Amalgam Safety Tested
There is no link between amalgam and several neurodegenerative diseases and "no clear evidence suporting the removal of amalgam," according to a clinical article published in The New England Journal of Medicine. The authors say that the concentrations of mercury found in the urine of patiens who wear amalgams are far below those with occupational exposure. Some who advocate the banning of amalgam have suggested that amalgam may cause of lead to a host of neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral scierosis, Alzheimer's disease, multiple scierosis and Parkinson's disease. "Patients who have questions about the potential relation between mercury [dental fillings] and degenerative diseases can be assured that the available evidence shows now connection," the authors write. "The Toxicology of Mercury: Current Exposures and Clinical Manifestations" by Thomas W. Clarkson, PhD, Laszio Magos, MD, and Gary J. Myers, MD was published in the Oct. 30, 2003, issue.