joined: May 2010
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don't have dental insurance. he said don't worry about getting it b/c it's not worth it for an individual. only group plans are worth it. it's $886 for the gold crown.
how old are you in 5th grade? that's when i got them.
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 1,403
Master Elite Member
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$886 for a gold crown sounds very cheap. I paid much more than that for porcelain. I guess you live in an area where dental fees are low. http://www.bracesinfo.com/dentalcosts/
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 13
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i live in savannah, ga. prices are good. he also said he would work with me since i don't have insurance, but i don't think it's cheaper than normal.
he gave me the consultation and full mouth xrays today all for free.
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Joined: Sep 2007
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That website says the average cost in Savannah for a gold crown is $1,014. Some places it is more than double that.
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Joined: Sep 2007
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Master Elite Member
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 4,178
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Hi Spit, One of the worst things you could do is have gold put in a mouth that already has amalgam. Mixing metals together can increase the toxicity of both, and the battery effect in the mouth (galvanisim). This can increase the release of mercury from amalgam, increase the toxic effects etc. I remember what happened with my Mother when she had gold put in when she had alot of amalgam. I can almost pinpoint the deterioration from that time onwards. Same thing happened to me when braces went onto my teeth. Even before the wire got put on, I just had the studs on my teeth and that was enough to cause a marked deterioration in health. Only after hte braces finally came off was there a faint improvement, but because I got so toxic with them on, my health was never quite the same again. You might want to take a look at this link for a possible healthier alternative. If you're interested, you'll need to look around for a cerec dentist who has had experience with placing them. http://www.softdental.com/about_tech_cerec.htmlI actually went to a cerec dentist who was one of the best at placing cerec porclain (he was actually an instructor). He did an excellent job. Though not a biologic dentist and he still used amalgam, he was "mechanically" a very good dentist. He even found some remaining amalgam under some of my old composites and removed it for me before he put in the cerec. Though of course, I had no protection! So that was not wise of me, but it was only a small amount thankfully. However, I would normally advise a person see a biologic dentist if they have amalgams and want them removed. There maybe some great mainstream dentists around, but when it comes to mercury? they do not appear to be concerned or open regarding its dangers, even though the dangers are well documented. There are places who have banned mercury! I think Sweden is one. There is little excuse IMO for any dentist to still be using this poison, given the amount of information there is out there now about it and the many victims of it's toxic effects. There are PLENTY of alternatives to this neurotoxin.
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 1,403
Master Elite Member
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Joined: Jun 2006
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Mechanically, gold would usually be the superior choice of any dental material. Lasts a lifetime. However, how pure is it? Plus, the potential of reactions with existing metals already in the mouth is an unfortunate risk/reality and maybe a very bad choice. See below:http://www.yourhealthbase.com/amalgams.htmlTrigeminal neuralgia linked to amalgam fillings
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA. Dr. William Cheshire, a physician at the Mayo Clinic, reports on a case where a woman's trigeminal neuralgia (tic douloureux) was traced to a galvanic reaction between an amalgam filling and an adjacent gold-alloy crown. Consumption of tomatoes and other acidic foods produced intense jolts described as being like those of an "electrical battery". The jolts in turn resulted in excruciating pain in the trigeminal nerve. Replacing the amalgam filling with a composite resolved the problem. Dr. Cheshire points out that dissimilar metals in contact with saliva can form a galvanic cell which can generate electrical currents with several hundred millivolts of potential. He points out that many patients with trigeminal neuralgia describe their pain in terms of "electrical" jolts and concludes that his patient's neuralgia may well have been triggered by the galvanic reaction between the amalgam filling and the gold crown.
Cheshire, William P., Jr. The shocking tooth about trigeminal neuralgia. New England Journal of Medicine, Vol. 342, June 29, 2000, p. 2003 (correspondence) The cerec porcelain is an improvement from the old style porcelain crowns. It expands and contracts with heat. It does not require a metal base, plus alot more tooth structure is conserved. It is unlikely to create any reaction with existing metals already in the mouth and seems to be one of the more biocompatible materials around. I have spoken with a few biologic dentist over emails over the years, and cerec porcelain was one of the materials quite a few of them were using. More seem to be coming onboard. Not only biologic, but mainstream also. One of these dentists I spoke to was trained not only in the mechanics of dentistry, but also oral toxicology. He uses only the dental materials that both perform well physically, but are also alot more biocompatible. His main one is cerec porcelain. He also uses some strong composite material too that he favours over others. The toxicity potential is as important (if not more perhaps) than the mechanics. My mix metal mouth at age 15 was disastrous for my health on all levels. I developed blurred vision, severe depression, OCD, pallor, muscle tics, burning sensations in the mouth and throat, fatigue, etc etc. The list goes on. Some people may do get away with it, but I personally wouldn't take the risk. I thought I was quite a healthy person before that. Evidentally I wasn't, or I doubt I'd have been so suseptible. Dental alloys affect cellular energy production
NOTE: We usually do not report test tube or animal experiments, but thought we would make an exception in this case. The findings that commonly used dental alloys may interrupt the normal function of human cells is a first and could have wide-ranging effects.
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA. Although nickel is known to be carcinogenic in humans it is still widely used in certain dental alloys. Researchers at the University of Alabama now report that other components of dental alloys (beryllium, chromium, and molybdenum) as well as nickel affect the very basic function of human cells - the production of energy (ATP). ATP is produced in the mitochondria of cells and involves highly oxidative processes. It is becoming increasingly clear that abnormalities in the mitochondrial processes are important causes of human disease. Some researchers believe that a slowing down of these processes actually heralds the very first stage in the proliferation of abnormal cells and cancer.
The Alabama researchers exposed cultures of human gingival (gum) cells to solutions of nickel, beryllium, chromium (tri- and hexavalent) and molybdenum (hexavalent) for periods of 24 and 72 hours. They then measured the energy production and oxygen consumption of the cells' mitochondria in the various solutions. Cells in contact with nickel or hexavalent chromium were most affected and showed decreased ATP (energy) production as well as a decrease in oxygen consumption. The effects of beryllium, molybdenum, and trivalent chromium were similar, but less pronounced. The researchers conclude that their findings may be the first indication that some components of common dental alloys may be detrimental to human health. They urge further research to establish possible synergisms between mixtures of these different metals on mitochondrial energy production. [54 references]
Messer, R.L.W., et al. An investigation of fibroblast mitochondria enzyme activity and respiration in response to metallic ions released from dental alloys. J Biomed Mater Res, Vol. 50, 2000, pp. 598- 604
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Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 70
Senior Member
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Amalgams leak mercury regardless of whether they are old or new. Just because you broke off a piece of a tooth does not mean you need a crown . You could probably get an onlay or filling instead. Crowns require removal of more tooth structure than fillings and the more tooth structure you remove , the weaker your tooth will become . Crowns increase your risk of periodontal problems and often lead to root canals later on.
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