The connection between dental amalgams and ALS is important to look at. The use of mercury amalgams in dental fillings has been an accepted practice in the United States for more than one hundred years. Therefore, most people assume that their "silver" fillings are safe and non-toxic, posing no threat to their health. However, there are voluminous scientific studies that show that this assumption is not only ignorant, it is blatantly false.

The resulting furor has created a controversy between the dental establishment, lead by the American Dental Association, who claim that mercury amalgams have no adverse effects on the general population, and the scientists, holistic dentists and health activists who believe that mercury amalgams put people at risk of serious health disorders.

This subject is an important one for people with neurological disorders such as ALS, since the mercury level in ALS patients has been found to be higher than that of the general population. And the most common source of mercury exposure? Dental amalgams, followed by fish like swordfish and tuna, latex paints with mercury as a fungicide, and environmental pollution.

Below are some important references for you to link to, in order for you to review the evidence yourself:

1. The following site presents a lot of information pertaining to the dental amalgam issue: www.amalgam.org.

2. The following published scientific references were compiled by Bernie Windham, a chemical engineer who has spent years researching the hazardous effects of mercury amalgam poisoning. It lists three specific references to ALS:

i) Merritt's Textbook of Neurology, 9th Ed., Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore, 1995, p668; & O. Redhe et al, "Recovery from ALS After Removal of Dental Amalgam Fillings".

ii) M Davis, editor,"Defense Against Mystery Syndromes", Chek Printing Co., March 1994 (case histories documented).

iii) "It's All in Your Head", Opinion Report on Mercury Toxicity from Dental Amalgams and Thimerosal, presented to Congressional Hearing May 8, 2003 by Boyd E Haley, PhD, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Chemistry.

3. Consumers for Dental Choice have a website on "Working to Abolish Dental Fillings" called www.toxicteeth.org.

According to Dr. Swartzendruber of the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs,

"Occupational and environmental exposure to mercury is known to cause neurological disorders, including syndromes that mimic multiple sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. As a result, it is reasonable to consider that the mercury from amalgam may have a similar effect".

Mercury toxicity can cause many symptoms, like peripheral neuropathy (strange numbness and tingling, loss of sensation, loss of nerve control, and unusual pain) in arms or legs. The brain is also a frequent target.

Once the mercury in the amalgams gets into the bloodstream (mercury ions are released every time you chew, drink hot liquids, brush your teeth, or have your teeth professionally cleaned), they leak into the bloodstream and sit in enzymes, displacing minerals that must be there for proper function. Once the mercury has kicked out the good minerals, it severely dampens the action of the enzymes.

Scientists have even found that mercury in the body can damage the ability of the body to fight off infection, as is evident by the chronic yeast overgrowth that almost always goes hand in hand with excess mercury.

Is Removing Your Amalgams the Solution?

You may be wondering if you should have all of your amalgam fillings replaced immediately. The answer is, that it totally depends upon your situation. It is important to realize that for every person who has their amalgams removed and gets great results, such as lessened fatigue or improved ALS and MS symptoms, there is another person who sees no change or actually becomes worse.

Two major mistakes people make are not having their amalgams removed properly and not waiting until their "detox system" is healthy enough to handle the overflow of mercury that is released during the removal procedure.

Don't Remove Your Amalgams Until Your Detox Protocol is in Place

If you suspect that your amalgams may be contributing to your health issues, first test your urine with a heavy metal screen test. This home-use test is simple and inexpensive, and it will tell you instantly whether you have any free mercury ions circulating in your body. You may also use a heavy metal screen test to test your saliva, to see whether your amalgams are releasing mercury ions.

For more information on the Heavy Metal Screen Test, click here for our "Useful Tests" report.

Or you can have your physician do a "Before and After" chelation challenge test. If there is more mercury in the specimen taken after a two day trial of a chelating drug to remove hidden mercury, you probably ought to remove the rest of the mercury as well, provided you are not too sick or weak. But first, make sure your detox system can handle it by consulting with a dentist specializing in amalgam removal, and then, take the proper precautions for effective and safe amalgam removal.

Your regular ADA dentist will not be able to help you for two reasons: First, they are not taught the proper procedures for safe amalgam removal, and second, they are not permitted by the American Dental Association to remove amalgams for anything other than cosmetic reasons.

If you went to your dentist and told him or her that you wanted your amalgams replaced because you suspected that they were causing your health problems and the dentist agreed to remove them, he or she could lose his or her license to practice dentistry. The ADA is very firm in maintaining that amalgams are harmless and they ex-communicate any dentists that maintain otherwise.

You can get a list of properly trained biological dentists by clicking on the following web site - www.iaomt.org. Or you can call the Huggins Diagnostic Center at 866-948-4638.

We also highlyl recommend that you get a serum biocompatibility test done before you engage in the amalgam removal process. A blood serum compatibility test is done to ensure your dentist puts the most compatible or "least reactive" dental materials in your mouth to replace the mercury amalgam fillings.

The type of dental materials include etchings, composites, bonding agents, crowns, porcelain and ceramics, temporary materials, cements, adhesives, and sealants, to mention a few.

All dental materials, just like prescription drugs, have a certain number of side effects or adverse reactions. The serum test will alert you and your dentist to the relative compatibility each dental material has with your immune system.

You can your own blood sample taken by a professional lab and send it to a center that does serum compatibility testing for dental materials. The one we recommend is Scientific Health Solutions, Inc. They are at 1621 North Circle Drive in Colorado Springs, CO. You can contact them at 719-548-1600 and arrange to have a test performed. A full report listing the least reactive to most reactive dental materials (of which there are hundreds) is then sent to you and your dentist.

Serum compatibility testing is not to be confused with results from electrical devices which evaluate body electrical data in comparison with selected dental materials. In contrast, compatibility testing is a blood serum test that determines measurement of immunolgobulins and proteins which are capable of reacting with components and corrosion products from dental materials.

First, Test Your Liver and Kidney Function

Before removing any amalgam fillings (which can be a major undertaking both in stress on the body and stress on the pocketbook) make sure your kidney and liver can handle it. Have your health care professional test both of these organs through a simple blood and/or urine test first. If everything looks good, then you can proceed; first by finding a holistic dentist and secondly, by preparing yourself physically for the procedure.

Second, Support Liver and Kidney Function

Releasing mercury into the bloodstream may overload the body's detoxification system, namely the liver and kidneys. Therefore, it is essential that you support the liver and kidney's natural ability to detoxify.

Supplementing the body with glutathione will help the liver detoxify the excess mercury, and drinking a special tea called cornsilk tea will help to clear the kidneys. Cornsilk tea is very inexpensive, and is available in most health food stores. If you can't find the tea, you may substitute cornsilk capsules instead.

1. Increase the levels of glutathione in your body. One of the best ways to do this is supplementing with a non-denatured whey protein powder - for more information, click here for our Antioxidants Page.

2. Begin a detox program to help remove excess metals and chemicals. Removing metals and chemicals that are presently in the body before having your amalgams replaced will lessen the body burden of metal that will be released during the amalgam removal. We recommend beginning a detox program a few weeks before beginning the amalgam replacement process.

For more information on detoxification therapy, click here for our Detoxification Report.

On the Day of Amalgam Removal

1. Take a natural chelator such as Bio-Chelat™ and one teaspoon of baking soda at least four hours before your dental appointment .

2. Bring a special mouthwash called Denta CARE™ to your dental appointment, and rinse several times with it while you are having your amalgams removed. The Denta Care™ will bind and neutralize any free mercury ions in your mouth so that the mercury ions will not be absorbed by the body.

3. Take a clay bath after the dental procedure.