If you can't remember where you parked your car, don't blame your teeth.
Why are teeth involved with Alzheimer's? because there is an on-going myth that silver fillings (amalgam) cause Alzheimer's.
If you're tempted to stop reading because you think Alzheimer's is an "old" person's disease, don't. Of the estimated five million Alzheimer's suffers in the United States, there are a half-million people between the ages of 30 and 50 diagnosed with Alzheimer's.
Some studies have concluded that the mercury used in an amalgam filling brings on Alzheimer's. However, looking closely at the studies, there are procedures that make the conclusion questionable. For example, one study was done on snails. It is a sci-fi stretch to compare a snail to a person. In another study, laboratory rats were subjected to a mercury concentration that was 100 times greater than what a person with 25 amalgam fillings would be exposed to.
An amalgam filling will leak a minute amount of mercury vapor over the lifetime of the filling. But, because it is such an insignificant amount, it causes no harm.
Groups including the Alzheimer's Association, the Centers for Disease Control, the National Institutes of Health and the American Dental Association, have reviewed the amalgam studies. They determined there is insufficient evidence to connect amalgam fillings to Alzheimer's.
When you need a filling, we will discuss your options with you, and between us, make a decision that is in your best interest.
No comments:
Post a Comment