The document discusses the toxicity of mercury, particularly from dental amalgam fillings. It provides background on mercury, noting that it can be absorbed from dental amalgam and negatively impact various body systems. It outlines the different chemical forms of mercury, sources of exposure, and pathways of absorption. The document details various side effects like allergic reactions and toxicity in multiple organ systems. It provides recommendations for safe mercury practices like proper ventilation, equipment, hygiene and removal techniques to reduce exposure and risks.
2. Introduction
History
Chemical Forms Of Mercury
Sources Of Mercury Exposure
Pathways
Side effects of mercury
Mercury Hygiene
Safe Mercury Amalgam Removal Technique (SMART)
CONTENT
DR. DHANASHREE GUNJAL 2
3. Introduction
Mercury is a known toxic,
bio-accumulative substance.
It often finds its way into the body
through dental amalgam, which is used
to restore cavitated tooth.
Mercury release in body and shows
negative affect on the lungs, nervous
system, kidney etc.
DR. DHANASHREE GUNJAL 3
4. Definitions
An amalgam is an alloy that contains mercury as one of its constituents.
PHILLIPāS SCIENCE OF DENTAL MATREIALS 11TH EDITION
Dental amalgam is an alloy made by mixing mercury with a silver-tin dental
amalgam alloy.
STURDEVANTāS ART AND SCIENCE OF OPERATIVE DENTISTRY 5TH EDITION
DR. DHANASHREE GUNJAL 4
5. Amalgam Wars
ā¢ In 1841, the American
Society of Dental
Surgeons declared that
āthe use of amalgam
constitutes
malpracticeā
ā¢ Amalgam use declined
SECOND AMALGAM WAR
FIRST AMALGAM WAR THIRD AMALGAM WAR
ā¢ In mid 1920's a German
dentist, Professor A. Stock
started the "second
amalgam war".
ā¢ He claimed to have
evidence showing that
mercury could be absorbed
from dental amalgam,
which leads to serious
health problems.
ā¢ In 1981, the Neurobiologist
Mats Hanson, Assosiate
professor in physiology in
Sweden started the war.
ā¢ He was convinced that
mercury released from
dental amalgam was
responsible for human
diseases affecting the
cardiovascular system and
nervous system
DR. DHANASHREE GUNJAL 5
6. CHEMICAL FORMS
OF MERCURY
ELEMENTAL MERCURY
Most volatile
Exist in liquid/vapor form-
Inhaled and absorbed into lungs
(80%) and GIT (0.01%)
Most common form amalgam
restoration.
Exposure to this form can occur
due to accidental spillage of
mercury in dental office
DR. DHANASHREE GUNJAL 6
8. Sources Of Mercury Exposure In Dental Clinic
ā¢ Amalgam raw material being stored in use
ā¢ During trituration , insertion & condensation
ā¢ Amalgam scrap
ā¢ During finishing & polishing
ā¢ Removal of old restoration
ā¢ Hg concentration in whole
blood is ā10 Ī¼g/L,
ā¢ 20 Ī¼g/L / ā is normal.
ā¢ Blood Hg concentration can rise
to 35 Ī¼g/L after long-term
exposure to mercury vapor
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9. Hg released from
amalgam & inhaled with
80% uptake in the lung
Hg distributes
throughout cell and
tissue
By peroxidase oxidation Hg
breaks down to inorganic
mercury
Hg accumulates in the
nervous system, GIT,
liver and kidney
Hg excreted through
urine and faeces.
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12. Amount of Hg vapor released
ā¢ Trituration = 1-2 Āµg
ā¢ Condensation = 6-8 Āµg
ā¢ Dry polishing = 44 Āµg
ā¢ Wet polishing = 2-4 Āµg
ā¢ Removal of amalgam restoration under water
spray and high volume suction = 15-20Āµg
Threshold Limit Value(TLV) of mercury vapor in
workplace ā50Ī¼g
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13. SIDE EFFECTS OF MERCURY
MERCURY
ALLERGY
MERCURY
TOXICITY
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14. Contact dermatitis or Comb's type IV hypersensitivity reaction
represents side effect to dental amalgam.
Allergy responses represent an antigen-antibody reaction
marked by
itching,
rashes,
sneezing,
erythematous lesions,
severe burning and
difficulty in breathing.
MERCURY ALLERGY
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15. Erythematous lesion on right buccal
mucosa in vicinity of amalgam
restorations.
Rashes on vermillion border of lower
lip, angle of mouth and cheek.
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16. ā¢ Immediate Hs reaction associated with the mercury
component of amalgam restoration induces an acute reaction.
ā¢ Skin patch test results indicated a very strong positive
reaction to mercury.
ā¢ Amalgam restorations should be replaced with composite
filling material.
MERCURY ALLERGY
DR. DHANASHREE GUNJAL 16
17. MERCURY TOXICITY
TOXIC EFFECTS OF MERCURY DEPEND UPON
Amount of exposure
Length of exposure
Length of mercury accumulation in body
Amount of accumulated mercury
Overall health of the patient (for detoxification)
DR. DHANASHREE GUNJAL 17
21. TOXIC EFFECT OF MERCURY ON THE BODY
ā¢ Cramps
ā¢ Inflamed colon
ā¢ Diarrhea
G.IT PROBLEMS
ā¢ Weak pulse
ā¢ Increase B.P
ā¢ Chest pain/feeling of pressure.
ā¢ In the chest area
C.V.S
PROMBLEMS
ā¢ Weakness
ā¢ Emphysema
ā¢ Persistent cough
RESPIRATORY
PROMBLEMS
NEUROLOGICAL
PROBLEMS
ā¢ Headaches
ā¢ Vertigo
ā¢ Tinnitus
ā¢ Twitching
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22. Hg damaged development of CNS in the foetus during
prenatal period
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23. Classic symptoms:
tremor,
gingivitis,
Renal & CNS damage
Minamata disease
Mercury
Poisoning
Acute
effect
Chronic
effect
By ingestion:
local corrosive effects
nausea, vomiting,
severe abdominal pain,
chemical colitis, renal damage.
By inhalation:
chemical pneumonitis,
pulmonary edema
DR. DHANASHREE GUNJAL 23
24. ā¢ Erythema of the palms soles
ā¢ Edema of hand and feet
ā¢ Desquamating rash
ā¢ Hair loss
ā¢ Diaphoresis
ā¢ Tachycardia
ā¢ Photophobia
ā¢ Irritability- Constipation/Diarrhea
ā¢ Anorexia
ā¢ Insomnia
ā¢ Poor muscle tone
ACRODYNIA (PINK DISEASE)
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25. Caused by methylmercury poisoning
ā¢Paraesthesia
ā¢Visual field constriction
ā¢Ataxia
ā¢ Impaired hearing & speech.
HUNTER RUSSELL SYNDROME
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28. Ventilation
Monitor office
Monitor
personnel
Office design
ā¢ Proper ventilation by having
fresh air exchanges and
periodic replacement of
filters.
ā¢ Monitor the Hg vapor level
in the office periodically.
ā¢ Monitor office by periodic
analysis
ā¢ Use proper work area
design to facilitate spill
containment and clean up.
SAFE MERCURY AMALGAM REMOVAL TECHNIQUE
DR. DHANASHREE GUNJAL 28
30. Masks
Contaminated
items
Spills
Select an
appropriate alloy
ā¢ Change mask as necessary
when removing amalgam
restoration.
ā¢ Dispose in sealed bags
according to applicable
regulation
ā¢ Clean up Hg properly by
using bottle tapes.
ā¢ To pick- up amalgam
droplets use clean up kits.
Proper Hg: alloy ratio to
avoid the need to remove
excess Hg before packing.
DR. DHANASHREE GUNJAL 30
31. Recyling
Clothing
Avoid carpet/floor
coverings in dental
office
ā¢ store amalgam scrap under
radiographic fixer solution in
covered container.
ā¢ Recycle amalgam scraps through
refiners
ā¢ Wear professional clothing
only in dental operatory.
ā¢ floor coverings should be
easy to clean, nonabsorbent
and seamless.
Use rubber dam during insertion, condensation and
polishing of amalgam
DR. DHANASHREE GUNJAL 31
33. Gallium based alloy:-
Gallium was discovered in 1875.
It is metal with similar atomic structure and characteristics to mercury
Melting temp of 29Ā°C.
By 1928, Puttkammer suggested Gallium as a substitute for mercury.
It is available as
1. Gallium Alloy
2. Galloy
Disadvatages:
Handling characteristics of alloy not favourable
High level of corrosion is seen which causes loss of strength marginal
disintegration and marginal fracture in chunks.
Poor biocompatibility. Costly.
TO REDUCE MERCURY HAZARDS:MERCURY FREE ALLOYS
DR. DHANASHREE GUNJAL 33
34. CHELATION THERAPY
ā¢Chelation therapy is the administration of chelating agents remove
heavy metals from the body.
ā¢ A chelating agent could be given orally, I.M, I.V
ā¢ FDA approved use in children for treating Hg toxicity
2,3-dimercapto-1 propanesulfonicacid (DMPS)
D-Pencillamine (DPCN)
Dimercaprol (BAL)
DR. DHANASHREE GUNJAL 34
35. ā¢ Phillips Science Of Dental Material 10th & 11th Edition
ā¢ Sturdevant s The Art and Science of Operative Dentistry, Fifth Edition
ā¢ Syed M, Chopra R, Sachdev V. Allergic Reactions to Dental Materials-A Systematic
Review. J Clin Diagn Res. 2015 Oct;9(10):ZE04
ā¢ Ryo Sasaki DDS PhD, Sekiko Taneda, Toshihha, Gingival amalgam tattoo,
CMAJ 2023 August 21;195:E1083-4.
ā¢ Rhythm Bains1, Kapil Loomba1 and Anju Loomba, Allergy to Mercury from
Dental Amalgam: A Case Report, Asian Journal of Oral Health & Allied Sciences
2012, Volume 2, Issue 2
ā¢ Dack K, Fell M, Taylor CM, Havdahl A, Lewis SJ. Prenatal Mercury Exposure and
Neurodevelopment up to the Age of 5 Years: A Systematic Review. Int J Environ
Res Public Health. 2022;19(4):1976.
REFERENCES
DR. DHANASHREE GUNJAL 35
Editor's Notes
1826 first dental amalgam used by Tavuea in USA and France
2. He also expressed concerns over health of dentists, stating that nearly all dentists had excess mercury in their urine
3. It began in 1980, through the seminars and writings of Dr.Huggins, a practicing dentist in Colorado.
Also stated that patients claimed recoveries from multiple sclerosis, and other diseases as a result of removing their dental amalgam fillings.
A systemically healthy, non smoker, 23 year, female patient reported with the chief complaint of an ulceration on her right buccal mucosa and itching and rashes around the corner of her lips since two days. Clinical examination showed class I silver amalgam restorations on 47, 48.
Small percent age of people are allergic to mercury.
silicone polymer, dimethaosne (Dermashield) can be applied over exposed areas of skin.
Antihistaminics, topical glucocorticoids such as clobestol proprionate may be useful
Small percent age of people are allergic to mercury,
Small percent age of people are allergic to mercury,
73-year-old man with an amalgam tattoo black and blue-grey lesion along the gingiva adjacent to a porcelain tooth fused to a metal bridge 40Ā years .
biopsy of the lesion showed black granules in the connective tissue.
erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser is less invasive and easier than removal with free gingival grafts,
When mercury enters the body, it distributes to the soft tissues and then to the brain. Hg binds to hemoglobin and passes easily through the blood-brain barrier.
It also easily crosses the placental barrier in pregnant women and can pass through the breast milk. Image depicts to the neurons of a developing fetus when the mother consumes methylmercury affects growth cones of fetus.
Cognitive thinking, fine motor and visual spatial skills hamper
Correcting fluid and electrolyte losses and rectifying any nutritional imbalances (vitamin-rich diet, B complex)Ā chelatingĀ therapy
Diaphoresis- excessive sweating due to an underlying health condition
Anorexia- eating disorder that causes people to weigh lessĀ
The term Hunter-Russell syndrome derives from a study of mercury poisoning among workers in a seed packing factory in Norwich, England in the late 1930s who breathed methyl mercury that was being used as a seed disinfectant andĀ preservative.
In 1952 Minamata Japan
1971 Iraq poison grain disaster was aĀ mass methylmercury poisoning incidentĀ
Ā International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology protocol IAOMT
Office- This may be done by using dosimeter badges & vapor analyzer
1971 Iraq poison grain disaster was aĀ mass methylmercury poisoning incidentĀ