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