My name is Jack Kall. I have no financial interest or conflict. I have paid for my travel and hotel costs. For forty-two years I have practiced general dentistry. Thirty-six years ago, when I learned that mercury escaped from amalgam fillings, I immediately stopped placing them. I serve as the Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology, a non-profit organization. This is a volunteer position. I’m here representing our over 1000 international dentist members.
I’d like to direct the focus of inquiry to mercury vapor which was not acknowledged yesterday as to its equal ability to cross the blood brain barrier, just as readily as methylmercury. Yesterday, it was noted that mercury vapor is the predominant form of mercury exposure from dental amalgam as 80% of this vapor is absorbed through the lungs during inhalation. This mercury vapor off gasses continuously from the amalgam surfaces. The rate of release increases due to any temperature increase either from hot food and beverage consumption or friction from eating, bruxism and toothbrushing.
In a minute I’ll show a video that was part of a study published in the journal NeuroReport in 2001. It summarizes in a visual way the methodology and results of this study which can help us understand the pathophysiology of mercury.
The following is a quote from the paper:
“The Hg concentrations to which these neurons were exposed (.1 micro Molar) were of the same order of magnitude as Hg levels reported in human and animal brains after chronic exposure to Hg vapor. The actual Hg concentration present in our neuronal cultures was indeed lower than the .1 micro Molar because of a dilution effect in the culture media.”
This video is about 4 and a half minutes long and in some areas uses time lapse photographing. Stop video at 4:20.
But alas, I have fallen into the same trap the gentleman from Consumers for Dental Choice scolded us about yesterday in continually arguing about the scientific studies, their imperfections and all the information gaps.
Yesterday I heard the following phrases “individual variability”, “underlying assumptions”, “conflicting results” and “somewhat imperfect”. Even though intellectually we might all agree that a perfect study on amalgam safety will never occur, the FDA’s behavior sure doesn’t reflect that—they’ll keep hoping to find one forever.
Over the years, we’ve been told that the FDA does not consider the precautionary principal nor additive or synergistic considerations; for example, when there is concurrent exposure to both lead and mercury even though it is well documented that both together are more toxic than one by itself.
Let’s face it, what has been occurring for the last three decades is a racket—the institutional inertia for a grandfathered substance (mercury fillings), the alleged safety of which is perpetuated by a trade organization (the American Dental Association) and which is then tolerated by the government body responsible for protecting the public (the FDA).
I’ve got one word for it—reprehensible.
My call to action is for the FDA to apply the precautionary principal and start now by restricting the use of amalgam in children, pregnant women, and those with kidney and neurodegenerative diseases.
In conclusion, relative to some comments made yesterday I have been placing composite fillings which are bPa free for four years now. Thank goodness that the dental profession has very good alternative materials.
Additionally, I was the Dental Director of a Federally funded community health center serving indigent and Medicaid populations for twenty-five years. I figured out how to utilize rubber dam to provide high quality adhesive dentistry without amalgam just like dentists in the countries where amalgam use has been eliminated and/or heavily reduced.
By the way, if any of us here today were to try to introduce a new filling material consisting of 50% mercury we’d not only be laughed out of this room, we’d be scorned as lunatics or declared “Mad as a Hatter”! Thank you for your attention.
