Dental Asia September/October 2021

New research links dental amalgam
mercury fillings to arthritis
Intelligent
extraction
SILENT CAM extraction units
The International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT)
is raising awareness of research linking cases of arthritis to dental
amalgam fillings. These silver-coloured fillings are 50% mercury and
are still used in the United States, often in disadvantaged children
and adults.
In this new study, researchers David and Mark Geier report on a
significant relationship between the number of dental amalgam
filling surfaces and diagnoses of arthritis. They find that incidences of
arthritis peak among adults with four to seven dental amalgam filling
surfaces.
It is important to note that the number of surfaces is not the same
as the number of fillings. Each tooth has five surfaces, which means
that a person with only one filling could have up to five surfaces.
The authors examined data from the 2015-2016 National Health and
Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) including demographics,
dental exams, and arthritis diagnoses. Data about the patient’s type
of dental filling recently became accessible. With this information,
the researchers were able to discover higher incidences of arthritis in
people with silver-coloured mercury amalgam fillings than those with
other fillings such as tooth-coloured composites.
In September 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) updated
risks of dental amalgam fillings for susceptible groups. However,
arthritis was not specifically mentioned when the FDA warned of
“harmful health effects of mercury vapour released from the device.”
SILENT CAM extraction units communicate
in an intelligent way with the CAM
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All you need to do is connect the
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The groups that FDA advised to avoid getting dental amalgam fillings
include pregnant women; women planning to become pregnant;
nursing women and their newborn and infants; children; people with
neurological disease such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease
or Parkinson’s disease; people with impaired kidney function; and
people with known heightened sensitivity (allergy) to mercury or
other components of dental amalgam.
Find out more:
renfert.com/silent
FDA is currently open for comments on how information about
medical devices including dental amalgam fillings should be shared
with patients and providers. The Geiers’ study was partially funded by
the IAOMT, a non-profit organisation that evaluates biocompatibility
of dental products, including mercury filling risks. ■
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DENTAL ASIA SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2021 11
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