[net.med] Mercury poisoning from dental fillings?

lute@abnjh.UUCP (08/28/84)

A friend of mine mentioned that he had heard something about the old
mercury/silver amalgam dental fillings causing low-level mercury poisoning.
Does anyone out there know if this is true?  Have there been studies to
corroborate this?  What are the varieties of symptoms from mercury poisoning?
I understand that neurological and kidney damage can occur from high
exposures to mercury, but what about at low-levels?

Anyway, if you have any info on mercury poisoning, particularly via dental
fillings, please send me mail.  Thanks.


					Jim Collymore

tackett@wivax.UUCP (Raymond Tackett) (09/07/84)

I remember an article a few years ago which suggested the problems
appeared more in dentists.  A survey found that middle-aged dentists
had a higher incidence of angry and irrational behavior than the
population.  The article cited similarities between the dentists and
hat makers from the last century.  The phrase "mad as a hatter" seems
to have originated at a time when mercury was used as part of the
hat making process and handled with bare hands.


-- 
			  Random Access is IMMORAL!                     

                                   Ray Tackett

saquigley@watmath.UUCP (Sophie Quigley) (09/18/84)

Actually, I have heard that mercury poisoning is even more common in dental
assistants than in dentists, because the dental assistants mix the amalgame.

Sophie Quigley
...!{clyde,ihnp4,decvax}!watmath!saquigley