My dentist wrote back to me today and said this about the question you asked...
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I asked..."This person has an unknown metallic material under a crown revealed by an x-ray. They are having all of their amalgams removed soon. Is it OK to use mercury chelators for detox when this unknown (possibly mercury-based) metal is under a crown?"He Replied...There are two situations where there could be metal under a crown:
First is if it's a Porcelain Fused to Metal (PFM) crown. This is where the lab puts white porcelain over a metal substructure, which the dentist then glues to the cut down (prepped) tooth. These are the most common types of crowns done, as they can be relatively inexpensive. Usually the metal used under these crowns is nickel, which is a carcinogenic metal. The nickel will darken, and can appear as a dark line around the base of the tooth, at the gumline.
Another case is the remnant of the original mercury filling is left in the tooth while prepping it for a crown. Then the PFM (or other kind of crown) is permanently cemented over the mercury filling. This was done quite commonly.
Now amalgam manufacturers instruct dentists not to do that, even though it was done for dozens of years to millions of crowns. Here is an excerpt from the MSDS for the amalgam Dispersalloy.
Full text is at:
http://www.ariplex.com/ama/amacaul1.htm[color:"red"]
. . . The use of amalgam is contraindicated;
In proximal or occlusal contact to dissimilar metal restorations. (this would be the case of leaving a mercury filling under a PFM)
In patients with severe renal deficiency.
In patients with known allergies to amalgam.
For retrograde or endodontic filling.
As a filling material for cast crown. (again, they know it's not good to have dissimilar metals touching)
In children 6 and under.
In expectant mothers.
Side Effects/Warning
Prior to use, read the MSDS information and product instructions for this item.
Exposure to mercury may cause irritation to skin, eyes, respiratory tract and mucous membrane. In individual cases, hypersensitivity reactions, allergies, or electrochemically caused local reactions have been observed. Due to electrochemical processes, the lichen planus of the mucosa may develop.
Mercury may also be a skin sensitizer, pulmonary sensitizer, nephrotoxin and neurotoxin.
After placement or removal of amalgam restorations, there is a temporary increase of the mercury concentration in the blood and urine.
Mercury expressed during condensation and unset amalgam may cause amalgamation or galvanic effect if in contact with other metal restorations. If symptoms persist, the amalgam should be replaced by a different material . . .
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So the answer to your question is - Yes, they can use mercury chelators for detox. The material showing on the x-ray is most likely mercury. Or it could be nickel, which would respond favorably to heavy metal detox.
Hope this helps
Best ~
Ray
http://saveyourteeth.com/---
My again...After reading is reply, there is a chance that he missed the concept that I was asking, namely...
if detox could occur while the amalgam was still under the crown. I think I worded the question too vaguely. Sorry about that.
Nevertheless, I hope this helps and congratulations on your last removal. It may be a rollar coaster ride but it usually gets better over time.
Keep us posted!
