title: Evidence supporting a link between dental amalgams and chronic illness, fatigue, depression, anxiety, and suicide.
abstract: The purpose of this review is to examine the evidence for a relationship between mercury (Hg) exposure from dental amalgams and certain idiopathic chronic illnesses--chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), depression, anxiety, and suicide. Dental amalgam is a commonly used dental restorative material that contains approximately 50% elemental mercury (Hg0) by weight and releases Hg0 vapor. Studies have shown that chronic Hg exposure from various sources including dental amalgams is associated with numerous health complaints, including fatigue, anxiety, and depression--and these are among the main symptoms that are associated with CFS and FM. In addition, several studies have shown that the removal of amalgams is associated with improvement in these symptoms. Although the issue of amalgam safety is still under debate, the preponderance of evidence suggests that Hg exposure from dental amalgams may cause or contribute to many chronic conditions. Thus, consideration of Hg toxicity may be central to the effective clinical investigation of many chronic illnesses, particularly those involving fatigue and depression.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chronic Illnesses, Inc., Silver Spring, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Janet K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Kern
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chronic Illnesses, Inc., Silver Spring, MD, USA.
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Geier
authors.affiliation: Council for Nutritional and Environmental Medicine, Mo i Rana, Norway.
authors.forename: Geir
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bjørklund
authors.affiliation: CoMeD, Inc., Silver Spring, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Paul G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: King
authors.affiliation: International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology, ChampionsGate, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Kristin G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Homme
authors.affiliation: University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.
authors.forename: Boyd E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Haley
authors.affiliation: CoMeD, Inc., Silver Spring, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Lisa K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Sykes
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chronic Illnesses, Inc., Silver Spring, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Mark R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Geier
mesh_terms: D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003723:Dental Amalgam / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology*; D055317:Evidence-Based Practice; D005221:Fatigue / Q000209:etiology*; D005356:Fibromyalgia / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D017669:Mercury Compounds / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013405:Suicide
chemical_list: D017669:Mercury Compounds; D003723:Dental Amalgam